Engine swap vs body swap

[bobb]

I have a rolled 86 4Runner w/ good running gear and motor. I am looking to find a donor veh w/a blown/wont smog motor. I'm wondering which would be easier lifting the wrecked body off and swapping bodies or pulling the motor/trans and swapping them. Also I'm hoping to keep the registration w/ the rolled 4Runner; however, when I go to smog it do they pull serial numbers from the body, motor or both? Will this present a problem componded if it is a different year 1st generation donor vehicle? Thanks, bobb

 

[35inchoverdrive]

I'd lean toward just pulling the drivetrain. Since lots of things can get tweaked in a wreck/roll, you may find that the new body might not fit too well when you try to swap it on to the tweaked chassis. However, the questions you raise about the smog laws might answer your question for you. I'll wait for another CA guy to chime in, because we don't have inspections in my area of country.

 

[KLF]

I'd wait till you get the donor truck to see which has the better frame, then go from there. There is a VIN stamped into the frame (pass side, right behind the front wheel), but they very rarely look at that, they go with the tags on the firewall, doorjamb, or at the base of the windshield (typically that one, it's the easiest to find and read). So legally if you junk the '86 body, you can't keep the reg. There is no VIN on the engine to check.