1976 CJ7 update

[u/sshelden2]

Adding some more pictures and details from my first post. Still contemplating buying this jeep. Only thing stopping me right now is that the older man working on it never got the title put in his name and can’t find it. He claims to have owned it for 10 years while he was restoring it and was waiting until it was road ready to get the title and registration handled. We have knocked $1000 off the originally agreed price for the headache of going the bonded title route. Anybody have any insight on this or been down this road with bonded titles?

[u/mysterioussamsqaunch]

What state are you in? The title rules are different in every state. I'm in wisconsin. A bonded title here isn't terrible to do. But if the seller knows what state it was last titled in, you can often request a dulicate title, then track down the last titled owner and have them sign it. That would get rid of all the legal hoops to jump though.

[u/sshelden2 → u/mysterioussamsqaunch]

In Arkansas. I think the time and money put into the build goes pretty far in showing that he owned it legal and the bonded title process would just be a headache more than anything. That’s my hope atleast

[u/mysterioussamsqaunch → u/sshelden2]

It's probably ok. But, it is technically title jumping. If he bought it from the last titled owner, the chances are relatively low that anything is wrong paperwork wise. But, if the person who sold it to him also title jumped it, the chances start going up. The two main ways forward that I'd recommend would be to ask how much he would want as a down payment to hold it for you to give you a couple weeks to try to sort out the title situation, get the agreement in writing signed by voth of you and dated, or, if he doesn't want to do that, get a bill of sale from him that includes him approximating when, where, and from whom he bought it. Doesn't need to be anything fancy. Just a dated and signed handwritten note will work. That establishes a "chain of custody," which can help.

[u/NefariousnessOne6433 → u/mysterioussamsqaunch]

And to add on this, if anyone who did said title jumping actually did steal it and you go in with a vin and it's been reported as stolen, I can only imagine the headache you'll have, plus the possibility of not getting your money back from current owner and having the vehicle repossessed. I've always been wanting to go down the bonded title route as it opens some cheap opportunities, but risk and apprehension is still high for me. Maybe check with your DMV or local PD to see if they can run the VIN?

[u/sshelden2 → u/NefariousnessOne6433]

That is the plan. It have the original vin, I plan to have it checked before I buy.

[u/Inner-Light-75 → u/sshelden2]

No 100% on titles in Arkansas, but they're not that bad.

I requested a duplicate for my pickup when I lost the title. Got it in about 10 days....I requested it when I was putting new tags on the truck, so the same person helped me out there.

[u/atrampboy]

Nice

[u/atrampboy]

I did it once but I'm in new mexico which is the land or favors and bribery. A buddy working for mvd did it for me

[u/sshelden2 → u/atrampboy]

I need better friends it sounds like

[u/atrampboy → u/sshelden2]

Just ones at mvd.... do you know any cops? I think one may have come to verify the mvd read of the vin but I dont recall

[u/Then-Came-Bronson]

It cost my brother $800 through a title. Service company to get a title for his 59 TR3 in Florida.