I purchased a "barn car" 12 years ago a true 138 SS car and do not have a title or registration. I would now like to title it and am wondering if anyone has had any luck with titling services.

I came across a 70 boss 302 with 24,000 miles on it. I tried for 1 year non stop to get an abandoned title. It was a lost cause, i ended up tracing the last owner down and begging him for the title. One thing is to have it towed(by a close friend) and after like 30 days they can get a abandoned title, as long as nobody claims it. So i have heard.

Problem here in CA is that if it's abandoned, it goes to auction. That's the only way to get an abandoned title.

I lived in Oceanside for a while and had to go throught the same thing. Chuck's posting is partly correct, you can have a tow yard do it for you (which is the easiest if you know someone), but you can also do it yourself. It was a long process, and I forget the details, but you can apply for an abandoned title through the DMV. You may have to contact the DMV in Sacramento in order to do it, I know I talked to them at some point in the process, but I think I got most of it accomplished through the DMV in O'side/Vista.
If you go the tow yard route and you don't know anyone who ownes a tow yard, they may want to charge you for the storage which can add up for a month or longer while waiting on the DMV.

Good luck, there's no easy route dealing with the Cali DMV.

I should correct the language. It is a "lein".
The tow yard can put a lein on the vehicle, which upon 30 days (I believe 30 days stored + 30 days after processing the lein = 60 days) they can then get the vehicle free and clear with a "salvage" title.
I just spoke to my friend who manages a tow yard in Valley Center and he said that is the deal.
He did it for me on a 280zx I bought, and I went through the lein process myself for a 72 Nova.

RC,

I have heard that in CA a vehicle drops off the records at the DMV if it hasn't been registered in for more than 7 years. You might want to start with a request for the vehicle history from the DMV. If no records are found, then you can return at a later date and request a duplicate title stating you lost your original. A coworker did this with a truck he had in the barn for years. This is a bit dishonest.

The other choice is to go in the DMV with whatever documentation you have (Bill of Sale) and ask what you can do. They might hit you with 12 years of non-op but at least it's all above board.

Just my two cents,
Bill

try Broadway title company

Thanks everyone for the help.

Broadway title,well worth the cash.

International Title Service
PMB 445
3342 S Sandhill Road SAuite 9
Las Vegas, NV
89121-3455

use them and you can get a free and clear title, depending on what year the car is. What you will get is an offical document from LA or NH that your DMV will make into a title in your name..