Okay, I'm back on this. The VIN I got won't work because it didn't have a title. Montana has to have title. So, if you have a VIN with a title - PM me.
I've got my son's address in Montana to work with. And I won't be driving around a lot. And - it's a total freak show, the plates will be the least of the issues.
If you now a DMV service that will help me with a homemade vehicle, I'd love to hear it. I'm pretty confident we can get it titled in Montana and not have to deal with California. I don't expect to drive it on the road enough to get busted for out of state plates.
I'm guessing you're suggesting that I acquire a title, and then use that to get Vermont title. I might be able to do that in Montana too. In fact, I'm pretty sure I can do that in Montana (my son lives there). I have to think about that. That might work. If I ever get pulled over, there might be...
So, it turns out I'm not going to be able to use the title from another rig to get my project legal. Because I have an aftermarket frame, CHP won't let that fly.