A very long introduction...

[Bonkers]

Hey everyone. I'm Bonkers (no, seriously, that's what I'm called) and I'm from southern Delaware. I've been with the Comanche crowd on and off since back on the Vmags. I recognize a lot of folks here from the Jeepforums and JU. I have emails from Monte back before anyone knew who Monte was. That was even before Gore invented the internet. Anyway, here is a not-so-quick Mj bio of where I am at today. I have traditionally named all 25 of my Jeeps except for the first two and here are their stories.

 

1987 Dark Blue LWB 4x4

I began my Mj addiction at the age of 18. I partially inherited an 87 LWB from my uncle who simply did not drive it anymore. She had 150,000 miles on the clock and suffered a long hard life. At the time I was commuting to DC and back daily (about 250-370 miles per day depending on contract) and the jeep was a nice blend of all weather highway performance and versatility. We had a nice life together until one day I switch over to Amsoil and their promise of "10,000 miles oil changes." 50,000 miles into an extended 5-7.5k mile change interval and the motor imploded. Needing something practical and Mj's being short supply I regretfully junked her for a Tahoe.

 

"Gracie" 1988 Dove Grey LWB 4x4

Gracie was my first true jeep love. I discovered her in the back of a Dodge dealership awaiting auction. I paid a little too much to spring her from hock, but to this day I never regretted it once. Gracie and I traveled to every state touching the Atlantic and survived three killer storms on the road. 100,000 miles and she only failed me once for an alternator, but still managed to get me to a friends house. When I lost my job due to 9/11 I was forced to re-evaluate my driving needs. With a broken heart and twisted arm I traded her in for another Tahoe. I've spent the last two years and several hundred dollars trying to track her down, maybe one day we'll be together again.

 

"Scarlet" 1988 Red SWB 2wd Eliminator

Scarlet appeared in the summer of 2000. I was traveling home one day and noticed a jeep on the side of the road. I stopped to help out and discovered a woman highly agitated by the dependability of her jeep. After a very long conversation on the side of the road it was mentioned that she no longer wanted it. I made an offer and Scarlet was sitting in my driveway the next day. After a thorough once-over she took over duties of my DC commute from Gracie right up until 9/11. Scarlet and I where on Georgia Ave downtown DC on that day and it was the last time she saw the nations capital. She too was sold shortly thereafter in the great consolidation and now serves as yard jockey to a local auction house.

 

"Raven" 1991 Black 2wd Eliminator

Raven was a spur of the moment ebay win. She had major title issues that prevented her from serious duty. She was bought and sold in short order and last I heard was cruising through the Rhode Island area.

 

"Carmine" 1989 Red SWB 4x4 Pioneer

Shortly after my home and job issues settled down I began the hunt for another Mj. After an impressive failure at tracking Gracie I came across an ad on Craigslist for a SWB pioneer. I was searching for a 91 LWB but decided to email the guy on a whim. He claimed that she had the Ax15 and ran good. So I hooked up the trailer and traveled deep into Pennsylvania. Upon getting there I encounter this hulk partially overgrown in the back of a barn. The truck obviously had not been driven in years and never once had the desirable Ax15. As I began walking away the guy starts spouting about how dependable and great the Mj is. I say to him that if it can start and drive itself onto the trailer without any help I would consider negotiating a price. He handed me the keys and I got in. She fired up on the 12th crank, pulled herself from her brush-bed and sputtered uphill onto the trailer. She had no coolant, no brakes, no air in two tires, 7+ year old battery, and probably just as old gas and she struggled like hell to make that 1/4 mile escape. I was so impressed with the effort I haggled the guy into a deal and brought her home. Today she serves as my DD though I haven't had the time to really play around with her. I put her up for sale last summer but my work schedule hasn't allowed me much time to pursue it. If I ever find Gracie she'll have to go, but so far she's been more than an adequate substitute.

