California requires that you have a car inspected to verify the VIN on the car matches the VIN on the title when you bring it in from out of state.. The Vin tag on the car I bought has detached but I still have it. I called they said no big deal but I need to know another location on the car that they can look to verify the VIN number. I have heard its marked on the frame somewhere.. So my question is where on 54 is the vin stamped besides the Pillar tag that has detached from my car?? thanks alot!!
My 54 title doesnt use the VIN that was located in the door but uses the vin from the engine. I kinda freaked out later on when my vin on my title didnt match the one on the car. was your car retitled to use the one from the door? you may have to go to the CHP to have your car verified.
I don't know about California, but here in Maryland, our dmv has an inspection garage. They have a list with all years, makes and models that has the location of the v.i.n. on the frames. I know this to be true because i took a '55 chevy there a few years back. They had to verify the same thing. If you call the California dmv, i'll bet they can tell you the location of the v.i.n.
I think '55 was when Chevy quit using just the engine # on passenger cars The door tag isn't the Vin, it's just a body number. CA wouldn't use it because ut cam off and went on a different car too easy. But then so do engines... I remember a friend who bought a '53 and immediately stuffed a 302 GMC in it and when he went to DMV to change the "engine number" on the pink slip they gave him a bunch of static about the car having seven different engines in it already. This was in '66. 13 year old car... I recently read that Ford continued to build Model T engines, the only part on the car that was vin serial numbered, up till the eary 40's (?)
This shouldn't be that big of a deal (unless I got lucky!) When I first registered mine I had to take it to the CHP office in Wesminster, CA. They put it on a lift and the officer located it within 5-10 minutes. Probably would have found it quicker if there wasn't so much gunk He then put a new tag on the driver's side B pillar that had the same # as the car came with. I can take a pic tonight if you need me to. Once the CHP signed off I had no problems with the DMV.
The door tag IS the VIN, the cowl tag is the one that just has the body number on it. This is true way back into the 30s on Chevys. That's not to say that all states used the VIN for registration/title, because some used the engine number instead.
On the title. where it says Vehical Identification Number (VIN) it has this B54B075454. So I guess it was titled to the body number in PA where the car came from. The original engine is long gone. Has a 350 now. I guess I should call the local CHP?? I hope this goes smooth. tooslow54 if you happen to know the location on the frame and can snap a pic or at least describe it to me it would be a great help!! thank you
yeah, that number is the VIN, B is the model (210), 54 the year, second B is assy plant which was Baltimore.
Although I've been under my car more times than I care to count I really don't know where it was located (I'll still try to look tonight). They (CHP) had me wait in the lobby most of the time. I did peek out and saw the car 6' in the air with the guy taking a scraper and flashlight over the frame. I would call them and talk to them about it. Don't know about up there, but these guys and gals were way cool and seemed to know what they were doing.
I doubt it's the same, but 55 and 61 chevy cars, and 55-66 trucks have a partial VIN stamped on top of the driver side frame rail, about under where the driver sits.
hey I missed your post when i was reading and re reading everyones posts. You must of posted while i was reading them anyhoo.. It does have all the body paint #'s on a tag above the firewall on the cowl. Thanks squirrel for helping me clarify that the detached pillar plate is in fact the VIN. on 54 the plate is located on the front left roof pillar instead of the door. I can see where it was mounted also my 54 shop manual says it is suppossed to be there. The manual doesnt say anything about the frame Vin Location tho I'll give CHP a call....
I meant to say "door jamb tag", it's not on the door, it's on the drivers door jamb, either on the A roof pillar or between the hinges.
Sorry, looked but couldn't find the one on the frame. Either way the CHP is going to want to verify it themselves so I would contact them. After they verified mine they attached this to the driver's side pillar, right under the latch assembly. Sorry for the fuzz, but I'm kinda paranoid about broadcasting my VIN
I just registered a '54 Chevy 210 in Texas a year and a half ago. They showed me in their DMV manual where it said Chevys up through '54 used the engine number as the VIN #. The one that I had came with a 327. They had forms and instructions for recovering an impression of the current engine number to bring with the application. It went through without a hitch! Don't know about "pink slip country" though. My bro. lives there and is smothered with regulations.
that's kinda strange. The vin # they gave me (that's blurred) is exactly the same # as was on the tag that I had in my pocket. I kept it there just in case it didn't match with the frame I could also swear when I had my frame off last year that I saw it while I was painting it, but that was many moons and many beers ago. Either way, don't sweat it. Just call CHP and they'll straighten you out. Aaron
called the CHP they won't tell me where the frame VIN is. They say its confidential. Figures. The officer didn't hesitate to tell me that if the VIN on my title and the VIN on my frame dont match they'll take the car!! I don't think there is anything wrong they prob match. Better safe then sorry Though!! If somebody knows where its at help me out please. Maybe you can find it on yours? thanks
That's funny, because the vin on my car does NOT match the vin that was on the "pink slip" I got from the guy I bought my car off of. That's why my tag "fell off". I was stupid and just figured if the pink was clean the DMV would give me a new title. When the DMV did the physical inspection (which I wasn't expecting) and noted the removed tag they sent me to the CHP. Well, I figured if it was stolen or there was some sort of problem I knew where the guy lived. Took it to the CHP and like I said above, they found the # somewhere under the car and issued the same # (as was on the tag). The CHP (at the time) didn't give two shits that the # didn't match, only that it didn't come up stolen. The DMV then sent me the pink with the correct #. If you're still sweating this I'll try getting under the car and looking more closely this weekend. I need to finish plumbing my brakes and fuel lines anyway and it shouldn't be that much of a hassle.
Tooslow54 thanks man that would be a big help. I'm def sweating it because I have no other car I bought this for daily transportation. I'm an admitted worrier. I called 2 different CHP stations and talked to the VIN officer. (yes california has a guy at each station for this) They both were not helpful at all. I don't really see how they could take the car if the number on the frame isn't reported stolen. Thats what the CHP said would happen though. I have some evidence that the detached plate at least came from the body. I decoded the cowl tag and it says the car was Horizon Blue. The Vin detached before the car was sprayed with the DP-90 so the tag has some original paint on it which looks to be horizon blue. So I'm pretty sure the Vin tag came from this body. I think the odds of the plate comming from another 54 of the same color are pretty unlikly. I also really doubt that the frame was swapped so I probably am ok. There was also some little things I noticed on the tag and the mounting location that leads me to believe it came off this car. I still can't help but stress about it. I guess thats just the way I'm wired. Would really like to match up the frame and vin tag numbers before I take it to the CHP.
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