Thx, moparx that at least outlines what *should* be done..

The seller says ownership "will be transferred through the NY DMV system using the PA title." So, transfer of ownership will be via the suspicious PA title document, which he still hasn't confirmed is an original document. Seller is not using a transferable NY registration, because he never registered the car in NY.

So that signed PA title is what I'd be taking to the NY DMV. Which I've done many times before --> a signed title that "passes through" many hands untitled, because the car gets flipped and gets passed from owner to owner until one of them finally gets the title in their name. I've done that at NY DMV with a title signed for sale in 1991, I wrote in my name as Buyer in 2012, and they had no issues, so I'm comfortable with that... But this title doesn't appear original.

The seller is a dealer, and apparently drove it the 200 miles since 2019 on dealer plates. I guess he avoids NY sales tax from his 2019 purchase if he never registers it in his name in NY.

But I am not expecting this to clear up enough to go through with a purchase. The VIN tag itself is a badly made amateur replacement, riveted with ordinary household rivets, with one of the digits even reversed. No fendertag. Seller says he doesn't know classic cars and can't find the radiator or trunk edge VIN stampings, the engine "has been machined and the stampings aren't there" - jus excuses.

I think he is realizing he got stuck with a crap badly documented car and wants to unload it with as few questions asked as possible..

Not that anyone at NY DMV will want to see the VIN plate or car, but it's not something I would want to deal with down the road..

Cheers,
- Art