pink slip

[John S.]

i plan on puchasing a 55 corvette from an owner in california. car has not been driven at least 15 years and i am told that the owner would sign over the pink slip he has had since 1971. what is a pink slip? am i going to have any problems in indiana getting a title with just this pink slip?

[Joe L.]

Re: pink slip

i plan on puchasing a 55 corvette from an owner in california. car has not been driven at least 15 years and i am told that the owner would sign over the pink slip he has had since 1971. what is a pink slip? am i going to have any problems in indiana getting a title with just this pink slip?

John-----


In California the ownership certificate is often referred to in the vernacular as a "pink slip". That's because the ownership certificates once issued had an entirely pink background in order to distinguish them from the registration certificate which was otherwise very similar. The ownership certificates issued in the last 15-20 years, or so, have a different format but they still have a lot of pink in the background, apparently in deference to the term "pink slip". Either type certificate is valid, though. The "pink slip" for this vehicle should be the old style given its age and length of time it's been off the road.

In California, in order to re-register a sold vehicle the buyer has to present a properly signed-off "pink slip" PLUS a Bill of Sale, executed on a DMV-provided form and the most current registration slip. So, if I were you I would obtain all these documents from the seller at the time of sale. You might want to check with your DMV to see if they would require any other documents. However, the above would be all that would be required in California and would be the only documents that that the California DMV would provide.

In California BOTH the lienholder (legal owner), if any, and the registered owner have to sign off the "pink slip". However, if a lienholder is involved, they retain the "pink slip" during the period of time that the lien is in effect, so it would not be available to the seller until the lien is paid off. Obviously, the seller could not legally sell the vehicle or provide the "pink slip" to a buyer during the lien period without first paying off the lien.

One other document is usually involved in a sale in California but it's not required. It's a document which the seller files with the DMV releasing his interest in the car on a specific date and a specific time. This is legal protection for the seller in case the buyer does something stupid with the car prior to the official change of registration, and, especially if an official change of registration never actually occurs (with some buyers, it does not). It represents protection for the seller and has no benefit for the buyer.

One more thing: you should verify that the person selling the car and signing off the pink slip is the person named as registered owner of the car on the pink slip. You don't want someone "signing someone else's name" or someone "signing for someone else". You want the person named on the pink slip or someone who otherwise has authority to sign the pink slip (executor, someone with power of attorney, etc.) and, in the latter case, has legal documents to prove that (copies to you). I would check the person's driver's license to verify that the names are the same and obtain a color copy of it.

Last but not least, verify that the VIN number on the car being purchased is the same as the VIN number on the pink slip. Of course, given the ease of transferring VIN plates on these early C1's you might also want to check as best you can that the VIN plate seems legit. I realize that this sounds pretty basic but you'd be surprised at the number of folks that don't do it when they buy a car. A friend of mine who should have known better failed to do it once when he bought an old Mercedes that was registered by MOTOR NUMBER and it created an ABSOLUTE NIGHTMARE for him.

[Paul J.]

Re: pink slip

John,

I first heard the term "pink slip" 38 years ago when I was cruising and doing a little street racing in Virginia. The term far preceded me, but we assumed that it meant the title, which Joe has explained is a little different. I believe that most people still assume this as there is a TV show called "Pinks All Out" which has been filmed at Z-Max Dragway (the site of this years' NCRS National event). All of the cars that I've seen on this program are from states that issue titles.

Paul

[Terry M.]

Re: pink slip

Then there is a Beach Boys song: Little Deuce Coupe

One of the lines is: "There's one more thing, I got the pink slip daddy."

To read the lyrics:

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/b/beach+boys/little+deuce+coupe_20013912.html

In case you forget:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXFFLuoaMzM

Of course now days one might think of a pink slip in terms of losing ones job.

[Domenic T.]

Re: pink slip

Terry,
Can you sing it in a vidio for us?

[Michael W.]

Re: pink slip

Of course now days one might think of a pink slip in terms of losing ones job.

Might also be an education for the young or non-California crowd as to where the name of the 'Pinks All Out' TV program gets it's name. Careful if you search for those terms on Google, some of the sites have nothing to do with cars.

[Kenneth B.]

Re: pink slip

i plan on puchasing a 55 corvette from an owner in california. car has not been driven at least 15 years and i am told that the owner would sign over the pink slip he has had since 1971. what is a pink slip? am i going to have any problems in indiana getting a title with just this pink slip?

JOHN
NO you wont have a problem but if there is no place on the title for the selling price you should have spare bill of sale besides the one you get for the car with a price on it if you get my drift. You will pay 7% sales tax on that #. You will have to have the police check the vin matches the # on the title. before you go to the DMV. Make sure when you buy the car to see that it matches or you are in big trouble.
GOOD LUCK
KEN

[Edward M.]

Re: pink slip

Check the VIN through NMVTIS and see if it has a record in the database. Google NMVTIS.

If there is a record, buy the record and see what it tells you about the car.

