The Saga of X6StringerX's Festiva

[festyfanatic]

This is what I would do and I don't know if it would be unethical or not. I would try and find the cheapest 93 GL with a good title and swap the dashes. You have a good car with the correct VIN number showing. Does anyone know if this is illegal since the number on the body of the car wouldn't match the vin on the dash? Just a possibility.

[hotfordcat]

Just go back to the DMV and ask for the paperwork to file for an Abandoned Car title. Follow the instructions and wait. Less than 30 days you will have a title, if the previous owner is as horrible as you say. She won't respond to the certified letter you'll have to send to last owner on file. Hope this helps. I got my 91GL that way.

[TominMO]

^^ Either of those last two posts would be viable options. +1 on both of them.

[gestiva]

not sure bout your laws in your state. but im kinda in the same boat with my red car.
thing is, i live 2 hours from him. so i cant just go back to his house. but im only out $200

[fattie]

thank god i live in maine , any car 15 years or older doesnt need a title.

[X6StringerX]

There have been some very good suggestions here. I checked into ITS and unfortunately, they require a bill of sale from the person named on the title. As mentioned above, that person completely refused to help whatsoever. If she would have just signed a bill of sale, I could have transferred the title through my local DMV with no questions asked.

There is a silver lining to this cloud though. A couple of days after I realized I was going to have difficulties obtaining the title, I had to make the decision to either pay off my fiance's car, which was the original plan, or buy ANOTHER vehicle because we both need our own cars. I decided to buy a 3rd vehicle and ended up scoring a near-mint 2001 5.0 AWD Ford Explorer for $2,477... closer to $2,800 by the time the stealership tacked on their documentation fees, etc. This is my 4th 2nd gen Explorer and the 3rd to have the 5.0 and AWD combo, which I love. To get to the silver lining part, a local auto hobbiest/mechanic has expressed interest in the car, so I asked him what he had to trade. He said he had quite a few Explorer parts and it just so happens that I've been trying to locate a set of 4.10 differentials. When it's all said and done, I'll be trading the titleless Festiva for a 4.10(open carrier) 8.8 rear, 4.10 Dana 35 front, a limited-slip carrier for the 8.8, and a transfer case skid plate. I'll probably just sell the LS carrier because my future plans are to install a locker and there are way more options for the open carrier. The LS carrier should bring in around $100. My old 3.55 open differential assemblies should bring between $300-$400 combined, so I'm not only getting the gears that I want, but I'm also going to get somewhere between $400-$500 worth of parts out of the car.

[TominMO]

Good news for you--I guess. Might be nice to have a Festy for economical reasons. What's the mechanic gonna do with it? Get a title via a mechanic's lien, or part it out, or what?