Hi, I have been reading your thread with great interest. Here in Aussie if your vin number on the chassis is:-
1. Different than the plate on the firewall because you have swapped out the chassis they make you get a new vin number to stamp on the chassis.
2. If you gal the chassis and the vin is not readable they make you get a new vin also, this is what happened to me.
You mentioned in other states that they do allocate new vin numbers, so have you thought of grinding down the numbers a little bit so they are very hard to read or removing them and tell them you had to replace that section of the chassis due to rust.
Then with a out of State rego drive round for about 8 months then change the rego to Cal.
At least it will give you breathing space to get over the next hurdle.
After reading the thread it seems interstate rego is your only option at this point.
1. Different than the plate on the firewall because you have swapped out the chassis they make you get a new vin number to stamp on the chassis.
2. If you gal the chassis and the vin is not readable they make you get a new vin also, this is what happened to me.
You mentioned in other states that they do allocate new vin numbers, so have you thought of grinding down the numbers a little bit so they are very hard to read or removing them and tell them you had to replace that section of the chassis due to rust.
Then with a out of State rego drive round for about 8 months then change the rego to Cal.
At least it will give you breathing space to get over the next hurdle.
After reading the thread it seems interstate rego is your only option at this point.