Has anyone ever had this problem? I have a 1952 Chevy Business Coupe. the VIN number on my title is actually the number off of the old engine in my car (now has V8) I have a body id number, but it doesnt match the number on my title. Is this gonna cause me some problems? What should I do? Just run it? Thanks
Before you get rid of the original motor with the numbers, I would have a DMV inspector come and verify and have a change made. They probably will affix a sticker on the frame with your old numbers.
Stamp the numbers in your frame on the left front frame rail right next to the steering box. Do it now so it can rust a little and not be so obvious. You'll be fine, and all your doing is going extra to make sure the car is legit. I know people who stamp the Vin in several places just in case the car gets stolen. Tim
I' ve NEVER EVER had anyone check the numbers on ANY of my cars trucks or motorcycles and old cars, trucks, etc are ALL I drive. I wouldnt admit on the internet that I've never even looked for the numbers on the truck I have been driving for 16 years or the paperwork that says one year while You and I know exactly what year it really is.....
When I bought my 48 Chev Pickup in Texas in 1973 it came with an "engine change" title. The P/O had taken the time and effort to have the title changed and marked to reflect the engine change when he swapped in the 194. If you have the old block still laying around to prove that it matches the title I think that is what I would see about doing. Funny thing is that on my 48 pickup the vin on the title matches the vin on the body plate so that wouldn't have been necessary and when the WSP inspector checked it here when I moved back to WA he just looked at the door plate and didn't look under the hood. All I'm going to say other than that is that I would get it straightened out before spending a lot of money on it. There used to be a lot of cars from that era that had titles that "didn't exactly" match the vehicle.
Thanks for the quick replies, I unfortunately dont still have the motor. Ive been working on this for about 5 years now, I've already had the title changed over to my name. Should I leave the body tag on, or remove it? Just so there is no confusion. Should I stamp the frame and several other places with the number on my title? or go to the DMV and explain whats happend. Or just run it the way it is. I just dont like having no numbers on my car that match the title. Thanks Again.
UMMM no thats not a good idea, you are much better off to have NO vin on the chassis than one that has been stamped on without any gubmant ok. Tampering with VIN's is a felony, regardless of the circumstance.
Come on guys, do you really want this guy to have his car impounded because he altered the numbers? The inspectors know what has been tried and what to look for. Do it right and you will not have to worry later. http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/vi/ins...Vehicle+Identification+Number&rejectsubmit=Go
Don't know about cars but '47-'54 Chevy Pickups have tags on the drivers side door post. These are attached with screws. You can buy new plates from many of the suppliers out there, Classic Truck Parts, Brothers etc. Here in Ky. when we bring a out of state vehicle in we are required to get it inspected. I always just get a deputy sherriff to do the inspection. Never is more than checking that the numbers on the paper and plate match. Yes I have bought vehicles with no plate and used the reproductions with no problem. He usually also checks to see that the mileage #s match. Never have they even mentioned engine #s or frame #s. Best of knowledge the trucks don't have frame #s.
My car doesnt get inspected, It has antique plates. Do cops look for vin numbers if you get pulled over? They never have in my daily, but I havent been pulled over in this yet!
Many cars of the '50's were titled by their engine numbers. I run into that quite often in our classic car sales. In Ma. the DMV has a form that allows a local policeman to do a visual inspection of the actual chassis number. It would help immensely if you still had the original engine to show him. I would do it now, as it will eventually pop up again when you go to sell the car. Good Luck.
I had a 71 caprice that i bought fer the motor. It came with a funky title from outta state. The good folks at the dmv took it into the garage and I heard lotsa air impactin goin on and they said they were verifyin the VIN. They wouldnt tell me what they were doing so it had me upset but after 4 hours they said all was well. Do it right and sleep well
If you've already got the title in your name and your able to get a tag without any inspection, I'd say go ahead and drive/enjoy it. It should only become an issue if you ever decide to sell it. IMO, anytime that you involve the DMV in anything, your asking for a good hard f'ing! Especially when your talking about a 50+ yr old car that has had many modifications. I'd say the less big brother knows, the better off you'll be.
The technically correct answer would be to take it to the DMV/State Police, have it inspected, and a new VIN assigned. Would that mean that you have to meet all current emission and safety standards? Perhaps, depending on the state. Many states titled GM and Chrysler vehicles with the engine number up through 55, although many inspectors and police agencies don't seem to remember that far back. Check out your state policy on assigned VIN and see if it's a process you want to go through. Running without a verifiable VIN means you can't sell it to a state that inspects and means you can't prove legal ownership of the car if your state only recognizes title as ownership. Possible insurance issue there too if you are in an accident and the VIN has to be on the reports. Lots of old cars running around with non-matching (or non existant)VIN's now, most never have a problem, but be aware of the potential issues that can arise before you do anything.
