Yea, "no title" seems to be a theme with cars on Craigslist. Many offer a "bill of sale" but in California that gets you - NOTHING. BTW, the ad says "clean title." There are services (I'm told often run by former/retired DMV workers) but even there the chance exists that you still can't get a title. There is a bond that can be purchased but I'm not sure how that works or how much it costs. I'd assume it pays the real owner if they ever come out of the wood work.
Where and which yard did you see the Pinto wagon in? It is stated to be in Santa Maria.