Cab decisions??

[idonutn0]

Heres the deal...
The 72 truck I have a title for has a horrible cab on it, rusted floors, rusted roof, theres rust in places that shouldnt have rust but it is titled. I can get a parts truck ($200 complete) that is from Mexico and the cab has the usual floor rust but no rust anywhere else. It dosent have a title though.
Is there some bit of "magic" that could turn a cab with no title into a cab with a title?
I dont want to get into any legal trouble, but who actually looks at these things? Who matches up the numbers? Dont people remove the VIN tags to paint their trucks sometimes?
This is all hypothetical at this point. I want to know if I should keep looking for another parts truck or not.

Thanks for the info.

[67ChevyRedneck]

The only thing that legally identifies one 67-72 cab from another is the VIN tag on the driver's side door and the glove box door spid (the sticker) has the VIN (or part of it, can't remember at the moment) across the top. I don't see any problem with taking off the VIN tag to paint behind it Just remember to try and find the special rosette rivets to put it back on.

[hilandr452]

From what I understand also, the laws on these older vehicles vary drastically from state to state, so I would check with the local DMV if I were you.

Dan

[SWB]

Originally Posted by idonutn0

Heres the deal...
The 72 truck I have a title for has a horrible cab on it, rusted floors, rusted roof, theres rust in places that shouldnt have rust but it is titled. I can get a parts truck ($200 complete) that is from Mexico and the cab has the usual floor rust but no rust anywhere else. It dosent have a title though.
Is there some bit of "magic" that could turn a cab with no title into a cab with a title?
I dont want to get into any legal trouble, but who actually looks at these things? Who matches up the numbers? Dont people remove the VIN tags to paint their trucks sometimes?
This is all hypothetical at this point. I want to know if I should keep looking for another parts truck or not.

Thanks for the info.

I'm in the same boat. 71 SWB w/ rough cab. Just bought an Arizona 68 3/4 ton LWB (no motor/trans, parts truck w/no title) with a solid cab. I'm going to remove the tag off the 71 Rough cab and put it on the 68 cab, then that cab on the 71 SWB frame

[mycool72]

Yeah I had to remove my gfs tag on her cab for paint as well

[50MOTORHEAD]

If you are that worried about the rivets,just cut plate off ,steel and all,leaving as much metal bordering the tag as possible. Cut the same size piece out of the other cab and weld it on.I would say that this would be illegal in just about any state but we are just talking hypothetically,,,right,,,
I have never done this but I have seen it done.-KB

[WIDESIDE72]

What about the fact that you would have toget the truck into the U.S. without a title? (CUSTOMS)

[OARNGESI]

Originally Posted by wideside72

what about the fact that you would have toget the truck into the u.s. Without a title? (customs)

thats easy if it runs have someone from over there with a passport drive it across and if it dont run pull the motor and you can bring it across as parts we did this with an elcamino and my dad had an 01 ram registered over in mexico and drove it across with no problems either

[yotaforce]

It's only illegal if it's being done with deceptive intentions (i.e. a chop shop dealing with illegal posession of, or intentional use of parts or vehicles). Anyone who has title or legal bill of sale for any parts or vehicles can do whatever they want to with said parts or vehicles, as long as they are properly registered, pass state inspection standards, and licensed as per each state requires should they be used on the public highway.
I have lost count how many times I have removed VIN numbers to restore a dash or door jamb or engine compartment firewall and I have always had someone say "You can't do that.." or "don't tell anyone you are doing that, or else..".
It's just a tag on a peice of old metal. It's not like you are taking a 71 truck vin and putting it on a 73, or a 66.

[idonutn0]

Thanks for all of the advice to my hypothetical question. I had though of all of those suggestions myself, I just wanted to see if it was common practice or how things were done.
The truck is actually in the states. The guy evidently drove it over and then got into some trouble with INS and got deported leaving the truck sitting in his friends field.
Bad luck for him, good luck for me.

[idonutn0]

Thanks for all of the advice to my hypothetical question. I had though of all of those suggestions myself, I just wanted to see if it was common practice or how things were done.
The truck is actually in the states. The guy evidently drove it over and then got into some trouble with INS and got deported leaving the truck sitting in his friends field.
Bad luck for him, good luck for me.

[yotaforce]

Originally Posted by WIDESIDE72

What about the fact that you would have toget the truck into the U.S. without a title? (CUSTOMS)

First off, Dept. of homeland security has more important thing s to do than fin d legal ownership of junk cars coming into the country from Meheeco, also considering they don't seem to have a problem with the thousand upon thousands of vehicle that are purposely being hauled over the border to supply the Mexican people with used cars and trucks from our side of the border! Right now, if you want to sell a Toyota truck, there are plenty of Mexicans who will pay top dollar just to drive it down there and sell it for more!

[ETsC10]

I would contact your DMV or state patrol and ask them.
Changing VIN tags is fraudulent. Period.
You may well be dealing with the remnants of a stolen truck.

The property owner might be able to place a abandoned vehicle lien
on the cab and procure paperwork in that way.

BTW-genuine ss rosette rivets will set you back a bundle,
...if you can find them. Nearly as much as the cab may be worth.




.

[Green Machine]

This question has come up many times before. As mentioned, check your state laws to be legal. I agree that changing VIN tags is illegal, but I would think of that as taking a good title and VIN tag and putting it on another whole vehicle, but I am not a laywer. That cab could be hot or stolen, which could be big trouble. There are also minor differences between the cab years, like parking brake location, mirror location with mounting pad or not and vent in the drivers pillar etc, that could be caught with a good eye.

In theroy, as long as you are not trying to decieve anyone the cab should just be another repair part. How much can you change and have it be the same truck ?

In theory again, as long as the frame VIN and the cab tag matches, you could change every other single part and still be legal I would think.

Suppose I wanted to change a 2wd to a 4wd, or had massive frame damage, I would have to get a different frame, I would not change the title to do that "repair" either.

There is legal and there is moral. Illegal will get you into trouble now, Immoral will get you into trouble later !!!