a few questions regarding vin/reg

[SmokeShadows]

i was looking for help on identifying some of my questions and problems, i recently became the new owner of a used and abused 68 gmc pickup truck that has been around the block a few times, there is too much wrong with it to list but im slowly trying to bring it back to life.... but anyhow FIRST off i would like to know if its suspicious that the truck has no vin, not on the dash in the window corner, no plate riveted to the door frame(although there is holes), no vin stamped on the driver side framerail next to the power steering pump, is this strange and should i be concerned, and where else could i look for a vin? i am in the process of jumping through dmv's hoops cuz the truck has no paperwork,title, or anything, all i got is the license plates, there is no spid label on the glove box, i have reason to believe the cab was swapped because i gotta go through the salvage process once i get the title, i will post pix with more questions later but i want peoples opinions on what they think and or what i should do

[SmokeShadows]

also i was wonder if i could clarify a couple components =) in the first picture there is a hole i cant quite identify what it was used for, in the second picture there is a mysterious connector with 2 purple wires (im not sure but i assume it was the old neutral safety switch) but its jumped as well as what is the metal thing with 2 wires running into it? and n the third picture the connector the arrow is pointing at, is that the rear lighting harness/plug? thank you in advanced

[SS Tim]

Really you bought a truck without any VIN numbers or paperwork? My advise is do nothing on that truck until it is titled in your name.

[SmokeShadows]

Originally Posted by SS Tim

Really you bought a truck without any VIN numbers or paperwork? My advise is do nothing on that truck until it is titled in your name.

yeah i know not a smart move, but it was one of those now or never, i saved it from the scrap yard so worse comes to worse ill just use it for parts, but at the price i payed, i would like to get it reg'ed and titled, but if anyone knows where i could look for a vin anywhere else i would greatly appreciate it, or any advice or direction, when i went to the dmv they said i gotta send out a certified letter and when it comes back to me i take it to them and then i fill more paperwork out and maybe (hopefully not) have to pay a bond on the vehicle in case the P/O tries to claim it.... then its mine lol

[SS Tim]

Tampered vehicle. You have a lot of hoops ahead of you. Did they give you any idea of the fees? Are the plates coming back as matching your truck? Do you have a bill of sale and identification from the person who sold it to you? It will likely cost far more than it is worth when all is said and done. If they hit you up for back fees well.... you get the idea.

[SmokeShadows]

yes i was on the phone for hours with the dmv, multiple times trying to figure what i should do because i have no paperwork, by the way im in california, but there was one lady who told me that the back reg is like $700 or something, and i also have to go through the salvage process and pay dues there, and get certification of lights breaks or whatever as well as get the vin checked by CHP (california highway patrol), and then on top of that there is minor issues with the truck i have to fix like windshield, breaks, other small stuff, but i have searched for similar situations on here and elsewhere and havnt had much luck so thats why id like to share my experience here where it belongs, oh and to answer your questions, the plates do come back as said vehicle, its a 68 gmc longbed fleetside, silver with a camper shell, and the lady on the phone knew about the camper shell so thats what leads me to believe the truck is legit, just maybe a cab/front end swap or something, and as fr the bill of sale, the person i got it from is third party sort of speak, he ((steve) the guy i bought it from) bought it from a guy (miguel) original owner) about 9 months or so ago and he has been driving it around and storing it at a self storage place in an rv spot, where i obtained it, and he never regged it into his name or signed any paperwork, but he had a dmv bill of sale from the original owner and its blank with just the original owners name on it with signature and address in what looked like cryptic scribbles, nothing else, and he wanted me to fill it out from original owner to me, without him inbetween but when i contacted the dmv they said they know about steve and the paperwork has to be from him, he doesnt want to fill it out because he got tickets on the truck and is afraid it will come back on him (dumb@$$) but he is homeless with no real address, the original owner im assuming released liability to steve and thats how they know about him, or from him getting the tickets

[Lee H]

Watching this one. This is why one should not buy a vehicle without a title, bill of sale, at least in California, and probably many other states. I have a feeling this is going to cost more than a nice driver just to get it titled & registered, and it will be a salvaged title to boot. Sorry to hear this is happening.
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[SS Tim]

It called title jumping and CA does not like that! Remember there are very good legal reasons not to do that. From what I have seen so far I doubt it is worth the effort much less the cost of titling and plating that truck. Many very good trucks are being parted here because of the states userious fees and penalties. Salvage title and assigned VIN shout bastard truck to anyone in the future.