 

"Sapphire" 1988 Dark Blue Sportruck SWB 4x4

I found Sapphire by accident during a hunt for parts for Carmine. Essentially I went to the guys place to buy a "4.0L Jeep motor with extra parts" and discovered that he meant, well, ALL the extra parts. A cash deal was made and I trailered Sapphire home with little fanfare. Upon inspection I realized exactly how tight and mostly unharmed she was. Considering how hard to find these trucks were getting I couldn't bring myself to rip her apart. Since the prior owner did not have a title and I could not track down the current title holder she could not become tagged for road use. Still unable to bring myself to dismember her, she did yard duty for sometime and luckily/eventually found a new owner down south. I hope she'll be able to be driven at her new home, but at the very least she's better off then with me.

 

Well that pretty much sums up Bonk's Comanche Journals. I look forward to tapping into these forums for information and entertainment and hope I don't irritate the locals too much.

[DirtyComanche]

Glad to see you made it over!

 

 

I can't stand spending time of JF or JU.

[mjeff87]

between you and Eagle, you guys must have most every MJ covered on the Atlantic coast :D

 

Welcome to the club!

 

and, by the way......."Raven" = :drool:

 

Jeff

[sinnaevd]

i now know of 12 for sale in the windsor area, and all of them are under the $400 mark. Are they super rare in the states? THere seems to be plenty just floating around here in Ontario.

 

BTW, I always here of a title for vehicles. What exactly does that mean? I'm from Canada and there is no such thing...unless its just called something else?

 

WELCOME TO THE CLUB

 

glad to have ya

[JOMJ87]

Its a piece of paper that states ownership and identifys the vehicle and all that other stuff. This is a short version I'm sure someone will explain all the technical stuff.

 

Cole

[Bonkers]

BTW, I always here of a title for vehicles. What exactly does that mean? I'm from Canada and there is no such thing...unless its just called something else?

 

Its like a deed for a car. Its used mainly as physical proof of ownership of a vehicle. With it a private citizen can legally transfer ownership of a car without dealing with the buerocracy of the government. I have a car, I sign the title to you, and you now have binding proof that your are the new owner. In the US the governement is very strict about how you represent a car, pay taxes on it, and maintain it. So a title can be used to "brand" cars as well - my viper has a Salvage Title which means it was once considered a total loss from an insruance company - I legally cannot sell it to someone without disclosing this information. An Export Title means you are no longer allowed to drive the car on US roads. Grey Market Titled cars are European Spec models that should not have been allowed to pass emissions, but a goof-up in office allowed them in.

 

Canada doesn't have the safety and emissions standards of the US so I'm sure they don't have the ownership clauses by default. Here you are legally responcible for your car while you own it, so if you sell it to someone, they don't title it in their name, and they run it into the white house, the Secret Service would come knocking at your door too.

[sinnaevd]

NOt true, Ontario has some of the most strict emissions standars (definately in canada and more strict then most us states). The ownership thing works very similar way. your right though, if you sign the vehicle out of your name, and the person doesn't register it into their's then if they smack it up it is still on your behind. doesn't really make sence to me, but they're still working on passing the law/ red tape to stop it from happeneing.

 

also have very very strict safety laws (allow you can get them illegally)

 

emissions test due every 2 years, and safety due every 4 (recently passed), if it doesn't pass, its noted under some stuff and blah blah blah.

 

you have up to 1 year to get it to pass emission and i htink 1 months to get it to pass safety otherwise they (Big Brother) do something, i just don't know what that something is

[Oizarod115]

beautiful story. hope you find your baby in one peice.

[pingpong]

Having dealt with title issues here in VA, some things I have learned.

 

Having a good clean title is best

 

Having good title and a written bill of sale is better

 

Salvage titles are hard to get, and require the state police to come out and inspect the vehicle to make sure it is road worthy, and not stolen

 

Recovered vehicles(previously stolen vehicles) get issued a new vin plate, as do some salvage vehicles

 

You can file for an abandoned vehicle title after 90 days

 

If you have a bill of sale, you can go down to Department of motor vehicles, with a copy of the VIN number to verify who the last owner was

 

There are also companies that specialize in clearing up " no title" situations on vehicles for a fee, but this is mostly done on special construction items like salvage bikes, and salvage cars

[JohnQ]

Welcome Bonkers. This site is loaded with information.

I talked with JJ and he should be delivering the truck ("Sapphire" ) tomorrow. :D

Any word from the ATU on the title issue yet?

[Bonkers]

John! - I didn't realize you were on the boards. Small world.

