6 hour drive to get truck and no vin tag?

[Hottrucks]

don't worry about it if they don't know where the vin # is I'm sure you can show them....I swapped doors does that mean I have a parts truck???

[fine69]

Originally Posted by Hottrucks

don't worry about it if they don't know where the vin # is I'm sure you can show them....I swapped doors does that mean I have a parts truck???

Doors dont have a vin #.

It is illegal to remove the vin tag. Period. Many times now when you get pulled over they want to match your insurance info to your vin #.
I just had it happen in Arizona a couple months ago.

You get pulled over and there is no vin on the cab and your truck is getting impounded. And sorted out later.

In Ohio your BMV is the place that checks your vin against the title.

[jeffspower]

Everywhere you go the law looks at it differently. I'm not buying the notion that you can't remove or re-install a vin plate. If that is true, insurance would be even crazier than it is now. If a $50,000 new truck ends up with $2000 damage form a tree limb falling on it, destroying the vin plate, They are going to total it?

Body shops swap cabs on wrecks all the time. On a new truck, you can go to the dealer and buy a new one. So I'm a criminal by transfering a vin from my shot cab to a replacement?

They better build more prisons, and this board better find new methods for funding, as a whole bunch of us are heading to the slammer

[fine69]

Originally Posted by jeffspower

Everywhere you go the law looks at it differently. I'm not buying the notion that you can't remove or re-install a vin plate. If that is true, insurance would be even crazier than it is now. If a $50,000 new truck ends up with $2000 damage form a tree limb falling on it, destroying the vin plate, They are going to total it?

Body shops swap cabs on wrecks all the time. On a new truck, you can go to the dealer and buy a new one. So I'm a criminal by transfering a vin from my shot cab to a replacement?

They better build more prisons, and this board better find new methods for funding, as a whole bunch of us are heading to the slammer

Its totally ok for a bodyshop to do it. As long as they are responsible for any issues.

But your telling me that you would go out of state, spend $12K dollars on a truck with the vin # removed from the cab? I don't think so.
Are you a criminal for transferring your vin to a new cab? By the laws set forth by our government YES. Would anyone here blame you? NO.

What if he bought the truck. Brought it back to Ohio. Couldnt get a title since there is no vin plate. Then what? You think the seller is going to go out of his way to help him? Probably not. He couldnt take the time to make sure it was riveted back on properly. Then he has a $12K parts truck. Screw that.

If the seller is honest(we presume he is) he will find the plate, or contact his own state departments to fix the issue. After explaining the problem.

Then he will contact Tim and sell him the truck.

[John Pasinski]

That is a great common sense answer! If that seller has excuses; get away from that truck!

[woodwright]

A few years ago my brother in law had a similar problem. He bought an MG from a friend that was about 90% restored, just needed put together. The PO had removed the vin tag to paint. Once Brandon got it together, he riveted the vin tag back on, and went to get the title transfered. During the inspection, they saw that the new paint was under the tag and they almost impounded it. As it was he couldn't get the title transfered. He ended up selling it back to the PO.

I'm swapping the cabs between my k10 and c10. I called the dmv and asked them about it, and they want to make two brand new titles with addendums instead of just inspecting both cabs and switching the plates. I'm in Idaho, which is about as lax as you get, and Brandon is in Washington.

[LONGHAIR]

If a $50,000 new truck ends up with $2000 damage form a tree limb falling on it, destroying the vin plate, They are going to total it?

I absolutely defy you to make that happen.....there is no way in the world that you damage a vehicle bad enough to destroy the VIN on a new truck and still only do $2000 worth of damage.


That aside, yes this truck could be titled/registered legally....but it's going to take some work. Here in Ohio, when you transfer the title from another state, they will inspect the vehicle. If it were transfered with-in the state, you might get by with it...for now, but it would still not be "legal". They could impound it at any time.
To do this legally, you need to work this out with the previous owner. In the state's view, you don't even own this thing..and I would doubt that the state that it came from would be pleased about this transaction either?

[jeffspower]

Nope, I wouldn't bring it home w/o the vin plate either, unless the price reflects it. Agreed, if the seller wants fair market value, THEY should get the problem handled BEFORE selling it. I've walked away from a similar situation before. If the seller tries to pull the story "it shouldn't be a problem to get it straightened out" then tell them great- give me a call as soon as you get it taken care of.

I did find out that here in MO (at least with the State Patrol inspector I worked with) that they would be OK with no VIN plate as long as the frame stamp matched the title, or vise/ versa. But I can see where it could be a problem somewhere else, or in a traffic stop as mentioned.