Vin removal

[jhaymon]

Originally Posted by Iron Hauler

I was just going to swap vin tags onto my new cab, guess I better brush up on Iowa law before doing anything.
Posted via Mobile Device

tell us what you find out

[bowhunter65]

My truck has had a cab swap by the po. Its ready for another. This is what the state of illinois did. I dont know what the procedure was but, here's Pics.All numbers match. title, spid,door sticker, and frame. I intend to put vin tag in the same spot on new cab. the rivots look like there smashed flat. I will investigate proper procedure. Have heard that You can take your truck and new cab to high way state patrol headquarters, and they will verify everything.

[justahoby]

Tried to do this in Florida, called local law enforcement. They ask "why? is it stolen??" I said "no" they said "Then swap it". I said "is it not illegal". They said "Got a bill of sale for cab?" i said no, but I have a reciept(did not have jack)" they said "Dude, if it is not stolen dont worry about it"
Definitely not California. This is not a stretch of the story in any way shape or form and I am sure all will say I am wrong because how their State quotes/ enforces / reads Federal Law. Actually they acted suspicious and dumbfounded that i called. Technically in some states its ILLEGAL to sell a cab WITH a VIN plate from the JUNKYARD, as they see it as selling a vehicle. Did I swap it? YES. Will FBI come to my door? No.
FYI even though they gave me an ok I had them verify everything was clean, kept that paperwork, if I ever moved back out west.

[justahoby]

Originally Posted by jhaymon

i've been looking into to doing title work on the side. in tx it depends on what county your registering it in. lost titles, builders, and searches are still pretty easy in this county, but just one county over up in harris i heard its easier to smash a brick into your head. as soon as i understand how it works, im going to post an article.

Lawrence Auto and Title. Clean car clean bonded title, took me 6 weeks on my 68 Camaro.
Need info I can give you their Number in Taylor Texas.
FYI I live 3-4 county lines away from them. %100 legal, and is DMV paperwork.

PS. Please no ****bags with the intent to make up phony IDs ruining and incriminating an honest title service. The fraud should fall back on the people lying to one on paperwork.

[LEEVON]

We're mostly all enthusiasts here with good intentions, but there is always a bad apple in the bunch. There was a truck sold here in the last year that a local person I ran into had suspicion about, enough that he didn't buy it which worries me.

With that said, I did have a situation of my own to deal with and so I'll share. I bought my truck many years ago (1994) in Arkansas and registered it in Kansas, which was a huge red flag at the time because Arkansas was a known title-washing state. Because of this I had to get a state inspection. Up to the point of the inspection, I didn't realize that it had regular rivets on the cab vin plate which the trooper then pointed out (I was 16, giving myself a break on that one). It was an oh crap moment to say the least. He was dilligent though and instead of writing me off, he located the frame VIN, SPID VIN and even checked the engine block numbers and verified it all looked legit and passed it. I guess either the cab was swapped or some idiot backwoods bodyman took the tag off during a repaint but I was able to register in KS without any issues at the time. It was later registered in MO, AR, then back to MO last year. I was worried that an inspection station would take up issue with the rivets when I moved back which is unlikely but possible so I bought a set of rosettes and installed them for peace of mind.

That is the perfect use in my opinion. The truck is legit, I'm not selling it and I just wanted it to be RIGHT. I could probably convince myself that the same situation would apply if say I needed to replace the cab today...but I would ask myself the question, privately.

[justahoby]

Originally Posted by LEEVON

I have mixed emotions on this one. We're mostly all enthusiasts here with good intentions, but there is always a bad apple in the bunch. That's why I think you need to ask/answer the question of yourself, privately, and live with the answer either way.

With that said, I did have a situation of my own to deal with and so I'll share. I bought my truck many years ago (1994) in Arkansas and registered it in Kansas, which was a huge red flag at the time because Arkansas was a known title-washing state. Because of this I had to get a state inspection. Up to the point of the inspection, I didn't realize that it had regular rivets on the cab vin plate which the trooper then pointed out. It was an oh crap moment to say the least. He was very nice and dilligent though, he located the frame VIN, SPID VIN and even checked the engine block numbers and verified it all looked legit. Either the cab was swapped or some idiot backwoods bodyman took the tag off but I was able to register in KS without any issues at the time. It was later registered in MO, AR, then back to MO last year. I was worried that an inspection station would take up issue with the rivets which is unlikely but possible so I bought a set of rosettes and installed them.

That is the perfect use in my opinion. The truck is legit, I'm not selling it and I just wanted it to be RIGHT. I could probably convince myself that the same situation would apply if say I needed to replace the cab today...but I would ask myself the question, privately, and live with the answer.

Thats why i got receipt(s) of verification(s) even i was given the ok. Am glad you got it cleared. You could have been without. Some state troopers take a knife edge to see if the rosettes are stainless or aluminum.

[no moa]

I to am in the same boat, bought a good cab, got a bos (no title, maine doesn't need them after 95) I was planning to swap my vin as it matches my frame.

Once i get the 2 cabs situated i'm going to have them checked and see what is required of maine. I will not be fixing my cab, its way to far gone.

[jhaymon]

Originally Posted by justahoby

Lawrence Auto and Title. Clean car clean bonded title, took me 6 weeks on my 68 Camaro.
Need info I can give you their Number in Taylor Texas.
FYI I live 3-4 county lines away from them. %100 legal, and is DMV paperwork.

PS. Please no ****bags with the intent to make up phony IDs ruining and incriminating an honest title service. The fraud should fall back on the people lying to one on paperwork.

i have a guy down here, but he's the only one running clean and hes always backed up lately. im looking into getting started in the title business

[nvsteve]

A friend of mine in Arkansas wants to buy a 54 GMC truck that's in Colorado. The seller says the truck is titled as a 48 Chevy. I don't have details on how it came to be titled that way but everything I read on this thread tells me it is not legal.

Also even if it had been legally retitled somehow, wouldn't it greatly devalue the truck if it looks like a 54 but is titled as a 48? The cab is a 54, the bed is from an earlier year, don't know about the frame.

[JOJABOY]

I have found that this subject is a state-by-state thing. Here in California, there isn't much you can do about cab swaps and VIN tampering (which is what it is). However, I registered my truck in Georgia. All I had to do was get a police officer here in CA (friend) to sign a form that he inspected my VIN and that it was untampered. I sent that form along with a Power of Attorney to my old man and voila....my truck has GA registration. Now if I want to register my truck in CA. All I have to do is bring the GA registration to the CA DMV and register it.

I didn't tamper with my VIN. I'm just making a statement. I registered my truck in my home state (Active Military) so that I could use my historic GA 1969 plates. However, I now know what I would do If I was starting a new build with a good donor cab.

[JOJABOY]

I have found that this subject is a state-by-state thing. Here in California, there isn't much you can do about cab swaps and VIN tampering (which is what it is). However, I registered my truck in Georgia. All I had to do was get a police officer here in CA (friend) to sign a form that he inspected my VIN and that it was untampered. I sent that form along with a Power of Attorney to my old man and voila....my truck has GA registration. Now if I want to register my truck in CA. All I have to do is bring the GA registration to the CA DMV and register it.

I didn't tamper with my VIN. I'm just making a statement. I registered my truck in my home state (Active Military) so that I could use my historic GA 1969 plates. However, I now know what I would do If I was starting a new build with a good donor cab.