? about reconstructed titles

[streetmaster42]

Got an odd ball ? about whether or not anybodys ever ran into the issue with having to get a reconstructed title for there pickup. The other day someone had asked me if i had to got a reconstructed title for my pickup, since i changed the cab from my truck for one from another truck, and just switched the vin plate. shoot every thing on my pickup is different, i've got a 79 bed, 86 cab, new doors and fenders. He's really got me wandering about this because if i were to have an accident or something, could this come back to haunt me. I live in SW, PA and im not sure were to look it up, for info on this.

[Blackstone]

As long as the VIN tag matches that of your insurance policy, title and registration you've nothing to worry about.

[dooce]

yeah, I think reconstructed titles are for vehicles that have been totaled and someone has bought it cheap and fixed it. I think, but I'm pretty sure.

[streetmaster42]

Yeah, was'nt real sure about this myself. He also told me that i should have taken pictures of the old stuff plus have reseipts to prove that the stuff really needed changed, then have the truck inpected.

[dooce]

that doesn't seem right. for all they know, they don't know that all those pieces didn't originally come together. I wouldn't worry about it.

[streetmaster42]

Yeah, i believe im not gonna sweat it to much. He just got me curious because i dont have any reciepts for anything, probly because i never thought about it, because there a lot of people in SW,PA that have done the same thing im doing, for yrs. Maybe im just a worry wort

[blink32]

To the letter of the law what you did is illegal. But you would be hard pressed to find someone A. that would even notice or B. that would prosecute because you made no detrimental changes (assuming you did a like-kind swap).

It becomes legal when you do what you did and take as much documentation as possible down to a DMV and have it certified by their inspectors. The only time you will have a problem is if you went from say, a reg cab to a quad cab, or lets say you put all 3/4 or 1 ton equipment into your 1/2 ton VIN and wanted to register it as a 3/4 or 1 ton. Something like that wouldn't fly.

[old Rusty C10]

i live in NY first of all
i have a friend who is a NYC cop in the auto crimes unit
I was telling him that i had done the same with the 76 i used to have and he told me i did something illegal
technically youre suppoused to have the titles for both vehicles and then do the swap leaving both vins alone then bring it to the state polilce who will compare your titles and parts then check em against the hot sheet
once you get that done they issue a state vin number which becomes the new and official vin number of that vehicle
this then ruins the value of the vehicle as its not a restored classic but a compellation of parts from several vehicles
I would document all you can as to where you got everything and worry about it if you ever have a problem BUT in all honesty i dont think you ever will... I would also stay out of politics as if this is ever dug up, youll never get elected LOL

[GM72K10]

Beware the reconstructed title route. Once you offer any extra information it will come back to bite you if there are ever any problems. Just let it slide.

[vintagesteel]

let it slide. If you dont you'll end up with your truck confinscated! the only way they could tell by looking at the vin in the truck is if you drilled out the rivets. they are not normal rivets and you cant get them just anywhere. Let it slide

[old Rusty C10]

Originally Posted by vintagesteel

let it slide. If you dont you'll end up with your truck confinscated! the only way they could tell by looking at the vin in the truck is if you drilled out the rivets. they are not normal rivets and you cant get them just anywhere. Let it slide

with a dremel tool you can make em look pretty close tho.....

[vintagesteel]

its better if you are going to change the vin, then remove the whole plate the vin is attatched to and weld the new one on the cab. then the rivets aren't messed with. It only takes one PO'ed Highway Patrol to ruin the day and confinscate all your hard earned work. hate to see someone lose their stuff. All the paper work in the world isn't going to help then.Don't give them anymore reason to jack with you.

[James McClure]

ROTFL!! SHHHHH, DON'T TELL NOBODY, BOB JUST MOVE3D HERE FROM TEEHAAWANA!!! His other car is a donky cart!!!Sorry Bob, I couldn't pass that one up

[James McClure]

Danm. I was laughing so much I forgot the issue.
I wouldn't worry about the numbers to much as long as the dash tag numbers match the title and registration. If you have the titles to both vehicles and the numbers don't match just re register it with the right numbers. If you don't have the right title you'll have to swap out the vin plate and this is how to do it. You will NEVER get the right rivits and if you try to make regular pop rivits look like factory you'll throw up a red flag.
This gets complicated OK? take the windshields out of both trucks. Take the crash pads out. With a die grinder and a cut off wheel your going to cut out part of the dash itself. Use the holes punched into the dash at the factory and go from hole to hole until all thats holding are the windshield flange welds. Drill them out and cut your piece free. Lay it into the new truck and mark out your cuts. Cut inside your lines and grind for a close fit. Weld it in, fill and finish with correct color, reinstall glass and crash pad. Sounds worse than it is, just go slow and careful and you'll be fine.

