changing vins

[hotrod24]

i wanted to find a truck with a title and take the vin plate and the title and use it on my truck

[86 chevy silverado]

Its one thing changing cabs and reusing the vin for the new cab, but its another when you just blatantly change vins and paper work from one truck to another. If flags come up when you try to register it you may have problems, maybe not. Depends on how thorough your state is with inspections and registrations.

[Bowtie Bomber]

Well, I know the guy who owned the cab before hand. And I don't think the cops would care as long as the frame vin matches the one on the dash. I'm still waiting for my dad to call me back about the ordeal. He called the DMV of Florida and told them the situation. I might have to go threw some hoops to get this done the legal way, but as long as it won't come back to bite me in the tail.

Gotta love the beaurocracy.

[xtremjeepn]

Where is the VIN stamped on the frame? Anyone have a picture of this?  I have looked but can't find it.

I have taken several trucks and pieced them together.   (I have all donor trucks registered in my name anyway)

I have read the Colorado State Statutes and it says that the VIN can be removed for a "qualified repair".


You would have to get in a ton of trouble to get the cops to take that close of a look at your truck these days. 

[hotrod24]

here is a few pics

[monte85]

mine was on the passenger side frame rail, i think about halfway under the cab.i think it was only the production number(last 6 digits of vin). but i didn't look to close. saw it when i had the cab off.

[xtremjeepn]

I just went out and checked and still can't find it.

The frame is a 1 ton 4x4 Crew Cab (that has had about 16" removed from just behind the cab and 8" behind the axle to fint a short bed on it).

I looked under the hood and can see pretty far back down the frame rail and there is no stamping on either frame rail. I also just had the bed off of it and there is nothing under the bed.  Near as I can tell there is not one under the cab. (I have looked as much as I can).  Which means that it would take A LOT of work for an officer to dispute the VIN on the door or dash.

Are we sure that ALL trucks were stamped with VIN or just ones in certain years, plants, military trucks?


Also, is that a complete VIN number or is it just identifiying marks like GVWR stuff etc?(more like a part number than a complete VIN) In the pictures above I only cound 9 characters. All these trucks should have a 13 or 17 character VIN depending on age.

[gmiles]

It is illegal in most states to do a body swap or a frame swap of any car/truck because there would be two VINS on a car. To change the VIN on the dash by drilling out the rivets and replacing it with another VIN would also be illegal. Changing the frame VIN would be a "no-brainer" no- no because you'de have to re-stamp the frame.  California law brings up "intent" as in, is the VIN change done to "disguise a stolen vehicle?".  A restoration is a different bird because a VIN plate or data plate could be removed for the repairs/restoration. You can order a brand new VIN plate from some places but they require paperwork and your VIN plate (and they cut your old one up) for a concourse type of restoration.

For most of the stuff that goes on here, I think the "intent" is missing but it's still probably illegal. Again, in CA what should happen is....the truck is built with a different cab and inspected by the California Hwy Patrol or any full time auto theft investigator. The truck would get a "blue tag" that has the FRAME VIN on it. A blue tag is a new label that is riveted to the door jamb. Then the truck can be registered under the exhisting frame VIN. It's not a difficult process out here. And if you get stopped by a policeman that knows what to look for, they will impound your truck and you either give it up or there's a court hearing. In the end, even if you win in the hearing, the police will only give you back the parts you have papers on, like the frame and engine. Anything they can't prove the identity of will get crushed.

Sooooo, go to your local State Patrol, DOT, Hwy Patrol and ask about vehicle inspections and if they have something like the "blue tag" I mentioned. It's the right way to do it and you get to keep your truck. None of us want these trucks getting crushed!!!!

[gmiles]

All of these trucks will have a frame VIN number. It is a partial VIN (not the whole thing).

[xtremjeepn]

FWIW I was a cop for 10 years and recovered many stolen cars. Can't think of any reason I would ever crawl around on the ground or under a cab (removing it) to verify a VIN on an old pickup.

[monte85]

connecticut doesn't do inspections anymore. as long as you have up-to-date emmissions, you can register anything. nobody checks at all.

[VileZambonie]

I've never been pulled over and had a cop take my reg and compare it to the vin.

My 74 Has the vin stamped into the frame rail near the steering box.

My 86 has it on the pass side top frame rail under the cab behind the gas tank

[Blazin]

I sand blasted the frame on my 86 GMC and I could not see any numbers on it anywhere. I had read previous posts about the frame numbers. I looked in all the spots mentioned. plus every where else too. Two of my buddies looked it over as well. Not one of us found even a hint of a Vin #. I have stripped allot of these trucks to the frame and only seen a VIN # on about half of them. I was not specifically looking on the ones I stripped. I am sure there where more that had them just didn't see them due to rust or crud.
 I have never had the cab off my 84, but I would say its a fair bet it doesn't have them either as the frame was changed back when the truck was only a few years old. It was in a front end collision that totaled the truck. It has a salvage title, not sure if the salvage VIN # would have been stamped into the new frame or not. is registered in N.H. with the original VIN # as my ex's cousin bought it from a snake fly by night car dealer. He peeled the salvage stickers off of it. Her  cousin got it registered with the original VIN #. Then when I bought it I too registered it with the original VIN #. It wasn't until two years later that the previous owner happened to mention to my ex one day when she took it to work that it was a salvage vehicle, thats how I found out. State never caught that one and supposedly the old VIN # is now invalid in their computers!

[Captkaos]

All of them I have ever stripped had VINs, they were generally all over the place but always on top of the framerail.  A lot of them were under the cab though.

[hogwild]

my truck is now registerd and insured, donor truck is gone mine has new vin . when i did restoration i had vin tag off , get the point , never have i been stoped and questioned about vin #, if i do they are welcome to take cab off and check frame , thats like my butt i cant see it. illegal yes but so is speeding  and we still do that.