Title with wrong model number

[Felix]

 

Hi,

I have a 51 Roadmaster, 4 port.

my Massachusetts title shows Model name

as 40 and Model number Special.

This is clearly a Roadmaster and title is in my

dads name, but signed over to me(son). Dad has passed on.

The question is run the title as is into my name,then apply for corrections.

 

Thanks

Felix

 

 

[old-tank]

Be sure that the VIN on the title matches the vehicle.  Hopefully you did not find a title to a different vehicle.

[gungeey]

Felix, if you are in Mass you can file an affadavit of correction that needs to be notarized and sent to the registry.

If you are not in Mass you likely have a bit of a process getting the correction made.

 It's all right here:

 

RMV forms and applications | Mass.gov

 

[Felix]

Gingery,

 

Thanks, this is exactly what I have started, no wanting to cause a shit storm cause I didn’t 

look at title when purchased.

shooting for new title in my name from dad, then do corrections

Thanks

Felix

 

[Felix]

Sorry,

Spell check Gungeey,

you are the 👨 

[1939_Buick]

On 1/6/2021 at 7:56 AM, Felix said:

I have a 51 Roadmaster, 4 port.

my Massachusetts title shows Model name as 40 and Model number Special.

This is clearly a Roadmaster and title is in my dads name, but signed over to me(son). Dad has passed on.

The question is run the title as is into my name,then apply for corrections.

As above, make sure the VIN, engine number and chassis number on the car match the paper work. Check & check again.

When did your Dad purchase the car?

[60FlatTop]

My wife lays awake at night worrying about things like that. Nice woman but she has questionable taste in men.

 

Bernie

[Machine Gun]

I don't know how MA handles these things but as long as the VIN on the car and the title match I would think that correcting the model would be relatively simple. In NJ a photo or pencil rubbing of the body plate usually suffices if the VIN matches. That you inherited the car makes it worthwhile to go through whatever trouble it takes to get it corrected. However, I would never buy a vehicle that had an incorrect title no matter how seemingly minor the discrepancy; it's the seller's job to produce a correct title, even a color change due to a repaint.

 

A mismatched VIN is a deal killer right out of the gate, which is why I always ask if the title matches the vehicle before I even go look at it, and then I ask to see the title before any money is exchanged. You can't be too careful with that sort of thing because even if you sweep discrepancies under the rug and register the vehicle chances are you'll want to sell it one day and someone like me will come along and give you grief about it. The only way I'd be willing to deal with that sort of thing is if someone offered me a Duesenberg for $200.

 

Title mismatches are more common with older vehicles than I thought. In 2020 alone while searching for an older pickup truck I found one on Craigslist that had a 1960 body and grille, a 1958 hood, a 1960 VIN, and was titled as a 1959. Had I been in better physical shape I'd have run away from that one faster. Then there are the Model A Fords whose engine numbers were used as the VIN. Try and find one of those whose engine hadn't been swapped out over the past 90 years. I passed up three of them in 2020 because there was nothing on any of those trucks that would tie them to the title. Perhaps the Model A community lets sleeping dogs lie.

[Mark Shaw]

I just went through this with WA State Patrol Inspections to correct the year of mfg. for a 1931 Buick Model 67 that was registered as a 1930.  Aside from the fact that some previous inspector couldn't see the difference between a straight 8 and a 6 cylinder car, Covid also caused multiple problems in getting an  inspection appointment. And some state inspectors previously refused to accept the original riveted ID plates used by Buick in the early days and would only used stamped numbers on the engine for registration.  It took two months to get an appointment, and because it was a non-op car, it had to be trailered to the inspection station.  It turned out to be a big hassle, but I did get it done correctly with a new inspector.  The nasty old inspector who refused to use riveted frame numbers must have finally retired.

