The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop Serial Number Plate

When bought my 51Chev Truck,did not have one,even though the person,I purchased if from,had the title.Is there anyone,know if if I can get one to replace.Thanks

Most vendors carry them

ID plate...Click....

Good Luck

DADS50,Thanks,I remember that you can get them,just forgot how to obtain one.Thanks for your help.

you can get a set of 1/8" stamps from harbor freight for less than $10 bucks to stamp it yourself also.......dave

here's a question that's been bugging me. I have the title for my truck but not the original motor and the title has the motor number on it...thing is in 1953 they used motor numbers as the vin so what good is it to get a new door sill plate and stamp the motor number on it? I thought originally the number on the ID plate and the number on the motor were different. so any half educated inspector or cop would know it didn't matter what was on the door plate.....does this make any sense?

Answer to Silverado:

Texas has a procedure. If you use an engine with a number there is a form to have the new number put on the title. If the new engine does not have a number there is a form and procedure to apply for an assigned number. Neither has anything to do with the door plate number.

Other states vary.

thats what i am saying...in order to get a new number assigned I would have to have it inspected and upon inspection they would not be able to confirm the number on the title matches the number on the motor. Then I would have to go the bonded title route correct?

that's something I don't want to do. If I am not mistaken alot of states went by motor number back then and many people here think its all about the sill plate when in fact that has nothing to do with it. you can buy a repop and stamp the word boogers on it and it has no bearing into the ID of the truck

My old California Vin number was the Truck S/N off the door post.

Nevada Title Vin is the door post S/N.

When I went to DMV for title/reg transfer they were more concerned with the door post ID plate screws than anything else.

Had to explain to an older supervisor that the screws were factory (Some factories used rivets’) . It was almost a bad day.

As stated above each state rules are different. I would be very careful before pop riveting a new door post plate. Especially before inspection.

One cool thing about the S/N is that you can trace some history on your truck. My truck was made January, 1950 Oakland Calif.

Here in,Ohio they go by the viin number,and as long as that matches,the title,they could care less about what engine you have. Thanks for the tip there,DADS50. 51 3600,3/4ton.Be glad when gets warm around here.It got up 34 today,having a heat wave.

What do you say when they ask "how did those numbers get on that plate?"

Here in Pa. it is the same as in Ohio. My vin plate was actually in the glove compartment, not even on the door. I carried it in to the dmv, that was a mistake, made me screw it on before I left the dmv. Had to call my son to bring some screws to me at the dmv! Other than that they just walked around the truck and looked at it.

That's something to consider.Does anyone know exactly how those numbers on got on your plate?I just wonder why you can buy replacement plates. Now if I didn't have the title,I would be worried. If those plates are being sold,I think a lot of people,are taking the viin,or sn and stamping it on the new plates,just an assumption.Lot of things to consider.Thanks

I replied,to a later post,can anyone,tell how exactly how those numbers got on the plate.Most of these old trucks,would have to get what we call,in Ohio,a salvaged title.But as long as you have a title to that truck,you are okay.The Bureau of Motor Vehicles,has ways of finding out,if there is a problem.Thanks

I wonder if i stamp my motor number on my replacement door sill plate if they would notice? my original is long gone and I dont know what it was supposed to say.

I just went through this in Va. My title (52 3100) had a motor # on it that did not match. In fact the motor # had been altered. DMV confiscated the motor (bottom end) because it is illegal to posses a motor that the # has been altered. It's a felony. They issued me a new title with the VIN # that is on the door jam. Now I have a titled truck but it is titled by the vin # and not the motor #. Bottom line is- u don't have a title for that truck. Go through the nessesary steps for your state and get it right. It's not the end of the world. Just do it cuzz u can't sell it as a titled truck the way it is now, even if u wanted to. Anybody need/want a perfectly good, complete, running, 216 top end?

Hey DADS50, if they are so worried about the screws holding the plate in place, why not purchase the available original style rivets.

1950 and earlier - screws

51-55 rivets (that could be used on all years)

I did not know the screw might be an issue till I got there for inspection.

The screw on my truck are original to the truck.
pic..click...

Heres a pic of another stovebolt members site.
pic...click...

both of our truck were made at the oakland california plant in 1950..Must of been the style screw they used at that factory..(This is just speculation on my part)

Ive also seen the clutch head screw holding on the data plate.

the screw on my plate are 8/32 1/2 long machine screws.
Lucky for me the older supervisor at the DMV understood.
When I went to DMV the data plate was completly painted over, only the stamped numbers could be seen. pic..click..

Good info on the link Tim provided. Explains almost exactly what happened to me.

oh I have a title and its in my name but I do not have a door sill plate and no longer have the original motor.

You can buy a blank plate on line, get a small box of rivets and a gun at Home Depot and borrow the punches at a key shop and rivet your own brand new one.

yeah but what should I put on it, the number off the title? even though the number on the title here in texas in 53 was the motor number

You say you have title,
but is it currently registered?
Will you have to go to dmv at some point for a vin inspection?

Is so you may want to follow the steps cletis provided earlier in the thread for your state.

Good Luck

Wait until all this has cleared up and then decide which vin works best for the situation.

I went through a similar problem with my '52 3100 with a SBC. It had a good title in VA but, when I went to register it in PA, they insisted on verifying the VIN. At the time, the truck was still in VA. Unfortunately, the previous owner had painted over the door sill plate and the number was not visible. We had an inspector from the VA State Police look at the truck and he located a VIN that was actually stamped on the door sill, right below the damaged plate. It took a magnifying glass to actually read it.
Once VA verified the VIN (and I brought the truck to PA), the local DMV office came out and verified what the VA State Police had found. So, bottom line is, get out a magnifying glass and see if, by chance, you have a VIN number in the same spot as mine. By the way, the state trooper said that some early Chevy pickups also had the number stamped in the frame. Unfortunately, the motor mount for the SBC Chevy was in the spot where the VIN might have been.