African Muscle Cars - Forum

Hi all

Daily I come across vehicles advertised saying that there is no papers available for the vehicle being sold.

Does anyone know the correct procedure in purchasing such a vehicle and what needs to be done to get the vehicle back on the NATIS system.

Thought this might be an interesting discussion point. I know some people's short answer is just walk away, or don't buy it, but surely there must be a way to salvage some of these vehicle as well.

So firstly what to do to make sure you are not buying a stolen vehicle?

Secondly how to get this vehicle registered on your name?

Unless it was something exceptional rare I would never contemplate buying something with no papers, unless I had some way of dealing the mountains of paper work.

ZA Perana wrote: ↑

Tue 06 Feb 2018, 20:34

Unless it was something exceptional rare I would never contemplate buying something with no papers, unless I had some way of dealing the mountains of paper work.

Agree 100% - no papers and I walk away. I see a lot of comments on how straight forward it is to get papers - fine, then get them if it is not a problem and we can talk.

Topic and procedure has been covered before. I bought my coup with no papers and was built up. Tou need to complete the build before starting the process. Spend huge bucks & and take a gamble...::Took almost 18 months to license. Never ever again.

Saw this posted on the Hotrods, Classics & Muscle Cars on FB. Poster says this is for a car that is scrapped or deregistered...sure looks like going hell and back to me:


"Best thing to do first, is to go to the licencing department (or a roadworthy centre if you can find one who’ll help you) and ask them to do a search of the vehicle on Enatis. They can search last known registration number, engine number and chassis number. Do this before you buy to check if the car is not perhaps stolen or has any “black” marks against it.
If they cannot find it, it means it has to be introduced onto Enatis first, before you can register it.

So here’s what you need to do.
* Make certified copies of everything before you hand it in - I heard they tend to “lose” stuff.

Have a few certified copies of your ID and take your ID with everywhere.

1. Go to the licensing department and request an RPI form (Request for Police Identification). (I went to Wadeville where they wanted me to provide proof of address.) They will give you the RPI form that you then need to take to your Police Clearance centre. I stay in Alberton and was sent to Benoni.)

2. Get a BVK/SOA (Affidavit in respect of built-up vehicle) form, compete it and have it certified by a Commissioner of Oaths. Remember to include any information you have about the previous owner and why there’s no papers. Better – have the previous owner write an affidavit on why there’s no papers, if he’s lost them etc. I also attached registered letters that I’ve sent to his last known physical and postal addresses to prove that I tried to get hold of him as I bought mine back in 1996.

3. Make copies of all your slips, expenses and other purchases (vehicle, engine etc) certified. * Don’t give them your originals!
If you don’t have a trailer and plan to drive your car - get a temporary permit. (Without a road-worthy certificate you will get a three day permit). You will need the chassis and engine number.
4. Go to a Datadot centre and have your car dotted. (Go here first – if you go to Police Clearance they will just send you away to Datadot anyway.)

5. Take your car to the Police clearance centre. The officer will complete the RPI form. Make sure your engine and chassis numbers are clearly visible. Chalk works well! Make sure they compete the forms correctly!

6. Go to a weighbridge centre and get your car weighed. Leave off all excess stuff such as the spare wheel as this weight will determine the license fee. You must use a weigh bridge that issues a form on which the engine and chassis numbers are printed together with the weight of the vehicle. It is best if you use a municipal weigh bridge.

7. Take all the documents to the licensing authority who will send the papers to Pretoria for the vehicle “to be introduced to NATIS”.
You will be phoned when the papers are returned from Pretoria.

Make sure to get a reference number.
This includes:
RPI
BVK/SOA
Datadot
Weighbridge certificates
Affidavits
Receipts and/or pictures certified
Any supporting documentation
Roadworthy certificate (if you done it)
Registration form (the blue one)
Copy of your ID

It can take anything from 3 days to 3 weeks for this step. I had my papers back within a 35 days. Krugersdorp licensing authority sends all their papers to Pretoria on a particular day of the week. Check if yours does too and get your papers to them the day before.

8. Collect the papers, which will now include a RPC (Request for Police Clearance) form, from the licensing authority and take them back to the police. Have the officer that carried out the RPI sign the RPC and have the vehicle’s particulars entered into the police records. (I went to Wadeville where the guy who assisted me kept everything on file and just gave me a RPC to get completed, so take your Datadot certificate and a copy with to do RPC.)

9. Obtain a road-worthy certificate for the vehicle if this has not yet been done. You will need another temporary permit for the vehicle. The test station will require the RPC form to get the vehicle’s details.

10. Take all the papers to your licensing authority for the registration of the vehicle.

The papers should be as follows:
RPI (Request for Police identification)
RPC (Request for Police clearance)
BVK/SOA (Affidavit in respect of built-up vehicle)
Receipts and/or pictures certified
Datadot certificate
Weighbridge certificates
Affidavits and any other supporting documentation
Roadworthy certificate
Registration form (the blue one)
ID Book and copy of your ID
Recent proof of address

11. * All the papers our now sent back to the main office for final authorisation, and I assume they will assign a registration number here as well.

12. When they call you back you should be able to take all the papers and do final registration! This step took one day!"

Will the car then be registered as used or rebuilt

Will be registered as code 3 rebuild ... But I know of a few that have code 2 status I think they greased some palms .. Well I I know whose palms they greased but it's still a long story and patience is much needed or you could go grey very fast

This whole car registration thing is amazing.

In a country with so much corruption and shortcuts, the one place you have more hoops than a three ring circus is where logic should prevail.

Quite sad, as there is so much good unlicensed/paperless cars out there.

Just me two cent's worth.

We recently purchased a 1956 Series One Land Rover SWB that has just come out of a nut and bolt restoration.
We were told that the paperwork is being sorted - that turned out not to be the case.

Long story short:
I had to go through the whole process from scratch.
Police clearance, new chassis numbers at SAPVIN, back for police clearance, pay arrears license fees (R18000 as the license was last paid in 2004), get registration documents, roadworthy, do transfer of ownership, get license.

Interaction with all the officials was mostly moer of a frustrating. The exeption being the guy at SAPSVIN and the guy that actually did the clearance.

As far as I am concerned, in future it is a case of no valid papers, no deal.