 

I'm dealing with an ATU Detective Caesar Woody. Right now I have to track down the guy I bought it off of and get a written affidavit as to where he bought it. The catch is he moved so I have to find his brother first and see if he knows where he is. The detective made clear this would not be an easy or quick project. He said the best scenario is that the last person listed on the title is easily found AND that person readily admits to abandoning/selling the truck to the station. He said there's an 8/10 chance this will happen and then all I need to do is go through the interview and signed statement and the title will be re-issued.

 

The worse case scenario is that the previous owner contests the sale (ie "I never sold the truck and it should still be at the shop...") in which case I'll be arrested for possession and the truck will be impounded.

 

I love government...

[JohnQ]

John! - I didn't realize you were on the boards. Small world.

 

I'm dealing with an ATU Detective Caesar Woody. Right now I have to track down the guy I bought it off of and get a written affidavit as to where he bought it. The catch is he moved so I have to find his brother first and see if he knows where he is. The detective made clear this would not be an easy or quick project. He said the best scenario is that the last person listed on the title is easily found AND that person readily admits to abandoning/selling the truck to the station. He said there's an 8/10 chance this will happen and then all I need to do is go through the interview and signed statement and the title will be re-issued.

 

The worse case scenario is that the previous owner contests the sale (ie "I never sold the truck and it should still be at the shop...") in which case I'll be arrested for possession and the truck will be impounded.

 

I love government...

 

Thanks again for all your help. I never relized it would be such a headache to get a lost title. If the truck was stolen, they would have already reported it and the detectives would already know, right?

 

I get the truck some time today, I can't wait! I've wanted a comanche for a very long time. I have a ton of parts already sitting in my garage. Should I wait before I start fixing her up?

 

If I can help out with the title chase in any way, just let me know.

[pingpong]

I would wait.. just in case the PO decides he never disposed of it

[Bonkers]

If the truck was stolen, they would have already reported it and the detectives would already know, right?

Should I wait before I start fixing her up?

 

The headache will come with the character of the PO. If he/she is an insufferable [********] who likes to make other people miserable they claim to ATU that they never sold off the truck and though it was still in their brother's, friend's, mother's, boyfriend's, former roommate's backyard right where they left it six years ago.

 

On a positive/not-so-positive note looking through who research I've already done it looks like the PO is/was a soldier who left the truck at the mechanic's because he was shipping out and didn't want to pay to fix a truck he wouldn't see for a couple of years. If the solider is still alive (damn I hate the way that sounds) and of moral character he'll just say exactly that and the ball with start rolling. If he cannot be found then we're diving straight into the shallow end of the DOT/ATU bureaucracy pool.

 

For your second question I'd wait a little while to do any major modifications until we know one way or the other and fully document the repairs you do in the meantime. That way if it does go bad you can put a lien on the title for the work done and the PO can't argue damaged property.

 

I'll be driving around Saturday following leads - I'll keep you updated.

 

Also, in case anyone's interested Carmine is for sale at $1250.

[JohnQ]

If the truck was stolen, they would have already reported it and the detectives would already know, right?

Should I wait before I start fixing her up?

 

The headache will come with the character of the PO. If he/she is an insufferable [********] who likes to make other people miserable they claim to ATU that they never sold off the truck and though it was still in their brother's, friend's, mother's, boyfriend's, former roommate's backyard right where they left it six years ago.

 

On a positive/not-so-positive note looking through who research I've already done it looks like the PO is/was a soldier who left the truck at the mechanic's because he was shipping out and didn't want to pay to fix a truck he wouldn't see for a couple of years. If the solider is still alive (damn I hate the way that sounds) and of moral character he'll just say exactly that and the ball with start rolling. If he cannot be found then we're diving straight into the shallow end of the DOT/ATU bureaucracy pool.

 

For your second question I'd wait a little while to do any major modifications until we know one way or the other and fully document the repairs you do in the meantime. That way if it does go bad you can put a lien on the title for the work done and the PO can't argue damaged property.

 

I'll be driving around Saturday following leads - I'll keep you updated.

 

Also, in case anyone's interested Carmine is for sale at $1250.

 

 

Bonkers,

 

Any progress on the title issue yet?

