Has anyone any experience on titling a car in WA state? I'm completely rebuilding my car and I have a different frame, new engine, and different body, none of the VINs matching. The rule is 2 out of 3 VINs must match. I'm debating whether to somehow have my old car's VIN stamped onto the frame (anyone done this?) and transferring the old body's VIN tag onto the new body; or attempting to get a whole new title for this mish-mash of a car I'm building. Anyone gone the new-title route? Do they give you all kinds of hassles/anything to beware of?
Thanks,
Patricia Brown/WA

Pat, I am an automobile dealer in Washington State and also build street rods for a hobby. The situation you are faced with is not uncommon when attempting to title a street rod that has been comprised of many components, none of which from the original vehicle. First off, SAVE Reciepts for everything! You will no doubt need to have the WSP inspect you vette once you have it road worthy. It is at this time the reciepts you have collected will be asked for to verify that they were acquired in a legal manner. Once this process is done you will be given an inspection certificate that you can take to your local DMV and get your registration and apply for title. One thing to note is you will end up with a "Branded Title", more than likely it will read "Rebuilt" designation as it is not one vehicle, but a sum of many. Good luck and dont give up hope,the end result is you will be having fun for many years and the pain of the process willbe long forgotten. Van

Hi Van,
Thanks for the info. I'm curious if in your experience their attitude is good, or do you feel as though they're out to dig up something wrong with your car?

And do they require the car to have original-type emissions on it? I have stripped mine of anything extra, plus I've got side pipes. Do you know if they give hassle over this, even though we do not have actual emissions testing here?

Thanks, Patricia/'75

Dear Patricia, My personal encounters with our states finest has been nothing short of great. You have to keep in mind that their attitude is in most cases is a direct reflection of the individual they are dealing with. As far as the emissions issue goes it is not their job to determine what should and what should not be in regards to smog equipment. Their concerns relate to the car as a whole and where the components that comprise it came from. Again this is the thing that will make or break the deal. I have heard of instances when a glaring safety issue is noticed by the WSP and they will bring that to your attention. Other than that, simply smile, answer all the questions to the best of your ability and your experience should be just like mine, a great one. Van

Hi Van,
That's encouraging! I'm keeping all my receipts safely in a binder, so I will be organized and complete. I was just worried about whether they'd be sticky on originality/emissions, etc. I'm glad to hear they're just concerned with checking that everything's legal.
Patricia/Whatcom County