Got myself into a mess: broken vehicle, title, tags.

Ok. Whew. I need some advice here on what to do. Not really sure where to start.

I bought a v8 swapped s10 blazer about 2 hours away. Drove it home and now the transmission slips. It is currently sitting at John West Auto in Raleigh NC, he's a good wrench but is too busy to work on something with a custom engine swap.

Problem #1 - Since it doesn't have a plate or tag AAA won't tow it for free. So $65 towing fee when I gotta move it. I have the title and the back is filled out with the sale, but I haven't taken it to the DMV because I'm not sure if I want to keep vehicle. I don't think I can get a temporary tag without having the tittle in my name? If it was tagged I could park it in front of my apartment and also tow it around for free courtesy of AAA.

Problem #2 - I don't really have a place to store a non working vehicle without tags in Raleigh. Only parking I have is street.

Problem #3 - I'm considering cutting my loss and selling it non running, but problem #2 sort of makes selling it hard. I am interested in having it towed to a transmission specialist to see what's up but problem #1 makes towing it around expensive.

FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN

In Ohio you can get a temp tag with the title signed over to you but not transferred into your name yet.

If it is transferred into your name you can only get a permanent tag.

Not sure if NC is the same.

Hmm interesting. Back of title has it signed over to be, but no transfer has been done as I hate going to DMV.

In NC there is no legal way to drive a car you purchased but haven't registered yet.

In Texas i can get temp tags on ANYONE's vehicle as long as i show proof of insuredness.

Also, the 'custom engine swap' is a BS excuse since it's probably still a 700r4/4l60e. A factory s10 blazer with a 2.8 or 4.3 would have that trans anyway. Other than the bellhousing pattern being different from 2.8 to SBC, there's literally no difference as far as r&r from a 2.8, 4.3, or SBC blazer. So maybe since that's a bs excuse he just doesn't want to work on it. Possibly a lack of profit involved? Because if you're prepared to pay for a transmission repair (could go up to 1500-2k at full retail) then you can bite the $65 tow bill to a shop that's actually willing to fix your car and take your money. But if you were prepared to pay for a rebuild at full retail, then maybe the shop it's already at would be willing to work on it.

Either way, i think the $65 tow bill isn't the problem. It sounds like the real problem is not being 'able' to afford a transmission rebuild. But if you are 'able' to afford the loss of selling it broken, i would try real hard to be 'able' to afford just fixing it, because it will cost you a similar amount of money and one option leaves you driving a v8 swap blazer around. The other one is all downsides.

So, the core problem is that you don't like going to the DMV?

Transfer the title properly to your name, then sell it to whoever you want to.

SVreX wrote: So, the core problem is that you don't like going to the DMV? Transfer the title properly to your name, then sell it to whoever you want to.

Right, it's more like im a cheap ass and don't want to pay sales tax and spend good money after bad money. But yes, I see your point :)

Vigo wrote: But if you were prepared to pay for a rebuild at full retail, then maybe the shop it's already at would be willing to work on it. Either way, i think the $65 tow bill isn't the problem. It sounds like the real problem is not being able to afford a transmission rebuild.

Yea, two mechanics said they were too busy to take it on. I can afford a transmission rebuild, but I'm a little worried that once I put the transmission into it we will find out that the motor isn't stout or somehting happened to that. . (It actually has a tubro 400, should have a 700R4)

Also isnt it slightly illegal to sell a vehicle with the po name on the title instead of yours? I vote option 4, grab a junkyard trans and drive it for a while or sell it as a driving truck and make a bit of cash off it.

Like i said in the volvo thread for your sister. Wether its a 14k 10 year old volvo or a 2k 20 year old chevrolet, everything is going to need some money put into it. You can have a shop do a 2k rebuild or toss in a $200 junkyard trans out of a wrecked truck and cross fingers its up to you.

Option 5 tow it to a race shop who is willing to play with the lego block truck and slap in whatever gm trans they have lying around.

In SC a bill of sale is good to drive on for up to 30 days (I think). Insurance too, but I would sure as heck call and make sure.

ok, looks like I'm going to the DMV today then.

edit - oh nvm DMV closed for three days, what the hell

"This location is closed for business. This office is closed for vehicle registration services. It will re-open on May 3 at 8 a.m. Please visit offices in Cary, Holly Springs, North Raleigh, Wake Forest or Zebulon for services."

So, the $65 towing fee is too much, and the registration fee is too much, but you are OK with spending $1500 on a transmission rebuild so you can try to sell it illegally at a loss?

