Salvage Title

[PolarrrBearrr]

Maybe this was covered on the site or not, but how do you get a slavage title in NJ?

I found a vehicle that might be worth slavaging rotting away in the woods, and I was wondering how I can legally take the what's left and turn into something.

Is this a difficult endeavor?

[Knipps]

From what i've heard it's not too bad..
PM SmokingSS and he may be able to get back to you when he comes back from BT in a week or two

[bad64chevelle]

I dont know if the vehicle has a title or not, but my Nova didnt have a title and Im still trying to get one for it before I even decide what to do with the car. I gotta put an ad in the newspaper next with the Vin # so anyone who has the title could *possibly* claim it, but its been a rough journey so far. once I get on christmas break I will start working on that again though. Good luck! Try going to DMV and see what they say.

[Mike]

if the car has a title saying its a total loss (ie. from a junkyard or insurance auction) you have to take pre and post repair pictures and then take the car to the state police inspection station (i want to say asbury or somewhere out there) and they will issue a rebuilt title

[JL8Jeff]

I would try for the abandoned vehicle situation and try to get a clean title before the salvage title. With a salvage title, you will need to show the before and after repairs, provide receipts or proof of repair or purchased parts, go through the safety inspection to make sure it's safe for the road and even then it will still have a salvage title. A salvage title scares a lot of buyers away if you need to sell and you could lose a lot of money in that situation. If you never plan to sell then it might not matter.

[PolarrrBearrr]

I checked at the DMV site, and they mentioned having to go down to Trenton to get the salvage title. I didn't see anything about an "abandoned vehicle" title.

I mean, it's a vehicle that someone left rotting in the woods - literally. It would need a complete rebuild before I could even consider starting the engine - let alone driving it. If I plan on making it a vintage vehicle, would that matter?

What if I took pictures of the vehicle, got the VIN number, and brought that to the DMV and see what they said? Would that help?

And, while I know it's not an F-Body, the vehicle in question is a 1948 Ford F-100. I do own a Camaro, but I didn't know who else to ask this question too.

Thanks for the imput guys.

[Mike]

i would try and find a classic vehicle site, because this is somthing people do and i bet the guys on those old resto forums would have good info

[JL8Jeff]

PamperedZ just went through this with that 70's Firebird. The abondoned vehicle has some sort of 30 day waiting period and you might have to run an ad in the paper to see if the owner claims it. DMV will probably tell you to do a VIN tracing and I would take pictures of the VIN as well. Call them down in Trenton and ask how to go about it. I wouldn't spend a penny if all you can do is get a salvage title. And don't do any work to something like that until you have a title in your name.

[SteveR]

First thing is this, there are two types of 'damaged vehicle' titles. First is Salvage, second is Junkyard. With a Salvage title you have to repair the car back to 100% working order and it has to get a full inspection. Its almost woth buying a car with a clear title than having to go through all that mess. A Junkyard title means that it can never be titled again and never allowed back on the road, no matter what you do. The only way to get that physical car back on the road is a loop hole in the law. You buy an identicle car and call the DMV and tell them you have a restoration car in progress with a parts car and you want to swap the VIN of the parts car to the restoration car. A police officer has to be present and watch you do it, but you can take the VIN tag off the 'parts car' and put it on the car with the Junkyard title, thus allowing it to be registered again.

If the car is abbandoned, the best bet is to go through a titling agency like Broadway or something. They'll do all the leg work and get the title for you, for a price. But for the large headache and runarounds you'll get thruough the DMV, its worth it.

[PolarrrBearrr]

Ok, the whole "switching VINs" sounds like a royal P.I.T.A.

Though, having someone else do the work for me, I like that idea. Does Broadway have a website or something I can go to?

------

Nevermind. Found the website, and in big letters it says "Due to title laws, we can do titles in these states.... New Jersey...."

Damnit.

[WildBillyT]

Ok, the whole "switching VINs" sounds like a royal P.I.T.A.

Though, having someone else do the work for me, I like that idea. Does Broadway have a website or something I can go to?

------

Nevermind. Found the website, and in big letters it says "Due to title laws, we can do titles in these states.... New Jersey...."

Damnit.

Got a friend in PA?

[Iroc-z86]

yeah going through the dmv for a lost or irreplaceable title is a pita, but it can be done. I had to do it with my iroc. the previous owner crossed off his name and they wouldnt take it, and i couldnt get in touch with the jerk who owned the car legally to get me a new title for his mistake. so i basically had to run an ad in the paper, fill out these pointless forms, in the end it took about 2 months to get the info needed for them to give me a new title. once i mailed it in it took a week to actually get a title. and it cost about 100$ for all the paper work and forms to get the title.

[PolarrrBearrr]

First of all, WildBilly all I have to say is: good answer.

Actaully, I did a little research and found another place that will find titles. I'm sure if one can't do it, there has to be one somewhere in Jersey that will deal with the NJDMV. Since it'll cost about $100 - $150, I'm thinking that it's better for someone else to deal with it. They might have a contact in the DMV, and they can probably do it quicker and with less mistakes than I can.

Thanks for the input guys.

[SteveR]

I cant remember Broadway's website, but there are a few titling agencies out there. I got hooked up with Broadway when I was trying to get a title for a '55 F-250 that didnt have one when I bought it and some people told me about them on the hotrodders.com/forum website.

[JL8Jeff]

Those "title" companies are being cracked down on because what they do to get a title isn't legal in a lot of states. They'll basically create a bogus title to the vehicle in another state and mail it to you to take into NJ DMV. So ask what they actually do to get a title.

[Raist103]

First of all, WildBilly all I have to say is: good answer.

Actaully, I did a little research and found another place that will find titles. I'm sure if one can't do it, there has to be one somewhere in Jersey that will deal with the NJDMV. Since it'll cost about $100 - $150, I'm thinking that it's better for someone else to deal with it. They might have a contact in the DMV, and they can probably do it quicker and with less mistakes than I can.

Thanks for the input guys.

do you know a place that will do it for 100-150? if please share i need one for my sonoma gt. only places i could find are in maine and cost 350-450.