She's getting real close to being road worthy! :D

 

[Bonkers]

John - I sent you an email late last week. I can't get a hold of the investigator assigned my case (I left him another voice mail this morning.) If I don't hear anything back by the end of the week I'll try calling someone else. His name is Caeser Clay and he's assigned out of the Georgetown DMV - if you want to call yourself feel free, but he might be getting annoyed at my calls.

 

PS- I told him I had to sell it soon, but haven't acknowledge it left the state yet. I'll keep you posted.

 

PPS - by the way, she's looking damn hot in those pics. In retrospect I'm really glay you got hold of her. Did you put on a lift or just bigger tires?

[JohnQ]

John - I sent you an email late last week. I can't get a hold of the investigator assigned my case (I left him another voice mail this morning.) If I don't hear anything back by the end of the week I'll try calling someone else. His name is Caeser Clay and he's assigned out of the Georgetown DMV - if you want to call yourself feel free, but he might be getting annoyed at my calls.

 

PS- I told him I had to sell it soon, but haven't acknowledge it left the state yet. I'll keep you posted.

 

PPS - by the way, she's looking damn hot in those pics. In retrospect I'm really glay you got hold of her. Did you put on a lift or just bigger tires?

 

Thanks for all your help. I'll just wait until I hear from you so we don't confuse them.

 

No lift yet, just some factory Rubicon wheels and tires. I plan on putting a 3 inch lift on her in the very near future. Right now I'm getting her ready for a new Rock Lizard bumper and some paint and body work. :D

 

[Bonkers]

John - I sent you an email never heard back.

 

Watch your mail buddy.

[JohnQ]

John - I sent you an email never heard back.

 

Watch your mail buddy.

 

Sorry, I've been working some crazy hours. I got a console from feerocknok. :D

 

A guy from the DMV left me a voice mail basically telling me that because the truck is no longer in Delaware that it is no longer Delaware's problem. And I should try my own local DMV for a Texas title. :mad:

 

I'm out of ideas :wall: .

[Twisty]

i purchased my MJ in NH, and it had no title. i talked with both the NH rmv, and the MA rmv. NH has a policy that if the vehile is over 15 years old, it does not need a title. since this MJ was an 88, NH would not issue a new title. (sounds bad right?) well it wasnt the end of the world. the MA rmv told me that all i needed was proof of ownership by the guy i was buying it from (had to be sure it was his, and that he didnt steal it). an old registration would do fiine, but he didnt have one of those either ( . SO i talked with him, and all they had was a letter from their townhall notifying them that they needed to re-register the vehicle. it had the color, VIN, year, owners name, address. with that and the bill of sale MA issued me a new title. now MA has their pants soo tight about cars, i was VERY surprised that i was able to title my MJ, but i did.

 

sorry for the story. could you try what i did, with just getting proof of ownership from Bonkers?

 

EDIT: i just read through the thread, and how bonkers can't find the PO. sorry, but i don't have any ideas. i hope you can get the MJ on the road.

 

 

what about buying a junked MJ with a title (for a few hunderd) and swapping the VINs. (i know its illegal).

[feerocknok]

You can't file for a lost title I guess? That's what I'm doing with my Yota.

[Bonkers]

A guy from the DMV left me a voice mail basically telling me that because the truck is no longer in Delaware that it is no longer Delaware's problem. And I should try my own local DMV for a Texas title.

 

 

Oh........ well in that case when it gets there just send it back and I'll refund the fee I charged you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

:brows:

 

 

 

 

.

[JohnQ]

A guy from the DMV left me a voice mail basically telling me that because the truck is no longer in Delaware that it is no longer Delaware's problem. And I should try my own local DMV for a Texas title.

 

 

Oh........ well in that case when it gets there just send it back and I'll refund the fee I charged you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

:brows:

 

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

A title is on its way??? :clapping:

[Oizarod115]

i don't know why ive never noticed before... i see your sig all the time... THATS A DAMN NICE MJ... (from the front at least)

[JohnQ]

i don't know why ive never noticed before... i see your sig all the time... THATS A DAMN NICE MJ... (from the front at least)

 

 

Thanks. Can't wait to get a front bumper and some paint and body work done. I'm building a house right now and funding is limited.