K20 Frame/C10 Body Restoration/Registered as a C10 Truck

[msulli54]

There is a very nicely restored 1971 Chevy K20 registered as a 1971 C10 as the original cab was swapped out with a rust free C10 cab. They then used the C10 VIN to register the truck. This came up on another nice truck I was looking at this week. Is this fairly common when restoring these older trucks? What would you or should I be concerned about when looking at these types of restorations? Does it negatively impact long term value or does the quality of the restoration and having a clean truck out weigh that issue?

Thanks in advance!

['68OrangeSunshine]

In my opinion, it's only an issue if the VIN's from a stolen truck.
As far as the valuation goes, I could care less.
I bought a 5 year-old used truck 51 years ago. Now I'm some kind of vintage collector, just for keeping it running.

[best view]

I would never buy a k20 investment truck with a c10 vin unless it was going to be my plow truck

[msulli54]

Very helpful…

[best view]

Not trying to be sarcastic, it will be a lot harder selling down the road and yes I had a 68 c20 that was put on a k20 frame couldn’t sell it so I put a plow on it and plowed for the town for 20 yrs and got my money back that way true story

[desert-rat]

Bing in california, it'll be cheaper to register it since it's considered a 1/2 ton. Just have the DMV or AAA run the VIN to make sure the VIN is legit. Like '68orangesunshine said in post #2, wanna make sure it's not stolen or unpaid tags.
Also ask to see the title to match the VIN and license plate.

[jocko]

Originally Posted by msulli54

There is a very nicely restored 1971 Chevy K20 registered as a 1971 C10 as the original cab was swapped out with a rust free C10 cab. They then used the C10 VIN to register the truck. This came up on another nice truck I was looking at this week. Is this fairly common when restoring these older trucks? What would you or should I be concerned about when looking at these types of restorations? Does it negatively impact long term value or does the quality of the restoration and having a clean truck out weigh that issue?

Thanks in advance!

My 2 cents only. Yes it negatively affects actual resale value and it will shrink the potential buyer pool if/when you decide to sell it in the future. If you personally are looking for a "restored" 71 K20, then I'd walk away from this one and keep searching for what you really want (especially if the seller's asking price is on par with an actual restored 71 K20). On the other hand, if YOU aren't concerned about the VIN mismatch - AND - the seller isn't advertising it as a restored truck (and asking a price isn't on par with a real restored K20), then by all means, there's nothing wrong with going down that road. But it cannot, by definition, be a "restored" 71 K20 with a C10 cab on it. It can still be a great truck to own though. All depends on asking price and what you really want.

[msulli54]

I wanted to thank everyone again for their input. It’s very helpful and have learned a lot. The truck has been restored but is not a restoration. It is a great example of a truck I would enjoy. However, I also like fixing these trucks up and selling if I find another one and knowing it has value and is likely to sell in the future. This mismatched cab and chassis isn’t a big deal and understand why it happens. I just worry about resale. They shared title, registration, insurance, vin plate on drivers side door and the glove box sticker. They all match the C10 VIN. It’s just sitting on a K20 frame. If I didn’t want to sell it one day I would pull the trigger.

Again thanks everyone. The seller isn’t trying to pull the wool over my eyes. I just needed to better understand the risks and reality of buying a vehicle like this one. I hadn’t run into it before this week. Micah

[desert-rat]

My '72 is a C20 cab on a '71 C10 frame. Because it's a C20 VIN, it's registered as a C20. I'm cool with that. I just wanted a C10 frame and suspension.
I could go to the DMV and show the VIN on the frame but than that'll open a can worms.

[Chaparralman1974]

I think ultimately it depends on the quality of the work that was done on it. There is always a buyer for a nice clean well built truck. Most people (probably 90%) only buy a truck like this because they want other people to admire it while it is going down the road. For that group of people, it doesn't matter what the VIN tag says. As it sits right now, it is a nice looking K20 from what the picture shows. As long as it isn't hacked up, painted over bondo and rust, I say who cares? Someone, somewhere will buy it.

Now all that said, personally, I am a purest with OCD. The main reason I wanted my K20 is because it is an original numbers matching (except the engine) truck. I think that a properly restored K20 compared to a similiarly restored "fake" K20 will be worth more and will fetch a better price from the right buyer.

Again, for 90% of the owners out there they just won't care. And for the admirers at the gas station that come up to ask you about that truck and tell you how cool it is, they will never know, nor will they care.


Clay

[TotallyHucked]

If I were looking for an investment type truck, I'd run. For a truck I planned to enjoy, drive and keep for a long time, if it's well done, it wouldn't bother me. But I would go into it knowing that should I decide to sell it, it will be harder to sell.