frame VIN != body VIN, legal question (8 Viewers)

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im in pa and have bought a few trucks with bill of sale pa will not issue a title without a title dmv rejected all of them there may be more but the vin on most of my trucks is on the frame horn in a couple wrecks i just welded it to the new frame gound them down and painted it so the no.s match the vin here in pa when the truck gets inspected they just check the vin same with police if they pull you over unless its reported stolen good luck what ever you do
 
shelfboy1 said:
im in pa and have bought a few trucks with bill of sale pa will not issue a title without a title dmv rejected all of them


I talked to a title guy about my 64 f100 truck when I bought it and he said that for a 64 he would take a bill of sale... haven't tried to get the title yet.:)

Kevin
 
tyler black said:
mark,
are you the mark in wasilla?

tyler


Yep. ;)


Mark...
 
Toyo FJ40 said:
How clean is the frame? Can you even make out the vin numbers. I replaced my frame on my 74 and replaced the cowl with it's vin plate too and had no problem getting a title off the door jam vin plate in PA. PA also says that anything before 1970 just needs a bill of sale for proof of ownership ( I think that they don't have anything older than that in their system).

I think if it was an issue I'd think about cutting the vin stamp out of the old frame and weld it into the new one.



Kevin

While this not an unusual apporach, and you will probably get away with it... It is blatently illegal in most jurisdictions. Felony style illegal.

And it can be easily detected if the person looking knows what they're doing.

Just be aware of what you are getting into.


Mark...
 
a6016 said:
Kind of an off-topic reply, but if anyone in California has a question or problem with registration let me know. 24+ years as a prosecutor has, if nothing else, put me into contact with a lot of DMV investigators who are pretty good about answering questions or at least being able to send me to the person with an answer, not to mention the CHP folks I've met who research and authorize weird VIN issues. I suspect I'll be talking to them myself in a few months as my rebuild has a '72 frame and a '74 body. Like the project itself was not challenging enough?
Vic
Redlands, CA.

Vic,

PM coming your way.

Tim
 
I had a '56 F100 5 years ago that I purchased in California with only a bill of sale (used to live out there). All it had as far as vin numbers was a plate on the inside of the driver's side door jam. Had an engine that was non-original, the frame was from a '54, the hood was from who knows what. I think the only thing that was '56 was the cab.

Anyways, there are places that advertise in hot-rod mags that will buy your vehicle from you in a state that only needs a bill of sale, title the vehicle in that state and then re-sell it to you with a title. Then, all you do is take the title into the DMV and have it transferred to your name. I think that company I did it with was based in New Hampshire or somewhere on the east coast. If I remember right, cost about $250 and a couple of weeks. When I got to the CA DMV with the paper work, a lady came out to the truck and checked the VIN number on the door jam to ensure that it matched the title, but didn't inspect the frame or the engine. She signed a few things and I signed something and I got my CA title in the mail a couple of weeks later. Worked great and was legal. I do remember that the newer the vehicle, the more expensive it was to do and I don't think they did anything much newer than 1985. Not sure if things have changed since then or not, but it might be worth looking into.

I'd just hate to have re-constructed title. Something about having a title that says re-constructed or re-built just gives people bad feelings and usually will hurt the re-sale value.
 
I just registered my '71 at the DMV office yesterday. The old title was current but on non-op. I asked for a new title, plus registration, plus plates and stickers. No problem, $64 please. They gave me the plates at the office. It really was very easy. They did not check for the vin plate or the frame serial # (even though I have those things). I suppose they could check those things, but why would they?

Everyone of these old Cruisers has been built, modified and rebuilt several times and are a mix-master of different parts. Now, if it's a more modern vehicle where chop shops get into the action, that would be a reason to check.


Mark W. do you still think it's a felony to have a legally titled 71 frame and rebuild it with say, for instance, mostly '76 parts that I happen to already own?

It's funny that just on my 76, it has '78 fenders, '78 hardtop, '79 ignition, '66 transmission, '73 transfercase, '83 front knuckles and brakes. The concept of what year it is, is getting blurry. I assume the same will be the case with my '71.
 
Cruiserdrew said:
Mark W. do you still think it's a felony to have a legally titled 71 frame and rebuild it with say, for instance, mostly '76 parts that I happen to already own?


Probably not. Again, it's a local jurisdiction thing. The strictness of the interpetation of the law and the enforcement of it varies too.

Around here, the statues refers to"major" body components". What exactly is "major"? Local cops wouldn't even think of calling a fender major. But the cowling is a little grayer. Especially since it has a VIN tag on it.

Like I refered to, lots of guys mix and match stuff. Usually for completely innocent reasons. I've lost track of how many different rigs are wrapped into a couple of mine.

But IF you are breaking slightly obscure laws that are seldom worried about...You still want to at least be aware of it... :(


Mark...
 
Cruiserdrew said:
It's funny that just on my 76, it has '78 fenders, '78 hardtop, '79 ignition, '66 transmission, '73 transfercase, '83 front knuckles and brakes. The concept of what year it is, is getting blurry. I assume the same will be the case with my '71.

Sounds like you're taking a verse from a Johnny Cash song....
 
Ok, Here is the real deal as far as Maryland is concerned. I went to the MVA today.

The title on a Maryland vehicle goes with the frame. So If I bought the frame I was looking at, any recombinant vehicle would become the year of the frame it was built on.

So in my case, I would then have an FJ40 that required me to do an emissions test every two years (cutoff year for emissions is 1974). Needless to say I will not be buying the frame in question.

As mentioned in a post above, A vehicle with a mixed frame, tub combo can be registered in Maryland without any kind of inspection by being registered as a street rod, or a historical vehicle. My FJ is (as of today) registered as a street rod, and will remain that way until I start and finish a frame off build. After the build, I will change to a regular registration which will allow me to use the FJ as a Daily Driver. With its current street rod registration I am technically only allowed to drive it on weekends, holidays, and weekdays after six. Fortunately I am not driving it anywhere until it is rebuilt. Additionally the regular registration will require a safety inspection to be done.

Thanks for all the responses to this question.
 
He put a smog sticker on the drivers door piller.
Hey men, i know this is old, but how did you get that smog sticker? i have an imported 80 from colombia, 1994, its the same as the ones here but it does not have that sticker.
 

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