The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk VIN numbers

Guys-I looked at 3 51-52 3100 trucks last week in Virginia that the title did not match the serial number on the left door jam plate.
1. Is there anywhere else on the 47-55 AD trucks that has another VIN number?
2. I passed on them because the title and door plates did not match. Is there anyway to get a clear matching title?
3. I do not believe in any of these cases that there was deception involved. These people did not know where the VIN tag even was,let alone try to deceive anybody.
Thanks,
Jeff

Jeff,

Depending on the state, the year of the truck, and the period of the moon, some states titled/registered a vehicle based on the door-jam ID or on the engine ID.

What is the engine ID (it is pressed/stamped into the block in the ledge to the rear of where the distributor enters the block)? Of course, the engine might have been changed over the years.

Tim

You can buy a blank data plate and letter/number stamps to make up any VIN number you want... there are even places where you can buy a VIN number.

My VIN number is from a '51 but it's legally titled as a '50... go figure.

Not sure about where you're at, but here in Ks. you can get a title with a bill of sale, then a phone call to the Highway Patrol. They will send an officer out to check the numbers on the vehicle(usually the numbers on the VIN plate in the door), run a check to make sure that the numbers they find aren't showing up as stolen, and issue you a vehicle verification report, that you then take to the courthouse. They in turn will issue you a title after the correct amount of legal tender has exchanged hands and several weeks later you will get a new title from the state in the mail. Been there, Done that.
DJ

Take Tim's advice.

There is no such thing as a VIN tag on any truck of that age, unless some state assigned one, and you shouln't expect to see the same number on the registration that is on the door or cowl tag because almost all states used the engine serial number for registration puposes; you were looking in the wrong place. The tags will show a body serial number which is not a VIN, even though most states will treat it as such because VIN is the only identifier in their present book.

Well, gosh, I guess the two original titles from VA and WA (1954 trucks) that I had with the door post VID were simply refugees from the Twilight Zone ?

Delaware can play hardball with the title/vin numbers that do not match. Some of the trucks that I look at do not have engines ,or the original engine. They treat the cab number as a VIN number and are not forgiving when they want to be.
How "legal" are the replacement tags and where would you get them? What about the special rivets that hold the cab tags on. I have one truck that the guy took the Cab tag off to do the body work.
I don't like the idea of buying a tag, but may have to consider it if I find out that I cannot title a truck in Delaware because the cab and title #'s don't match and I feel confidant that the truck's previous owner was not playing games with a stolen truck. One guy had a truck that he bought from the Grandson of the the original owner and it did not match.
Thanks for all of the replies.
Jeff

Sorry we are really not much help jkane. This topic has been talked to "death" almost - here and on lots of other old car/truck boards - but there is still lots of misinformation. As others have stated some states used the original engine # as the VIN on the title. This was common until the late 50's(?) But others did use the body serial number and I think today all jurisdictions would consider the body number as the VIN. But I do not think you would have any trouble with the title of an old truck that had the engine # as the VIN and it still had the original motor or if you could demonstrate that the number was the original engine number; the correct numbers and letters in the right places. It probably depends on who you talk to at the DMV.
Somebody should write a book and include the rules in each state! As for the replacement tags - they are probably illegal in every state, my guess. Lots of people must use them though - I see "historical documents" for sale all the time.
Good luck.

Tampering with the vehicle identification is a felony in my home state. I see more trucks titled off the engine number than off the door plate, and at least half the engine numbered trucks no longer have the motor to match the number.

The process to change the number isn't difficult in Washington if you have a title that matches the motor, and the motor is still in the truck. I've not yet tried it without a motor, though one of my most recent purchases is in fact an example of that.

Some people think I'm too picky, but for the most part I will no longer purchase a vehicle with out a clean title that matches the serial number or VIN on it. Even with no title there is a process that will solve the problem, but it can take years, and some vacation days, and moving it around on a trailer, to make it all happen.

1 truck did not have a motor. 1 truck had a replacement motor and the other was so covered in 55 years of grease that we had a hard time finding the number to see if in fact it was the original.
I am not willing to take a chance on what mood the State Police theft squad( they do the ID'ing of all vehicles witout titles or witjout matching number titles for the state-twice a month) so I am avoiding those trucks until I get in front of the DSP and find out how they handle these cases.
With all of your permission I am going to print the responses and hopefully educate them on the "VIN" and engine code problem witht hese old trucks.
Guys-thanks again,
Jeff