[Defiant]

I have bought many, many cars during my lifetime, and not once did I ever feel a need to run the cars title through any kind of database. If it has a title and current registration, and it is signed over to you, and you send it to the DMV, and they send you a new title in your name, you are not a participant in some 3 decade old theft. Whether you are on a limb or not. You are what is known in the parlance as a "good faith purchaser for value."

If you have some reason to believe the deal is not on the up and up, that is different. I have not seen any indication that the "improver" who spent all the money restoring this vehicle was not a good faith purchaser.

[MrEdd]

http://apps.dmv.ca.gov/images/vr/regcard_w_arrow2.jpg

You have sent in registration forms that did not include the VIN?
I never have.
Where I grew up, people found out they had bought a stolen car fairly frequently when they went to register it.

The guy who fixed this car up lost it while trying to ship it to another continent.

I suspect he knew it would be discovered if he tried to register it.