(1) If the owner does not have a certificate of title for a vehicle which was manufactured prior to 1940 and which has not had any major component part replaced, the department shall search its records for evidence of issuance of a Nebraska certificate of title for such vehicle at the request of the owner. If no certificate of title has been issued for such vehicle in the thirty-year period prior to application, the owner may transfer title to the vehicle by giving the transferee a notarized bill of sale, an affidavit in support of the application for title, a statement that an inspection has been conducted on the vehicle, and a statement from the department that no certificate of title has been issued for such vehicle in the thirty-year period prior to application. The transferee may apply for a certificate of title pursuant to section 60-149 by presenting the documentation described in this section in lieu of a certificate of title.

(2) If the owner has a certificate of title for a vehicle which was previously classified as junked, which was manufactured prior to 1940, and which has not had any major component part replaced, the director, in his or her discretion, may issue a salvage title if it is shown to his or her satisfaction that the vehicle has been inspected and the vehicle has been restored to its original specifications.