I just picked up a '99 GS300 today. Bought it from a guy that is leaving the country. Here is my issue. Guage cluster shows 235K. I got home and did a CarFax and it shows that the car's last inspection was in 2014 with a mileage of 305,536. Person I bought it from picked it up a year ago from a dealer but never put the title in his name. Car was not doing too good so it has been parked in the garage until now. Car still has temporary tags that expired April 2018. Title is a clean title with the previous owners name. Not the name of the guy I got it from and not the name of the dealer that he bought it from. What are my options? Is this car able to be registered? Any complications in transferring the title to myself or would I be better biting the bullet and just part out the car? What should I do?

 

I think the best first step would be go to the DMV or wherever you register vehicles, and see if you can register it as-is, with what you have. And if not, what you need to be able to do it. If the paperwork [to sell] is already signed by the last registered owner, there's a pretty good chance you're in the clear. Otherwise, it may get fuzzy depending on local policies.

 

 

First rule... title has to match car, title has to match seller. Watch them sign it, and both parties leave with bill-of-sale. And 65k miles is a huge difference.

Theoretically, you could walk in, and say you bought it, then put it in the garage, and forgot about it. That might get you the title, yet is still a grey area. Yet then you have to get it inspected, and the cost to fix things (to pass) is almost certainly why it was not put back on the road.

Do keep us informed of where this goes.

 

Just curious when he produced the title with someone else's name did that not give you pause? The DMV won't transfer title unless it's signed and notarized by the owner on the title (at least here in NC). However, since it's been sitting anyways it probably requires a lot of work just to pass inspection. I would get my money back and purchase a 2GS from another source.

 

 

Or part it out, if you have the space/time.

 

Do you have a bill of sale or other sort of receipt from the person you bought it from? If so, you could destroy the title and claim to have not received one from the seller, and apply for a new title. If you don't mind lying to the DMV, that is..