Value of a VIN plate

[Protrucks]

I am running into some problems with the guy I bought a truck from. A tree falling on it smashed the trucks original cab. So it has a 67 cab. I was aware of this when I bought the truck. But the guy said he had the original VIN plate that went with the truck. I picked up the truck and he could not find the VIN plate. I took the truck home being that this person was a local businessperson with a good name in town. Well that was Thursday and today I stopped back and he told me that he could not find the plate. I told him well MI Law says that I have 72 hours or three business days to return the truck. He told me that I bought the truck as is and that I should call the state and have them send me a new VIN plate. I said NO that I wanted the original plate or nothing. He than told me that I must have found the plate in the truck and was trying to screwed him out of the plate or that I must have changed my mind and was using it as an excuse to return the truck. Now why would I do that? I am a hard person to piss off but that did it. What value is there in a VIN plate with out a title or truck? Normally this would not be that big of a deal to me but the truck being a bit on the rare side is the only reason I got it to begin with, It is a 1970 CST short bed stepside. There where only 620 stepside’s built in 1970 that had the CST package and this one has the original Big block motor correct trans and reared in it.

Dose anyone out there know if the value of this truck would go down with a state issued VIN plate? I have never run into this?

I hope he finds it and I don't need to get a lawyer.

[Desert Rat]

VIN tag swapping/Cab swapping is actually illegal,So he is in fault or negligent,trying to pass off this truck.Sounds like he commited a crime to me.legally you cant swap the vin,well unless nobody knows,the value is little dont matter if there was only 3 built,if you dont have the correct cab,etc.since 67 had the small window.id either suggest finding another 70 cab w/vin.67 never offered a big block truck,or if you paid a cheap price forget it,if you dont plan on moving out of state then the chances of the vin and frame numbers being checked are nill,when i had a 70 cst step before i moved to AZ i sold it because it never woulda passed inspection since the numbers didnt match,unless you have a legitimate reciept/title for the cab,and the title for the frame.i have a ride with a state issued tag,its not the same but a sticker.never to be worth its full value.Id say get your cash back since the truck isnt right,or simply enjoy it.If you paid high dollar since it WAS rare then your screwed,it will be like having a Hemi Cuda with a 440 in it.RARE as Phuck but,not with the wrong motor,and probably worth about less than half.To me your position would be like buying a Short box truck to later find out it was originally a Long Box cut down.

[Protrucks]

OK so your saying that even if I put on a different 70 cab and I have the correct VIN plate in hand there is no way to make the truck worth anything more than any other 70 out there. What would have been done if the truck was sent in to a body shop and had a new cab put on after an accident? Would they use the old VIN or keep the one if the cab was used and not new? There has to be a way to repair the damage and make it legal.

[72chevyLWB]

If somebody removed the vin plate they can be arrested. It is illegal to tamper with a vin plate PERIOD. Trust me, I got busted for removing mine to paint beneath it, now I have a South Dakota reautorized vin number on it. IT SUCKS. The highway people are real A#@holes around here.

[jiggs]

From what I understand that plate is worth a lot. It tells you the essensial options of the truck. It has everything to do with matching #'s. This gentleman can now go out and buy a bare bones truck, build it to the specs of the vin and sell it as the original. I don't think this is important for our trucks because a restored, #'s matching truck aren't worth that much, but consider if it was a 69 Camaro Z28 convertible vin tag. Someone could really screw you over if you thought you were buying the original and it turns out to be a "built" car. There is a lot of ethics involved in this, and many people looking to make a dollar don't care about ethics.

Consider this example: A guy I know in my home town sold a 1957 Ford Convertible for $3500. This is not that exciting until you know that it was rusted through from the windows down. Why did he get such a price for it? Because the buyer was buying the vin and the convert parts. Thats it. He will take a mint '57 2 door post and chop it up and make a convertible. The post car is not worth restoring, but as a convert. it will bring big dollars. Because he has the proper vin tag, he can pass it off as the real thing and no one will know, even if they look at the #'s.

Buyer beware. Get the vin or your money back!! That truck could be worth a lot in coming years.

[Protrucks]

Well this guy told me today that he called the Secretary of State for MI. Told them the VIN plate was lost do to an accident the truck had. The state told him that he could go to the office and apply for a new VIN plate and the state would send him a new one for $10. I will call the state tomorrow and find out for myself.

[Protrucks]

JIGGS
That is true. The reason I want the plate is for the ordinarily of the truck. All the numbers match on this truck right down to the frame. I am not trying to hide the fact that the cab is not original. What I want is the plate for it came with the truck. I know the truck could be proven with out the ordinal plate. In fact with the original plate I could not put it on the cab with out the swap being know do to the special rivets used by GM. Number matching on truck may not be a big issue now but what about 10 years from now. This plate should have some value to it. Not to mention the fact that the guy told me he had it and still may find it. But to tell me that I was using the plate as an excuse to return the truck really pissed me off. So it my not have this much value but I want to blow off some steam to.

[Hutch]

VIN plates mean a lot when you are talking about the value of a vehicle. Talk to any Corvette owner.
Did you get the original option sticker on the glove box door?
That would help a lot.
There have been quite a few vehicles built around a VIN plate and title.
It would drop the value of the truck as a collector item, but if planning to keep and drive it may be a good value.
Most collectors want as much original as possible with the VIN plate be first and foremost.
Heck they even want Detroit air in the tires.

Most folks looking for a good reliable driver don't really care.
Cab replacements are pretty common on these trucks but people try really hard to make the appear as original as possible.

People will always point out the flaws in a non-original truck, even if the changes are for the good.


As for the seller trying to make you look like the bad guy sounds to me like he is afraid of something.

I myself would stay away from a VIN altered vehicle.

[Desert Rat]

you can go to www.trimtags.com and they can sell you what you need,but its not legal at all,if your truck had the cab replaced its been replaced,in many purists eyes its worth no more than a plane jane truck with a big block crammed in it.Its only a truck so i wouldnt worry about it,i personally dont care if mine are original,id take a 300 mile original long box truck,slam under it a short frame and put in a big motor in a heart beat,these arent Z28 Camaros,and Hemi cars,they are a pickup.i like them just as much.id try to straighten the title and vin out with the state and the owner,than worry about what it maybe worth i assure you a SB stepside thats original isnt worth much more than a 6cyl stepside that someone stuck a 402 in and made it look correct with factory parts,i believe the vin just deciphered 6cyl and V8 not the specific motor.