Title says 1981...dash says 19??

[ChrisLCrawford]

I recently purchased a "1981 Chevrolet C10".  The reason I'm suspicious is because the dash in it is one of a 1980 or older.  The truck is a Frankenstein.  The hood "was" purple, the cab "was" yellow", the bed "was blue". 

I cannot locate the vin number on it because the dash has no cut out for the number to be revealed in the window and the doors have no numbers either.

Can anyone give me a sure way to identify the year model of the cab of my 1981?  I don't want to start ordering parts and have to send them all back because it isn't a legit '81.

[Irish_Alley]

take the dash pad out and look. even if the cab is 1987 the parts on the inside might be 1975. i would also take some pictures of it and see if we can help

[ChrisLCrawford]

Thanks...That was my next step.  Just wanted to see if there was another way.  Here are some photos of the truck.  Any other suggestions/info is appreciated.

[zieg85]

Take the dash pad off, the VIN is probably under it.  It has the 81 on up speedometer cluster and wiper switch on the dash is an up to 1983.  Dash bezel is 73-80 and if you say the dash pad doesn't have a slot for the VIN dash pad is 73-78 I am pretty sure.  What does the door panels look like?

[zieg85]

If it has a push button for the wing window lever that is 81 on up, hard to tell from the picture

[ChrisLCrawford]

@zieg85 What I understand you to say is:
- the dash board I have appears to be from 73-78 because of the lack of VIN slot.  Suggesting it was swapped out prior to my ownership. 
- the gauge cluster appears correct for the supposed year model?
- the dash bezel appears to be from a 73-80?  I'm assuming that is because of how they cut out an opening for the wiper switch.
Am I understanding you correct?

If so, I should be able to swap all these parts out for the appropriate year style that I want, right?  I tried changing out the current gauge cluster with a 1986 cluster but it would not line up correctly with the current dash pad.

Also, here is a photo of the door panels and the window lever.  Thoughts?

[zieg85]

@zieg85 What I understand you to say is:
- the dash board I have appears to be from 73-78 because of the lack of VIN slot.  Suggesting it was swapped out prior to my ownership. 
- the gauge cluster appears correct for the supposed year model?
- the dash bezel appears to be from a 73-80?  I'm assuming that is because of how they cut out an opening for the wiper switch.
Am I understanding you correct?

If so, I should be able to swap all these parts out for the appropriate year style that I want, right?  I tried changing out the current gauge cluster with a 1986 cluster but it would not line up correctly with the current dash pad.

Also, here is a photo of the door panels and the window lever.  Thoughts?

Yes, the bezel and pad go with the year.  You have 81 on up wing windows as well as door pads that are tastefully modified.

Dash pads of the older style like you have actually last longer as the 81 on up didn't last hardly at all.

Pictured is from a parts truck roughly 15 years ago, stored in my attic where the temps could be -20 in the winter and 150 in the summer.  It still looks good