[volksworld]

rivits still there and chiseled off...if they wanted the tag for another truck they would have been neatly drilled out...maybe one of the old "took the plates off and abandoned it,pulled the tag so they couldn't trace it to me"...or,its simply stolen.

[VA72C10]

I'd simply use this truck as parts. No way I'd go any further in trying to title it unless it was a big block short bed truck...and this isn't.

[SmokeShadows]

also i was wondering anybodys opinion on the approximate value of the truck as a parts truck, i want to make sure that im not just a fool who fell in love on first sight lol from what i gather, i think its a 307 v8 longbed, looks to be factory ac, it has the vent holes on the sides and middle, and is anybody able to identidy that hole in the left side of the instrument cluster above the ac vent?

[westong]

That's were they installed the switch for my spare tanks in my truck. Hole looks a little big compared to mine though...
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[SmokeShadows]

Originally Posted by westong

That's were they installed the switch for my spare tanks in my truck. Hole looks a little big compared to mine though...
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thats exactly what it was for! perfect, thanks alot!

[LONGHAIR]

A lot of states are not as strict as California as far as titles go. Some do not require or even issue them after a certain age....but even those want a legitimate VIN to identify the vehicle.
There is a very good reason that it is against Federal law to tamper with these tags.....and this is a prime example.

[SS Tim]

At this point without pictures, scrap value. Condition has a huge impact on value. You have really told us very little about the truck to base any positive valuation on.

The hole on the far left dash could be anything. On a 68 it would be non-factory (your the data plate locations are for a 67-69 truck). If the cab were a 71-72 it might be the aux tank gauge selector switch hole.

[Don Quixote]

My ride never had a title until I moved to Tennessee. In those days, New Hampshire didn't issue them. I lived in upstate NY for a while and they wouldn't make a title for me because they didn't issue them until '73 (go figure) but I registered the truck in TN and I happened to ask for a title and once I show them the stack of registrations going back until I bought it in '97 and they gave me one complete with the military discount (free!). There is hope. You would know by now if it were stolen if you'd been on the horn with the DMV and by the looks of things, you may need a second one to combine to make one that works. Win-win for you.

[leddzepp]

Part what you can, then cut it up and scrap it. A yard here won't even take a cab without a title, much less a vin plate. Pursuing this is a complete waste of time and money...seriously.
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[PanelDeland]

I agree with the above.I'm thinking the VIN plate may have been removed as an "Cash for Clunkers" proof.Either way,it's gonna be a pain in the A$$ and wallet to get a title and reg.

[67ChevyRedneck]

C4C only applied to vehicles 1984 and newer.

I'd buy another legitimate truck, use this one for parts, and sell/scrap the rest.

[SmokeShadows]

ok guys well check it out, i payed 375 + a battery, is this too much? like i said i might have just fallen in love at first sight, this is my first vehicle i ever bought, i knew it would be a doozy trying to get it on the road, i am learning much along this journey, i have no prior experience on vehicles except a bit of electrical and welding, the truck is in pretty rough shape, id say on a scale of 1-10 its sittin around 3-4, the reason i bought it is because it runs and drives, it has rust holes in the cab corners, around the windshield etc it starts right up every time, but like i originally said, worse comes to worse ill just use it for parts, it has a bit of decent parts, the truck has a vin its just no longer stamped on the frame rails or on the plate because it has been removed, im assuming because the cab is off another truck, the cab was originally yellow and the bed was originally that old turquoise green, i think the vin plate was removed because it would conflict with the current vin, also i would like to ask if anybody knows exactly where the vin would be stamped on the frame under the cab? i hear its roughly under where the drivers ass sits, is this accurate? and if so what is required in taking off the cab? do i have to remove the whole front end to remove the cab? is it worth my time to try to look for that vin or should i just wait for an inspector to try to find it?

[SmokeShadows]

heres a bit more pictures so you guys know what im working with, any suggestions are welcome like always =) thanks

[SmokeShadows]

and heres where it gets bad

[SmokeShadows]

then a bit worse.... but overall i think its salvagable... but that could also be just my imagination

[SmokeShadows]

and the rust is pretty bad in the inside around the windshield, then some misc pictures

[VA72C10]

the dash is a tach dash. It's been modified but the tach itself is valuable. Make sure to take that out no matter what if you part it. If the tins are good and lens isn't cracked it's (the dash) worth 150 even as it sits.

If it runs and drives then of course it's a deal...but I'd use that drivetrain in something else. You're in California (not sure where) but there are longbeds there for cheap with less rust. The roof rust is bad...cab corners are no problem.

Just pull off the best parts and the engine/tranny/suspension/wheels and scrap the rest. find a better body and swap the parts over.