Body swap... vin and title questions
 

OK,

I will be honest...this time I did not search for answers before asking this question.
I plan on swapping out a clean body on my K20 chassis. I have vin's and titles for both trucks. The clean truck is an optioned out Cheyenne super C10and the chassis donor is a rusty Custon K20. I planned on using the title from the super because the vin would match the cab. Does anyone see a problem doing this?

Re: Body swap... vin and title questions
 

:lol:wheres my handcuffs? well for real each state is diffrent, i wouldnt be worried about it though, but i guess if you wanted to be worry free you could contact your devisionof motor vehicals.

Re: Body swap... vin and title questions
 

you'd then have a vin for a twowheel drive truck//might not make a difference at DMV but if you ever go to sell it and anybody that knows anything about these trucks look at it they wont pay a price for an ugly stepchild

Re: Body swap... vin and title questions
 

you have a few options.
put the 4X4 vin on your new cab.
Just forget about the 4X4 title, and go with the new 2 wheel drive VIN/title/identity.
Call your DMV and see what they want you to do.
(I recomend the third one... but it isn't the one I would do personally)

Re: Body swap... vin and title questions
 

The DMV is the last place I want to ask questions!

I don't know if the vin defines if it is a 2wd or 4wd? It might define it as a 3/4 ton? Does anyone know?
I'm not trying for a numbers matching restoration so I don't think the value of the truck would be diminished over its current state by putting a rust free highly optioned AC body in place of the rusted PS PB custom trim level it currently has. I would not try to market it as a factory optioned truck at any point. Did GM ever make a K20 Chyenne super with bucket seats and a 400 sb?
With all that said I'm not saying that for some... my body swaped truck would be like the red headed step child that no one wants!

Re: Body swap... vin and title questions
 

The VIN and the title match the cab? To me, that's a no-brainer. As for it being a 2WD title and a 4WD truck, you could tell prospective buyers that you did a conversion, but the honest thing to do would be to tell them the truth.

I wonder if the NAPCO conversions that were done on Chevy and GMC's in the mid-late 50's had anything but the original VIN?

What won't match, is the portion that is on the chassis. To me, this ain't no show-stopper. As long as you hold the title and a law enforcement officer can verify that it agrees with the cab I.D., you should be good to go. He would be the person I'd be telling that I had done a conversion to 4WD.

Re: Body swap... vin and title questions
 

If you have a clean titles and vins for both all in your name I dont see where you would be doing anything illegal. Keep all the paperwork and if you ever go to sell it give the new owner all the papers.

Re: Body swap... vin and title questions
 

it can cause problems down the road. Say you move out of state, or you sell it and it crosses into another state. Since the frame and VIN no longer match, it can be an issue.
There is reference to 2 wheel drive or 4X4 on the vin... the first digin on 67 - 71, and second digit on 72 (c for 2 wheel, K for 4 wheel drive)
All that could be done, but the 400 small block. They weren't installed in ANY trucks till 73.
The DMV is there to help you. They can provide you with documentation, and guidelines that can and possibly will prevent you from getting in trouble. There is nothing saying you can't swap the cab over. You just need to have the correct documentation.

Re: Body swap... vin and title questions
 

If you hold the titles in your name to both vehicles, everything matches up...Yep thats my frame, here is the title, yep thats my cab here is the title...Dunno where the problem is. All that paper work is for is to prove ownership.

But honestly if you are worried about it Id take all the paperwork into the proper licensing place, tell em what you're up to and ask em how to license it. Everyone acts like the licensing places are out to get you. I purchased a vehicle from a no title state, the licensing place here had never heard of that. But they did a little footwork (opened a book) and figured out how it worked and waaalaaa...I got a new Washington title for my car. There are tons of different agencies that do this stuff out here, Im guessing its the same in most states. As long as your not doing anything illegal find one of these places that isnt staffed by a bunch of drones and your set. =)

My 71 has a matching title and cab, but not the frame. We don't have crazy inspections here in Washington State so its never bothered me.

Re: Body swap... vin and title questions
 

in less you want too go too jail you will have too cut arond the vin plate

Re: Body swap... vin and title questions
 

lol... a total uneducated opinion

Re: Body swap... vin and title questions
 

I have done something similar to what you are asking with our '79 Ford F250 truck. The truck started out as a titleless '73 F250, we put in a 6V53 Detroit in it and then found a super clean cab from a '79 with a good title. We called the WI DMV and they stated that basically all they are concerned with is if the VIN on the cab matches the VIN listed on the title. THey also gave me the option of having a state issued VIN number but the the truck would have to be inspected and such by a state patrol officer. I didn't want to have to explain to Buford T. Justice that we installed a Detroit out of a fire engine in our truck, so we just used the title that came with the '79 cab and have had no issues. I used to live in AZ where they had to do level 1 inspections to make sure the title VIN matched the vehicle VIN. It had to match in two spots, but I am sure that the people are not near smart enough to try and find the other VIN numbers on the frame or wherever else they are on older vehicles!
Hope this may help!!

Mike

Re: Body swap... vin and title questions
 

i might be wrong, but here in Oregon I believe mixing parts requires an "Assembly " title.

I might be wrong though.