I have had a task nagging me for the past couple of years...

When I bought my 1915 (25 years ago) it had a 1926 engine in it. A year or two or three later, I found a 1915 short block, rebuilt it, and have been running it in the car for the past 20 years or so. However, the title still has the 1926 engine VIN, which is sitting in the garage.

So today I took the car to the DMV today with the tile, registration, and receipt for the 1915 block to get the correct VIN on the title. The first office I went to had a young gal who gave me a deer-in-the-headlights look, made a phone call and wanted me make an appointment next week to go the State Patrol for a VIN inspection...

I went to a different office where they were able to do the VIN inspection and do what I needed to do. It took about 4 hours all together between the two offices. But it is done! I will get the new title in the mail in a week or two.

We have lost a lot of Model T guys lately. You never know when your time is up. What sort of messes do you have that your loved ones will have to deal with?

Please take the time to clean up titles on all your cars, so your loved ones don't have to deal with it after you are dead and gone.

Let them know the (realistic) value of your cars
and ask a trusted friend to help with your cars and parts.

I will sleep better tonight. I know my wife will, too!

: ^ )

Keith

Keith,

Not only is it a great idea to have your cars in order for your next of kin but also all of your personal papers and affairs. Thanks for the reminder.

This is good advice. The most important is to get a will. A lot of people just think things will just on as usual after you or your wife or both are gone. Not so! If you have kids they will have a nightmare getting things straightened out if they ever will.
Money, property, and etc. are the great dividers among families and if you think your kids would never let that happen you had better think again.

Keith,
Good advice. I need to do that, when I get around to it.....

First I need to work with some horses, and try for another speed record with the car, then I'll worry about my mortality......

Seriously, very good advice for all of us, thank you,
Rob

Keith:
Great point!

My 19 had the original motor in it and I have full documentation back to the first owner.

When I put a new motor in it because I was concerned about hurting the original one I got one of those brass repo Ford plates.

Then I got a set of stamps from HF, put the original motor numbers on the plate, and attached it to the firewall.

Someday I hope to rebuild the original motor and put it back in.

Until then, when I get stopped for speeding the officer will see that the registration matches the firewall numbers.

Our lawyer suggested that we title all of our cars with both my wife's name as well as mine with the wording "right of sole survivorship".

In Washington state this precludes probate and allows the survivor the ability to sell cars as quickly as needed.

We have now accomplished this on all of our cars and both of us can rest easy.

The real difficulty for the wife survivor is how to get rid of all the junk from 50 years of collecting. Seems most of the stuff I have collected for many many years does not have the value it once did. Seems to me the best way is to list it on ebay, with a very low reserve. It will find the real value, the stuff goes away and the cash is much easier to store.

just sayin'

brasscarguy