Given the current owner has had the car since 1971, I doubt that a record exists.

IMPORTANT: Find out before hand what documents Indiana wants. Make sure you get them. Some states require the bill
of sale to be notorized.

[Steven B.]

Re: pink slip

John, as Ken noted the police will have to check your VIN. When we moved to Carmel in the city police checked my VIN and questioned the VIN tag and attachment with the two philips head screws. (The car was registered in California in '57, '57-'78 IN, '78-'80 KY, '80-'87 CO, '85-'89 back in IN) The officer thought it was not legitimate and was going to make me go through the long process of validation and then attaching a state VIN tag with rivets. Luckily I had a couple of pictures of other '57's and convinced him that is how it was done then. You may want to take a couple of books showing those small VIN tags were factory. It saved me alot of time and trouble and preserved my original tag.

As for what the pink slip is; The pink slip is something we used to street race for but the loser never surrendered it. Did get the gas money we bet for (sometimes).

Steve

[Kenneth B.]

Re: pink slip

John, as Ken noted the police will have to check your VIN. When we moved to Carmel in the city police checked my VIN and questioned the VIN tag and attachment with the two philips head screws. (The car was registered in California in '57, '57-'78 IN, '78-'80 KY, '80-'87 CO, '85-'89 back in IN) The officer thought it was not legitimate and was going to make me go through the long process of validation and then attaching a state VIN tag with rivets. Luckily I had a couple of pictures of other '57's and convinced him that is how it was done then. You may want to take a couple of books showing those small VIN tags were factory. It saved me alot of time and trouble and preserved my original tag.

Steve

STEVE
Was the cop's name Barny with only one bullet in has pocket? LOL I have never had any problem but I live in the county & have the count mounty's check

[Kenneth B.]

Re: pink slip

John, as Ken noted the police will have to check your VIN. When we moved to Carmel in the city police checked my VIN and questioned the VIN tag and attachment with the two philips head screws. (The car was registered in California in '57, '57-'78 IN, '78-'80 KY, '80-'87 CO, '85-'89 back in IN) The officer thought it was not legitimate and was going to make me go through the long process of validation and then attaching a state VIN tag with rivets. Luckily I had a couple of pictures of other '57's and convinced him that is how it was done then. You may want to take a couple of books showing those small VIN tags were factory. It saved me alot of time and trouble and preserved my original tag.

As for what the pink slip is; The pink slip is something we used to street race for but the loser never surrendered it. Did get the gas money we bet for (sometimes).

Steve

I have a correction to make. Old timers desease. Now I beleave you can take the car to the BMV & they will come out to the parking lot to chech the ID. You need to call the local BMV in your county. Sorry for the wrong earler info. I think they changed the rules a bout 3 years ago. I guess the cops were having to leave the donut shops too often.
KEN

[Steven B.]

Re: pink slip

STEVE
Was the cop's name Barny with only one bullet in has pocket? LOL I have never had any problem but I live in the county & have the count mounty's check

Ken, the guy really surprised me as he was a young guy and I "assumed" he knew something about Vettes but he wasn't a car guy.

We used to have a state policeman in DeKalb County, in the 60's when I lived in Butler, named Carpenter. He tried to convince his superiors to sponsor a car club at the old Auburn Airport and let guys race supervised there. It did not fly. He was a great guy, had a Max Wedge for I-69 patrol. (A 427 Cobra from Michigan blew him off but a road block ahead got him---but that is a story for another day) I once went with him to find a deer hit by a car (mine). When we found it (at the site of the future Kruse Auction Park) he asked me to go back to the car and get a knife to bleed it so we could take it to the county home. When I opened the glove box there were a number of knives and a couple of pistols inside. I asked him about them and he told me they were "future evidence". I miss the old days.

Steve

[Kenneth B.]

Re: pink slip

Ken, the guy really surprised me as he was a young guy and I "assumed" he knew something about Vettes but he wasn't a car guy.

We used to have a state policeman in DeKalb County, in the 60's when I lived in Butler, named Carpenter. He tried to convince his superiors to sponsor a car club at the old Auburn Airport and let guys race supervised there. It did not fly. He was a great guy, had a Max Wedge for I-69 patrol. (A 427 Cobra from Michigan blew him off but a road block ahead got him---but that is a story for another day) I once went with him to find a deer hit by a car (mine). When we found it (at the site of the future Kruse Auction Park) he asked me to go back to the car and get a knife to bleed it so we could take it to the county home. When I opened the glove box there were a number of knives and a couple of pistols inside. I asked him about them and he told me they were "future evidence". I miss the old days.

Steve

We have to talk some more. I know who you are talking about. The cops used to be able to keep guns/knifes of the guy was convicted in the day that is why I got a licence to carry back in the 60'S.
KEN

[John S.]

Re: pink slip

thanks for the information on the pink slip. i have to agree that the vin tags with the screws would look suspicious if the person at the BMV never seen one!