Frame swap question

[ozzie50]

Okay, I am doing a frame swap to an s-10. I bought a 1991 longbed for 450. I bought it from an individual who gave me a title. Do I need to get the title switched over to my name? I went to the tag agency and they said I would have to bring the s-10 in. It doesn't run and I would have to trailor it 40 miles. (Farm is in the country) I am just using the frame and legal problems if I don't get the title switched? Feel free to post or P.M. me.

[Thadious]

Not sure what the regulations are in your state, but where I live, you require the registration for both the S10 and the classic truck when registering, the VIN plate from the S10 is a bonus, since it will be taken out of the database and prevents it from being used on a junker with an outstanding inspection notice.

Vehicles that are highly altered / merged, such as ours, also require a full inspection from a licenced agency (about 4 hrs and $500 on a hoist) before they will validate the truck and VIN for insurance. All paperwork must be present at the time of inspection.

Most states / provinces in North america are pretty good with things like this as long as you don't cut corners and everything is on the level with no shady dealings or fab work done in the process.

Cheers,
Ted.

[ozzie50]

So I should go ahead an trailor the car to the tag agency? I have the title, but they have to see the car. Or would it be better to have the person who sold me the car write a bill of sale for a salvage car with the vin numbers listed?

[dwcsr]

Originally Posted by ozzie50

Okay, I am doing a frame swap to an s-10. I bought a 1991 longbed for 450. I bought it from an individual who gave me a title. Do I need to get the title switched over to my name? I went to the tag agency and they said I would have to bring the s-10 in. It doesn't run and I would have to trailor it 40 miles. (Farm is in the country) I am just using the frame and legal problems if I don't get the title switched? Feel free to post or P.M. me.

I think you need to call and speak to someone in the titles divsion. Tell them your building a composite truck with parts from various years.

Is the older truck registered? or titled? If possible register as the oldest truck.

You will need this form http://www.tax.ok.gov/mvforms/761A.pdf and possibly others.

[Thadious]

Agree with dwscr, best bet is to call, explain everything... wouldn't bother to tow it anywhere unless you absolutely have to... what a hassle. Only way you can be sure what is the legalities in you state.

Cheers,
Ted.

[ozzie50]

The older truck is registered and tagged.

[rhodog77]

ozzie50,
I am going thru this exact thing right now. You should absolutly title the s10 in your name. My s10 is not running either. My county sheriffs department has a service where they come out to your house to verify the VIN number, for a fee of course. $15 bucks.....well worth it. Check to see if your inspection dept will do the same. Bypass your local DMV and contact your the state DMV office. See if they have what is called an "assembly title". Most states and insurance companies insurance off the frame. If anything ever happens to your completed truck. They WILL check. Once you title the s10, you should be able to request a VIN removal (like Thadious said) on both the s10 as well as the 50. Your state will then stamp you a new vin plate for the old truck. Once you get the VIN plate, attatch it to the old truck and take it in for inspection. I know this is a lot of info. email me if you need, with your phone number and I can maybe explain better.
rhodog77@yahoo.com

[50adrod]

Originally Posted by ozzie50

The older truck is registered and tagged.

I would think this would be all that is needed, couldn't replacing the frame be considered a repair?

[CAL 58 GMC]

Originally Posted by 50adrod

I would think this would be all that is needed, couldn't replacing the frame be considered a repair?

I agree, it's like if you pull a motor out of another car and bought a TCI frame for your truck and then put it all together, you would not have to register the motor and frame too. I would think all that needs to be registered is you old trucks VIN.

[OrrieG]

I don't know about OK but I checked here in ID because at one time I was going to change out the cab. They said if the frame and cab do not match I would need to have the truck inspected and they would use the original frame number which was already titled and make a note in the records that the cab was not original. At that time they would also change the designation to 4WD and adjust the registration fees. I can also run an original year of manufacture truck license plate, which did not have a front plate, and be legal.

