The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network - View Single Post - 47-55.1 VIN for 1949 truck?

e015475 · 01-02-2025, 09:59 PM

Digging up an old post and looking for some advice.

I bought my '49 GMC in Quartzite Arizona in 2011 or so

It didn't have an engine or id plate on the A pilar - it was a stalled project and mostly in boxes.

A week or so after I got it home I went and transferred the title to my name and told the DMV it was inop and I'd be back for registration- no problem

In 2018 it was running again and I went to DMV and registered it and got a licence plate - again, no problem.

i'm getting to an age where I'd like to consider selling the truck and started watching some of the online auctions to get some idea of how they worked and I saw a couple of auctions halted when there was some sort of cloud on the title (usually the wrong cab or bed for the year claimed in the writeup)

Out of curiosity, I plugged the VIN on the title into a decoder - it didn't resemble anything like an appropriate number format for the truck.

Puzzled, I googled the VIN on the title, and it said the number searched was the engine casting number for quite a few model years of GMC trucks so it isn't unique to my truck. I'm speculating that at some point the raised casting number was mistaken for the engine number stamped near the distributor boss and put it on the title.

I took the title to my local third party DMV. They said no problem if there's no ID plate and told me it was an interesting story about the casting number on the title, but as far as they were concerned if there wasn't another AZ title with that casting number on it for a VIN it wasn't a problem for them to transfer the title in a future sale.

I can only imagine the problems if I tried to put the truck on BAT with a VIN that's a casting number.

After I'd found my trucks sordid history I went to a state DMV and was able to talk to the supervisor. He suggested that I bring the truck in for a 'level 2' inspection with all my receipts and they'll verify that the truck doesn't have a VIN anywhere and if they're convinced I didn't steal all the parts to put it together , they'll issue a Arizona assigned VIN number and a revised title to go with it. I didn't keep any receipts lest my wife find out how much I've spent on this truck - I never anticipated this problem.

Nearest Level 2 DMV is about 180 miles away through the reservation and the mountains. Before I hire a transport and present the truck hat-in-hand to the DMV for inspection, I'd like to make sure I've exhausted all the options

Any ideas?

01-02-2025, 09:59 PM	#19
e015475 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Show Low, Arizona Posts: 797	Re: VIN for 1949 truck? Digging up an old post and looking for some advice. I bought my '49 GMC in Quartzite Arizona in 2011 or so It didn't have an engine or id plate on the A pilar - it was a stalled project and mostly in boxes. A week or so after I got it home I went and transferred the title to my name and told the DMV it was inop and I'd be back for registration- no problem In 2018 it was running again and I went to DMV and registered it and got a licence plate - again, no problem. i'm getting to an age where I'd like to consider selling the truck and started watching some of the online auctions to get some idea of how they worked and I saw a couple of auctions halted when there was some sort of cloud on the title (usually the wrong cab or bed for the year claimed in the writeup) Out of curiosity, I plugged the VIN on the title into a decoder - it didn't resemble anything like an appropriate number format for the truck. Puzzled, I googled the VIN on the title, and it said the number searched was the engine casting number for quite a few model years of GMC trucks so it isn't unique to my truck. I'm speculating that at some point the raised casting number was mistaken for the engine number stamped near the distributor boss and put it on the title. I took the title to my local third party DMV. They said no problem if there's no ID plate and told me it was an interesting story about the casting number on the title, but as far as they were concerned if there wasn't another AZ title with that casting number on it for a VIN it wasn't a problem for them to transfer the title in a future sale. I can only imagine the problems if I tried to put the truck on BAT with a VIN that's a casting number. After I'd found my trucks sordid history I went to a state DMV and was able to talk to the supervisor. He suggested that I bring the truck in for a 'level 2' inspection with all my receipts and they'll verify that the truck doesn't have a VIN anywhere and if they're convinced I didn't steal all the parts to put it together , they'll issue a Arizona assigned VIN number and a revised title to go with it. I didn't keep any receipts lest my wife find out how much I've spent on this truck - I never anticipated this problem. Nearest Level 2 DMV is about 180 miles away through the reservation and the mountains. Before I hire a transport and present the truck hat-in-hand to the DMV for inspection, I'd like to make sure I've exhausted all the options Any ideas?