Overhaulin'

getting a car retitled?

just got a ford maverick for free but it has a salvage title how do i get it retitled back to a regular title? I live in pennsylvania and also would it better to get a classic plate for this car it is a 71? People have told me it will make your insurance cheaper but you cant drive the car at night then. thanks

Public Comments

1. You don't get it retitled; a salvage title means it was wrecked so badly that it was totaled. A salvage title reflects this; changing it to a regular title would hide the fact of major damage to any prospectiver buyers. Dunno about the classic plate thing; that's one for the PA DMV office. Sounds like BS though. Have you checked the car over thoroughly for damage and the repair done to that damage? It has it, though maybe not extensive. Doens't take much to total a care that old (total means it costs more to fix it than it's worth; doesn't say anything about the extent of the damage, really).
2. Once a salvage/rebuilt title, always a salvage title, it can never be a clear/regular title, ever! I wouldn't waste your time with a classic plate, it's a Maverick, not a Camero or Mustang. Get liability insurance and drive it daily, it's not a collector car, especially with a salvage title, no collector would ever touch it.
3. YOU CANT BUT ..................................... CONTACT YOUR LOCAL DMV OFFICE, THEY WILL BE ABLE TO ANSWER ANY AND ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS AND AT THE SAME TIME YOU WILL BE GETTING THE CORRECT ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION.
4. You will want to logon to www.dmv.org and click on your state to get your answers for this under registration and titles. I copied this section for you regarding salvage titles in PA. I hope this helps you. Though you can't register or drive them, salvage-branded vehicles are legal to buy, sell, and own. The manner in which some of them are falsely sold, however, upsets the authorities. There have been a growing number of cases of devious car dealers selling salvaged vehicles with impecable exteriors but with blemished engines or chassis that cannot be detected by the untrained eye. To cover your back against such fiendish practices, Pennsylvania requires a stringent titling and registration process for all salvaged vehicles so that buyers know what they're getting. Registering and Titling To register a vehicle with a salvage title, you'll need to show proof that it was satisfactorily repaired and then apply for a rebuilt-salvage title. Submit form MV-1 (Application for Certificate of Title), unless the Pennsylvania Certificate of Salvage is already in the name of the applicant. This form cannot be downloaded, but you can pick one up at any Driver License Center location. Submit either form MV-5 (it, also, cannot be downloaded) or an out-of-state certificate of salvage. Submit an Application for Reconstructed, Specially Constructed, or Modified Vehicle. Detailed instructions are included in the file. Send four color photos of the vehicle (front, back, and both sides). Attach a bill of sale or receipts for parts used to fix the vehicle. You can download, if needed, a generic bill of sale. Include form MV-41 to apply for a vehicle identification number plate (only if one is needed). Enclose all applicable fees ($22.50 for a title and $36 for registration). The vehicle will need to be inspected by a PennDOT-approved station, and the inspector will need to sign the application form (so bring along all your paperwork). Among other things, the inspector will check to make sure that the car and its parts were not stolen. Submit all information to: Bureau of Motor Vehicles Research and Support Operations Section P.O. Box 68031 Harrisburg, PA 17106