You bet yer ass they do. Happened to me 3 months ago on way back from Del Mar. Cop followed me on freeway because I had forgot to install the 2009 sticker on plate (expired 3 days before GoodGuys Del Mar). While following me- he ran my plate. He entered a o instead of a 0 & it didn't jive with my car year at all. So he flips on the lights & pulls me over. After looking my car over for violations & asking me about my plate- he runs the VIN. That's when he found his error & let me go. Imagine what would have happened if the VIN on car didn't match my paperwork.
Right. If you want to stamp somethign in as an identifier to yourself that is one thing but trying to fake a vin is a whole different ball of wax.
I have a 54 chevy truck my grandfather bought new and like some of you other guys never checked title againt vin tag. A few years back I did and noticed the difference. Of course the old motor is long gone. I just knocked the vin tag off the truck and left it at that. Since it was his I will never sell it. My kids can figure it out some day. I did sell a truck a while back that went to Kentucky and the buyer ran across the same problem. I think he ended up making a new vin tag and his brother in law was the highway patrol that did the inspecting.
It becomes a problem when you move out of state or sell out of state and the title needs a numbers inspection to change over. If I could I would get something sorted out but if all you ever plan to do is drive it do as has been mentioned stamp the numbers on the frame horn and drive it.
Early Chev replacement engines (216's) came with no numbers. You were supposed to stamp your old ones on it. Why not do that now on your new engine??
Check this place out; just make a plate to match the title. I did one several years ago, took it to an inspection station that I used frequently and never had a problem. http://shortorderproducts.com/Blank_Tags/bt-aa_tags_main_page/bt-aa_tags_main_page.htm?YHO-BT-Blank-Stamped_Metal_Tag&OVRAW=custom%20vehicle%20id%20plate&OVKEY=manufacture%20blank%20id%20plate&OVMTC=advanced&OVADID=18572716512&OVKWID=176277747512
Here's a link to Texas dot. http://www.txdot.gov/txdot_library/drivers_vehicles/publications/title.htm Click on "Motor Vehicle Title Manual" and you'll have the complete, 450+ page manual for titling in Texas. Once you've downloaded the manual go to chapter 13-2 for the definition of pre '55 title procedures, then 13-6 for the paragraph that described the engine number as being recognized as the identifying number on all '55 and earlier vehicles. This info should give you enough documentation to deal with your DMV and have the body vin, or an assigned vin, placed on your title. I just went through this on a '51 I bought from Texas. I had dmv inpspect it and they just used the engine number on the title. If I ever change the engine, I'll have it re-inspected and utilize the body number or whatever number they want to assign.... Rich
Listen to MJ40's: contact the Texas Department of Public Saftey (the DMV in Texas). They will probably issue you a new Texas VIN number and a new title; then you will be legal forever and won't need to worry about it. I did that twice in Texas and it's not nearly as difficult as people would have you believe. One caveat though: the last time I did that was in 1998. Always take advice from other states with a grain of salt, including mine; the rules are different in every state and change over time. The only constant is that it's a felony to tamper with the VIN on the car ... if there is one.
I agree here, I ran into this problem with a Custom built Harley I bought, Harley numbers are on the head tube, bike was built with a custom frame and it had no numbers on it. I thought long and hard about stamping a tag and riviting it on, I posted my delema on many cycle forums, and punching your own numbers is NOT the way to do it. have it inspected and the state police will assign a new vin. And if I ever went to look at a car forsale with a home made vin on it anywhere i'd definatly walk away
Most cops do not do VIN inspections unless something just doesn't look right. But what are you to do if you want to sale a car that the numbers don't match? Legally you don't own it because you can't verify that the car is yours unless the numbers from the car match the title. If it is sold in-state you may not need a VIN inspection for a title transfer but out of state you can count on it. Acid tests will tell right away if the numbers have been altered. Very simple, do it right and make sure the car you have invested your life savings into is truly yours to keep. Play your game and see who owns it next.
Leave the body tag on if you like. All that tag numbers tells you is the style of body that was put on that frame at the factory. So every car with the same style body will have the same numbers. A good inspector will have information to exactly where the numbers were stamps at the factory in 1951. Do NOT stamp it. Go directly to the DMV and you will see how easy it is when they see you want to be honest.
Chevrolets of this vintage have a tag on the left A-post containing a serial number that identifies year, model, and build plant.
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