Cheapass and drunken stupor are terrifyingly close sometimes.

SVreX wrote: So, the $65 towing fee is too much, and the registration fee is too much, but you are OK with spending $1500 on a transmission rebuild so you can try to sell it illegally at a loss?

Dang, didn't know the legality of it all. I should have done my research but the DMV website is about as clear as mud.

Sometimes you have to accept your lumps, financial or otherwise, and move on.

After buying my E30, I will never buy another car in PA that needs an emissions inspection that doesn't already have stickers. I paid dearly for that berk-up. I lost well over $5K on that car.

Well, many of us have done it, but technically you can't sell something you don't own, and the title has not been transferred to your name, so you don't yet own it.

No one is gonna arrest you, but the state wants their tax revenue.

The junkyard swap route is your best bet. Get the title, swap a trans, then make your decision when you are less stressed.

SVreX wrote: The junkyard swap route is your best bet. Get the title, swap a trans, then make your decision when you are less stressed.

Ok, i need to do some calling around becuase im not setup to do a transmission swap or really know how.

Am I the only one who has good luck smiling, being nice, and asking questions at the DMV? They want you to do things correctly because it makes their lives easier so they always tell me the simplest legal way to do things.

Some states have a grey area of law when you first buy a car, and are dealing with tags and titles. Earmark a few hours to google your states specific laws if no one knows for sure.

I went through this in addition to calling local government agencies. Calling was a waste of time, everyone that answered had some opinion that ended up being wrong legally (this includes the local PD and BMV. I ended up just looking at the penalties and at worst there was some low dollar fine if stopped. Insurance was a must as required by the state.

As far as AAA goes if you want to skirt the towing issue throw some tags from some other current car on... If something crash like happens that $65 might be looking good compared to a lawsuit.

Ive never had issues with the dmv or courthouse for a title xfer and i sometimes go through my yearly 6 car limit in a month.

Our dmv sells tags but cant transfer a title, have to go to the courthouse for that.

In NC it is technically illegal to have an open title - i.e. on that is properly signed and notarized "on the back" but not submitted to the DMV. The reason for this is to prevent theft. You can get the title transferred without getting a tag. You'll just pay the title transfer fee, without the tag and taxes.

chrispy wrote: In NC it is technically illegal to have an open title - i.e. on that is properly signed and notarized "on the back" but not submitted to the DMV. The reason for this is to prevent theft. You can get the title transferred without getting a tag. You'll just pay the title transfer fee, without the tag and taxes.

Ok darn.. notarized part.. it didn't get notarized when they signed the back. I think both parties will have to be there to get it notarized? Looks like I got another trip to SC unless another way around this.

Not notarized isn't good but if it is a Chevy bolt pattern 400 the case is worth more than a junkyard 700 trans to replace it.

^ go to the junkyard and buy a transmission for $400 and give up a weekend installing it

Coldsnap wrote: ok, looks like I'm going to the DMV today then. edit - oh nvm DMV closed for three days, what the hell "This location is closed for business. This office is closed for vehicle registration services. It will re-open on May 3 at 8 a.m. Please visit offices in Cary, Holly Springs, North Raleigh, Wake Forest or Zebulon for services."

Around here we go to the smaller DMV offices out in the sticks. But one thing Mark Sanford did for us (other than give us a lot of Appalachian Trail jokes) is cut the time at the DMV.

Coldsnap wrote:

chrispy wrote: In NC it is technically illegal to have an open title - i.e. on that is properly signed and notarized "on the back" but not submitted to the DMV. The reason for this is to prevent theft. You can get the title transferred without getting a tag. You'll just pay the title transfer fee, without the tag and taxes.

Ok darn.. notarized part.. it didn't get notarized when they signed the back. I think both parties will have to be there to get it notarized? Looks like I got another trip to SC unless another way around this.

SC doesn't require a notary any more. Hard to believe.

spitfirebill wrote:

Coldsnap wrote:

chrispy wrote: In NC it is technically illegal to have an open title - i.e. on that is properly signed and notarized "on the back" but not submitted to the DMV. The reason for this is to prevent theft. You can get the title transferred without getting a tag. You'll just pay the title transfer fee, without the tag and taxes.

Ok darn.. notarized part.. it didn't get notarized when they signed the back. I think both parties will have to be there to get it notarized? Looks like I got another trip to SC unless another way around this.

SC doesn't require a notary any more. Hard to believe.

This. An NC title needs to be Notarized when sold.