The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Vin verification on a 41...

I've got a 41 1.5 ton that was last registered in Vermont. I've been driving around with temp plates (and no plates at times). Being an out of state truck I have to get a Vin verification to get a registration, unfortunately the truck has always been registered with the engine code, I do have the original engine in it still so thats good, I also have all of the registrations from the previous owner from the 60s until the 90s. Problem is CT dmv thinks that there should be a VIN stamped on the frame, there isn't! Does any body have any documentation explaining when GM started using modern Vins, or any info for Vermont or CT dmv that explains engine codes were normal for the time. The main problem for me is that the local DMV offices aren't helpful or knowledgeable about vehicles this old, so they want me to go to the main branch. Main DMV office is about an hour away in a modern car, so about 2 hours in my truck. I'm hoping to go to a local DMV armed with whatever info I can get to show that this truck is normal, legit, and ready to be registered. Anything might help, or if you just want to complain about your DMV experience thats cool too.
Thanks guys, ROB

41 resto-pak .... 41 shop manual .... and wrt the shop manual, see if the bozos know that in the day, "front of dash" meant the firewall you might ask them to provide documentation to support their assertion that frame numbers were used before the 50's

the federal law re VIN's started in 1981, they should know that - and individual pieces weren't required to be stamped with the VIN until 1987 [trucks not until '94], they should know that as well .... GM started stamping a partial vehicle ID number [not technically a "VIN"] on the frames with the 55 2nd series, in most plants, but I've never seen any actual GM documentation of that fact, it was a theft recovery aid after all, no point in telling the thieves

Bill

HotrodA, This can be time consuming,unless you talk to the right people. I just went through what you are experiencing. Here in Ohio,you talk to the people in the salvage title department.They were real helpful in my situation. The previous owner of my truck had this truck for over 33yrs.The BMV,investigated the title,and found it to be alright,even though it did not have the serial number,on the door post,Whoops! I had to get a court order,and the judge had to request a new title,in order for the salvage title department to request a serial plate,to be put on the door post to make it a legal registration. Like I said if you talk to the right people,will save you a lot of time.Hope this will help you.Good Luck,Wendell

Call the main DMV office. Most states used the engine number through '55. I can understand a local office not knowing that but the state office should know. In Kansas the Highway Patrol does the verification. When I got the title transferred on my '38 I had to get it inspected because it had been titled "off road" (in storage in a barn for over 20 years). The local office had no clue I called the state HP office and they had the info.

I just wanted to give an update on the saga of registering my truck. After hearing too many horror stories about the DMV here in CT, I decided to go down to my local police department and see if they would or could do a VIN verification. They can, they did, and I was out of there in less than 10 minutes with a signed verification! Now I just have to back to DMV and get plates, it was that easy!!! Anybody here in CT, don't bother with those boneheads at DMV (I'm pretty sure they're all ford guys) go down to your local police station.
Rob

The problem was the fact that the truck came from out of state. My truck was from CT (it hadn't been registered since the 70s) and I had an old registration. I went to the main DMV office in Wethersfield, the old registration was all the VIN they needed. Got my plates & registration, no inspection and no grief.

Hotrod A, I haven't decided whether to put my trucks on the road here in CT yet. The one that runs is titled in Wisc. with my dad and the other has a Missouri title in my name. In those states you can get a title only or register it for a one time fee as a classic vehicle with some driving limitations.

Connecticut apparently has none of that. They won't give me a title only. You have to register it for the road as well regardless if it runs. You can get antique plates but they are treated as a regular, yearly registration. Like you say, being titled out of state; I have to trailer them to the main DMV office for a VIN check.

I had to take my trailer there for a vin check. While doing that they tried to fail me on a safety inspec. and make me come back again. I had to point out that my trailer was not heavy enough to qualify for inspec. in CT. He tried to be nice then and passed it but told me to get a new light bulb. You can never get a straight answer or legitimate referral from those people.

For as much as I use the one, I think I'll haul it back to Wisc. and put it on the road there. Then when we visit we can take it out. MUCH safer roads there. The other one, when it runs, I'll have to cough up several hundred $$ just to put it on the street here!