Idaho also has a really good Hot Rod law that allows inspection and titling with State issued VIN to custom built vehicles. It allows for the registration and title to state the year of the body as the model with the date of initial inspection/Vin issuance. The DMV folks tend to be rodder friendly, for years I went to a small town location because I had bought some Mustang parts for my kids car from the dmv gal that worked there.

Hopefully your experience will be as easy. I would think they will not need to see the truck until it is finished and you want to register it to drive. In the mean time I would get all the titles in your name, if for no other reason than to prove ownership should your circumstances change and you or someone else needs to get rid of the trucks. I have my current donor truck because my kid owed me some money and when her marriage started going south I got a lien on the truck so her ______ husband could not sell it out from under her. Need to keep thinking forward.....

[CAL 58 GMC]

Originally Posted by OrrieG

They said if the frame and cab do not match I would use the original frame number ...

Were is the frame numbers? When I did my frame off build I never saw a frame number.

[ozzie50]

Headaches all day trying to get the title in my name without having to tow the truck around. Finally, found a tag agency that didn't need to see the truck and was going to move it to a salvage title. I thought great this what I need then they said they would need to see the truck before I got an actual title in my name(said the vehicle would be in my name, but they would issue a title to me). I looked at them so puzzled because all along I thought and she said that she would never have to see the truck to get the title. All this because it was titled as a Native American Nation not a actual Oklahoma Title. She could have said that 40 minutes sooner instead of wasting my time and about 15 other peoples time. I made some calls and found a tag agency in the boonies that said it would be no problem they do it all the time. Got to love the diversity of DMV rules.

[dwcsr]

Thats right the Native American Nations are their own country for a lot of things.

[southbounddee]

move to florida, all they need is a vin from the old truck and insurance your out the door with a tag,as far as they know it's a 1952 truck only, no inspections is great! GOOD LUCK

[99-2door]

Old thread, but...It is not hard in OK at all. You just have to find the right agency. If your truck is already tagged and in your name that is all you need anyway.

[mr48chev]

Yuppers it is an old thread but a common issue when doing frame swaps. If you get a title to the rig that is donating the frame I'd suggest keeping said title until all is said and done with correctly getting the project truck registered. It solves the "where did that part come from" issue and proves you had ownership of it.

Most states also have a "Title Purpose only" or other name for it where you are issued a title but no registration for a vehicle. It may require a non-operative certificate in some states like California but that isn't a big deal when you are going to strip the rig down to the frame and use the frame under another rig.

Plus it makes more sense to the guys at the dmv when you go "Well, I had this S-10 with a beat up body and this nice old Chev pickup body with a bad frame and decided to switch this body over to this frame." Titles for both trucks, took two to make one and that's that.

[sweet70beast]

If (heaven forbid) you ever had to sell it, not have the S-10 vin on your trucks title might make it so some interested people couldn't buy it because some states require both vin #s and they wouldn't be able to register it.

[OKGMC4]

We don't even have a vehicle inspection in OK anymore. I can make you a PROMISE that anyone that works at the DMV wouldn't know the difference between a stock frame or a swapped frame. All they want is to see that your VIN tag matches your already tagged older truck. I wouldn't worry about it.

IF you had bought the truck and wanted to rebuild the S10 as an original S10 THEN you'd have more problems. Did this with a 70 Chevelle in Broken Arrow, OK. They had to see the car to verify title matched vin tag. They never even peeked under the car or the hood. It could have been on a Superduty Ford frame with a Powerstroke and she probably wouldn't have caught it. I think in your situation you're fine.

[Lextech]

This is just my opinion. Title the S10 in your name. then do your frame swap. Do not tell the state about the frame swap. Just run your A-D with its original title. The state doesn't need to know about it. It will just be a lowered old truck.

Jeff

[PRWFAB]

Pa is like this also most people title and reg the truck with the orginal title . All Pa knows is its a 54 or what ever and gives you the tags. You cna get a constructed title here which is a act of congress and then the vehicle is titled this tear then we have this great thing called emission inspection and thats a nightmare