Purchasing from an individual out of state...

I live in CA but bought 2511 from a private Oregon owner.

First, do not buy without FULL inspection. Get a Pantera owner to go with you, or better yet, save your air fare and have one of us inspect it for you. You will want to personally see whatever you buy, but a proxy inspection can save some grief and $$.

Check your home state DMV for their rules on out of state purchase. I had to pay a purchase price tax. I lied. They didn't asked for any documents. I saved $$$.

I took two cashiers checks. One big, one smaller. The smaller, if they had asked, was to show DMV.

I gave the seller his money, he signed over the Oregon title.

I went to CA DMV, filled forms, paid money, they checked VIN. Done. Painless.

Larry

quote:

I went to CA DMV, filled forms, paid money, they checked VIN. Done

I suggest doing it in a little different order-I would carry a copy of the title to show the DMV first. Once the DMV has "blessed" the VIN# and how the information on the title looks, then I would complete the purchase.

just my $.02.

Larry-2511,

I forgot to ask-

Did the CA DMV have to personally inspect the car before they allowed it to be registered?

There is at least one car on this site that has had the side marker lights removed. If the DMV were to see that car and notice that standard required safety equipment missing, I am thinking that they may deny the new owner from registering the car in the state.

Make sure to check if the vehicle is acceptable for street use registration in your area. Each state may have its own regulations. While Hawaii doesn't have the emission control problems of other states, we do have some issues with older cars and whats grandfathered in. California seems to be a restrictive state in some respects.

quote:

Did the CA DMV have to personally inspect the car before they allowed it to be registered?

Yes.

Getting a title from out of state car to let them check would be a problem. Suppose you could take it to the local state DMV to check validity. But not too many scams, chop jobs are done on Panteras....

And that was all they checked. They didn't look at seat belts, they didn't look underneath.

I cannot imagine missing marker lights is ANY issue at all, even here in CA/

Just a 20 something, girl clerk - who was naturally impressed with the car.

When I filled in purchase price of $12K, she remarked - "Gee, that's a lot of money for an old car"

Larry

quote:

Originally posted by LF - TP 2511:
I took two cashiers checks. One big, one smaller. The smaller, if they had asked, was to show DMV.

Larry

So if the purchase price were say 40k, you'd take one cashier's check for 12k and the other for 28k?

Michael

In Indiana all they check is the VIN no. You need to have a police officer come out and fill out a VIN form which you then take to the BMV along with the paperwork.

Thanks. Would it be unlikely for the owner to be able to supply the title if it is currently collateral for some kind of loan? I'm assuming most banks keep the title in their possession, but having seen some bank audits, I know that doesn't always happen.

I'm in central Texas and you mainly need to get a (simple) state inspection, have the title and bring money in order to get a car registered. I'll need to replace missing windshield wipers for inspection purposes as that would be obvious problem as the inspection places like to look at those in order to sell replacements.

quote:

I suggest doing it in a little different order-I would carry a copy of the title to show the DMV first. Once the DMV has "blessed" the VIN# and how the information on the title looks, then I would complete the purchase.

FWIW, I would never give a copy of the title to a prospective buyer. Too much opportunity for him to to commit some kind of fraud and screw me. Although, I would happily provide the VIN so the buyer could verify it through DMV, CarFax, etc.

So, sequence of events...

• Find vehicle
  
• Get as much info as possible; pictures, facts, upgrades, history, etc.
  
• Post to this board and the DeTomaso Mail List to see if another Pantera owner local to the car you're considering can inspect it for you and send you a candid report of his findings, along with a bunch of digital pics.
  
• Buy a plane ticket to go see the car. A few hundred dollars on a plane ticket is cheap insurance against buying a rust-bucket that needs thousands of dollars of repair work.
  
• Make offer, agree on price, and arrange shipping (or drive it home).

The 4th and 5th bullets are interchangeable, as you may wish to come to some agreement on a price (good to know if you're in the same ballpark) before committing to buying an airline ticket. A friend of mine found a car 500 miles from his home, had it inspected by a knowledgeable club member, agreed to a price with the seller, made the trip to inspect/purchase the car himself, then drove it home. He looked at several other cars this way and each time brought a cashiers check for several thousand less than the asking price (or agreed price) and the balance in cash. That way he could negotiate down based on what he found when he looked at the car. With every car he looked at he expected a nicer car, based on seller's descriptions, than he actually found so it gave him the opportunity to easily negotiate a more agreeable price.

Anyway, check out my "how to buy" page:
http://www.banzairunnerpantera.com/how_to_buy.htm

Cheers!
Garth

FWIW, I would never give a copy of the title to a prospective buyer. Too much opportunity for him to to commit some kind of fraud and screw me. Although, I would happily provide the VIN so the buyer could verify it through DMV, CarFax, etc.

Hi Garth,

All you need is a VIN# to commit some serious fraud. The next time you walk by a "high line" vehicle in a parking lot, you might notice that the owner has placed a valet ticket that obscures the VIN# in part, or in its entirety. This is to prevent VIN# theft.

I know of a case where a VIN# was stolen to create a title in another state. The perp tried to trade the car into a Carmax dealership. When Carmax ran a Carfax report, the fraud was detected.

quote:

So if the purchase price were say 40k, you'd take one cashier's check for 12k and the other for 28k?

Exactly.

quote:

Originally posted by LF - TP 2511:

quote:

So if the purchase price were say 40k, you'd take one cashier's check for 12k and the other for 28k?

Exactly.

I don't think it is wise to discuss the commission of a crime in a public forum...regardless of the amounts involved or whether you're stickin' it to The Man or even if its perfectly moral to do the suggested activity. A moderator should probably edit/delete the appropriate messages.

I purchased 2 Panteras and a GT40 out of state, all unseen (apart from detailed photo's) and with negotiations over the phone. In each case I wired the money to the seller and arranged my carrier to pick up the vehicle for transport.

Currently negotiating on a car in NJ, which will be the same. Get to know your seller on the phone, any transaction has to have an element of trust.