I have a 1965 ford I bought from a guy. I never got back with him to get the title. I am having trouble locating him. Looking in the car the last time it had any registration was in 1981. Any help on how I could go about getting a title?

You need to contact the department of motor vehicles in your state.
How did you buy the vehicle without going to the notary to transfer the title?

You will have to find the other person and get him to sign a title over to you.

In a few states older vechiles may be purchased and tagged without a title, but you will have to ask.

If I were you I wouldn't put any work into that car until you legally own it. You don't have any proof that it's even yours. Do you at least have a bill of sale with his signature on it?
I don't understand why you didn't get the title at the time of the sale. Now you know not to let it happen again. Even if someone tells you they lost it, you can go to the DMV with them and at the same time apply for lost title and transfer of ownership.
Hopefully the guy doesn't come to your door expecting "his" car back after you've put all kinds of work into it. I've known this to happen!
The DMV can use the old registration to try to trace his address, but they are going to basically say the same thing: hope you have a bill of sale.
A bill of sale should state the license #, the VIN #, the date, your name & address, and his name, address and signature.
Hopefully he wasn't selling you a car that doesn't even belong to him. Good luck.

Thar are duplicate title services they reissue a title but you will need a duplicate title form have the service mail you one when you git it fill it out like the owner have a notary at some small carlot notarize it like yerr the owner have form filled out to return to forward address (this is you mail box ) add captain to yer name to sound official OK ? Hope this helps sometime honest people have to finagle too!