If i have a 28 on a 31 frame (frame has legible numbers) will i have to title the car as a 31 even though its a 28? In my state i can title it as an assembled 28 ford, but would the car/value be better if i just got a lost title nd titled it as a 31? tag office people are no help on which is better to do. im in oklahoma.
I do not know about Oklahoma but here in California they will title it according to the frame... I have a '23 T on a '28 A frame and they titled it as a 1928...
Many times the VIN number will change because of a engine swap, a lot of states would go by the engine number. I have a 28 with a 31 VIN number. I'll have to check the frame to see what number is on it, if any at all. I don't think that it really matters, as long as the numbers match your title.
If you get in a wreck and the title says 31 and the car is a 28, do you think the adjuster would want to pay you out on a miss matched body/title? I wouldn't, I'd say you'd be screwed! You'd be better off to have a correct title for the body, they won't know the diff between a 28 frame and a 31 frame, but they can research the body easily with google! And they do!! They use all the avenues they can to research cars and what they are worth, I have a buddy that's an adjuster and he calls me all the time on old cars and he searches the internet for comparable cars!! Shoot the dice!!!
Kennkat just gave you a major clue. You don't have body numbers anyway, and I'm sure that if you have to have it inspected by your state they will be looking for the number on the frame. Its a little confusing sometimes. Here in KY they used to go by engine numbers. So, I guess the engine number had to match part of the frame number??? So I don't confuse you any worse, go with the good frame number. Just my thoughts from my experiences. Tim
Mine is a rebuilt but they titled it as a 29 because that's what I told them it was. Maybe Ok. has a similar process, like making one car out of 2.
Most states use the Ford frame number stamped on it. If your frame is a 31, the VIN will reflect it's a 31. Our state would title it as a 31 after checking to see if that VIN isn't already being used by somebody else.. Your call regarding having it titled as a "new" 28 or an original 31.
You need to talk to your insurer also... cause they don't necessarily have to conform to how the state titled it!
I wonder if one can get a notation on the title as to "body change"? It was quite normal back in the 30's for someone to change bodies on his earlier model car when the original body was damaged or in the case of what my dad said he did, pull off a tired coupe body and put a sedan body on the chassis so that someone's whole family could ride inside out of the weather. That seemed to be a fairly common depression era event according to my dad. I'd check with the state you live in and see what they say. It may be simpler than you think.
It is a hot rod correct? Value of the vehicle by the year stated on the title went right out the window when you put a 28 body on a 31 chassis. Time to stop thinking like a restorer and start thinking like a hot rodder. Title it as a '31 wqith an original type of title as opposed to a scrap together car, that way when the state starts rounding up all the assembled cars for being illegit you won't have a problem.
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