[streetmaster42]

I believe i left something out of my post. My truck is a 1976 GMC, Sierra 1/2 ton 2wd shortbed pickup. The truck was in pretty rough shape when i got her. The cab was in to bad of shape to stick any money into it, so i got a 86 cab from another pickup. The problem that i did'nt think about then was when you switch VIN plates, it was illegal to do so. The 76 cab has the VIN plate down on the door post, and the 86 cab has it on the dash. Since i stuck an 86 cab on a 76 frame, the VIN plate from the door post of the 76 cab, now has to go on the door post of the 86 cab. Which ment there was one on the door post and on the dashboard of the 86 cab. I cut the old 76 cab up for scrap 8 yrs ago, and kept the VIN plate for the new cab. And the dash pad from the 76 cab does'nt have the cut out in it for a dash VIN plate. I was just gonna drill 4 holes in the door post where the rivets go, and just slap some JB weld on the back of the VIN plate and stick it on the door post of the newer cab. (So i guess the big ? was, if i just took the VIN from the dash and threw it away, coverd that erea up with the dasboard pad from the old 76 cab, where nobody can see it. Can i still get into trouble by putting the old 76 VIN plate down on the door post, if it looks like it was never messed with.) When i cut the VIN plate off the door post of the 76 cab, i cut around the plate enough so i could play with the metal. The factory rivets are still in the VIN plate, i never drilled them out. What i had was a VIN plate in my hand, that still had the rivets in the holes. Then i could just drill 4 holes in the door post, so the rivets to fit into. How will anybody ever know.

[vintagesteel]

Go for it! Would'nt be any different than buying a new replacement door for the old truck. You would have to do something then to. I think the truck is too old for anybody to give two craps about. With the vin being on the door who's to say you didnt just replace the door.

[streetmaster42]

Originally Posted by vintagesteel

Go for it! Would'nt be any different than buying a new replacement door for the old truck. You would have to do something then to. I think the truck is too old for anybody to give two craps about. With the vin being on the door who's to say you didnt just replace the door.

The VIN plate goes down under the door striker, on the cab. Not anywhere on the door. I dont know the yr they switched locations for the VIN plate. But i know my 76 had it down under the door striker. The title, frame, and VIN plat all match on the truck. I just got a little freeked out when i let it slip about what i did to the truck, only to get 20 ?'s about a bunch of legal crap i use to never care about. So i thought i'd throw it on here to get some oppinions. (I guess thats the door post is'nt it)

[old Rusty C10]

ya know i was thinking on the 67-72 part of the board there was a thread a while back about where to get the proper rivets.. there was someone who did sell OEM or repro rivets with the rosettes in em.. this was a while back tho
and um by the way you think that truck looks like it belongs in tijuana lol you should see what i look like on the days i need to hire day laboroers and its surrounded by twenty guys LOL

[James McClure]

Mabey Bob is right and you can get the rivits someplace. If you can't, carefully grind the rivits off from the back. Use the piece of steel as a template for holes in pillar. Sand down small area inside the holes and the back of the plate. Using 2 part epoxy, re attach it and clean up squeezed out epoxy. When you repaint the truck make sure you do a poor job masking off the plate. Overspray on the plate will lend itself to it's haveing always been there. You could always take the easy way out and register it as an 86.
Hay Bob, you get them 20 guys in the cab with you??? LOL, jim

[vintagesteel]

I assummed you meant on the door. I have a 75 parts truck and never paid attention to where the vin was. As far as being able to buy the rivets, I think it is illegal to sell them. and as far as I know the only place they can be gotten is from the factory. I knew a guy that worked for ford and the had "acquired" some but had to SMUGGLE them out. I would epoxy it on and be done.You would think if you could buy the rivets", everybody would sell them. Just makes it to easy to steal vehicles and swap vins. If all the other vin's are the same they have no reason to question.

[old Rusty C10]

i did the same exact swap on my 76 chevy with an 82 cab ( the same styles..) what i did was i cut the vin tag out of the 82 cab .. its just two rivets holding it in.. and i took a wire cutter and chopped em out.. i sprayed my cab the color i wanted before i reinstalled it on the frame and that covered the area where the original vin tag was then i measured where the vin tag was suppoused to be from the 76 cab. i very carefully drilled out the hole in the rivets so it popped off clean and then i matched it up on the new cab and drilled holes. i put a dab of silicone on the back of the 76 vin plate and laid it in position.. i took some small rivets and riveted it on.. i then took an old dirty rag and ribbed it over the vin tag and rivets making it look like it bad been there for ages and noone ever bothered me as long as i owned the truck
i did keep the old vin tag and title for the 82 truck and eventually after i got rid of the 76 i threw em both out
Im not saying what i did was legal or right but hey it worked and its past the statute of limitations anyway

James i make them ride in the tool box...when i had the other truck id just let em ride in the back like this