[BuickBob49]

Mark, I had a similar problem with my 49 when I attempted to title it in Washington over 35 years ago. The out-of-state title read 15188158. The frame number read 15I88I58. It took some talking with the WSP inspector who finally agreed to approve my application. Bob

[Brian_Heil]

When I purchased my 1911 Buick, the 4 digit VIN on the West Virginia title (and car) came back as a stolen moped in Ohio.  Per the Michigan Secretary of State clerk.  "There is no such thing as a 4 digit VIN.'  I explained there was in 1911 to no avail.  Next she typed the 4 digit VIN into the computer.  The fun then started.

 

Pre Covid, a state inspector was required to come to my home and inspect the vehicle before I could transfer the title.

 

A rather unpleasant person came out and treated me like a moped thief.  I assured them I had not used moped parts to build a 1911 Buick nor had I ever stolen a moped.  The person actually looked around the garage for a moped.

 

After I listened to numerous title fraud stories, the person finally agreed I had not used a stolen moped VIN from Ohio on my Buick.  What should have taken 5 minutes took an hour.  My tax dollars at 'work'.

 

 

My 1923 Buick came from New Hampshire to Michigan 25 years ago.  Car had never had a title.  NH did not title vehicles for years.  Bill of sale only.  Back then I had to take the bill of sale and an inspection form from the Secretary of State to my local police station for them to verify the VIN and then back to the SOS to get a title.  The local officers were wonderful to work with.  Ahhh, small town living.

Edited February 11, 2021 by Brian_Heil (see edit history)

[Larry Schramm]

For one of my old cars, I too was required to have an officer come out and confirm the vehicle vin and title. 

 

The first one that came out asked what he was looking at and I showed him the I think the truck and asked what was he supposed to do with that?   He ended up walking away and sent out another officer. 

 

The second one I do not think had seen anything that old, but knew the requirements for approving the title transfer and signed off on the transfer.

[60FlatTop]

In my formative years my Grandfather taught me that a person can get a lot more done by acting ignorant and asking for help than they can telling what they know and what the rules are. I am pretty good at catching myself if I start to slip.

A good cop can tell the good guys from the bad guys at a glance, just like the lady at the motor vehicles department. Wear your old clothes, slouch a little, shuffle your feet as you walk, and wear an old military type hat. Carry an handful of papers that look obviously disorganized and ask "Can you help me with my old car?". They might even stretch a rule for you.I have had a few things fixed that way.

 

In the same vein, I remember my grandfather telling me that the Indians in the old west had taboos about getting near people they though might have some mental issues. He looked at me very sincerely and said "That's the way we would get to California".

 

I call this my Mr. Know It All picture. This is not the body language for the Department of Motor Vehicles!

[Peterb1933]

I'm in Mass and had to correct the Title for my 1947 Super. The VIN was listed as the Engine number (as was common way back ). I changed it to the actual chassis VIN. I went to the DMV and they gave me an application. I filled in an explanation of what information I wanted to change on the Title. The DMV described the procedure to get the Title officially changed.  I brought the car to the local Police Department for verification of my information, and submitted the papers to the DMV. At the time I could walk into the DMV (pre-Covid).

I think the young Police officer omitted his Badge Number and I had to go back a second time. ( We got side-tracked talking about cars. ) The whole procedure was painless and cost me about 50 bucks to get the new Title mailed to me. Now if I ever change the engine, the Title will still identify my car. Hope this helps.

[ply33]

Boy, I guess I just lucked out.

 

Back in 1978 when I moved to Maryland from New York I went to register my 1933 Plymouth. The NY paperwork used the engine number. I asked the clerk at the counter in the MD motor vehicle department if they could issue the new paperwork using the serial number. I had a sheet of paper where I’d written down the engine number, body number and serial number. They said they’d check and disappeared for about 20 minutes. When she returned she said they all matched and there would be no problem using the serial number.

 

At the time I figured that she probably just used my question as an excuse to take a long coffee break. But later I learned about the Chrysler historical collection and their service for looking up things by serial number and started to wonder if she’d been on the phone to Chrysler. What ever she really did in that 20 minutes is lost to history but the final result was my car has been registered by the serial number for decades now and it was about as painless a process as you can have with any state’s motor vehicle department.