"Restoring a junkyard car"

My uncle did this with an 87 Jeep Wagoneer. You get the title from an insurance company and its called an indemnity bond. Easy to do. The inspector just takes down whatever you know about the car as far as history and everything and makes sure it is legal to drive on the roads with a visual inpection. He also takes down the VIN to make sure the car is not stolen or wanted for any reason. I believe all that you have to pay is the tax on the value of the vehicle or a minimum of $75, but I can't remember. Not sure about how they'll do it if theres a really obvious change to the vehicle like going from a \6 to a V8 though. Good luck!
-Forrest