I'm looking at a 1950 GMC 1/2 ton project truck thats torn down to the frame, motor and ****** are gone. The owner says he does not have the VIN or registration. Are there any places on the body or frame that I should be looking for some sort of ID numbers? I don't want to get stuck with a stolen vehicle. Main reason I'm interested is that the frame is done with 4 link rear and has a front Camaro clip on it... I can't buy the parts for what he is asking.
What kind of truck? Fords have frame numbers and GMs didn't back then. If it's got a Camaro clip on a Ford, it is very possible that the ID numbers left when they clipped the frame. I think the Camaro track width is a little wide for anything earlier than 53 (Ford) or 55 (GM), but maybe not. Just something else to check.
We can't advise squat...don't even know what state you live in...what's a TOD anyway? What's your skill level..any?
Why do Newbies always jump on board to ask Partial questions? We don't know where you live or maybe just a 12 year old...Complete your profile.it will be to your benefit
Like a lot of guys here, I don't know anything about 4-links or sub-frames, although I'm pretty well informed on straight axles and "Banjos". Sorry.
Sounds like a great start to a pro street. Turquoise and orange with a Starsky and hutch stripe. Don't worry about paper till its done. That way you have more in it than they can take away./SARC Really, I wouldn't move on that till there IS paper.
I'm in Canada, TOD is like a registration that is used to prove ownership and transfer ownership. Its pretty common for old vehicles not to have one, they get lost etc. Sorry guys I thought I had posted the make, apparently a 1950 GMC 1/2 ton. I just don't want dem coppers seizing it on me when its all done...
Why don't you just ASK the DMV or whatever it is in Canada? Get a real answer instead of a bunch of opinions by guys who may or may not know anything! After all it doesn't matter what anyone here says, it matters what THEY say. Don't get this type of question really!
1. Many states went by the stamped serial number on the engine in that time frame as the "vin" number. There should be a metal tag on the driver's side door post just above the bottom hinge that has a number stamped in it and the gross vehicle weight printed on it along with some other info. That is the vin number that most states use now. 2. there are no and never were any vin numbers stamped in the frames of 47-53 Chevrolet and GMC that I have ever found and I have had a lot of them. 3. I'd suggest getting separate bills of sale from him for the frame and the cab. That way if you end up (and most likely you will) running it though inspection to get a ***le you didn't buy a truck you bought parts of trucks and combined them. You might even want to print out some fill in the blank bills of sale to take a long that can be simply filled out with the info on what you want on it and be signed and dated. That saves hunting for a piece of paper and trying to figure out what to write on it. 4. In the past I have bought some really roached out trucks that weren't in all honesty worth dragging home even for parts because they had a clear ***le and a good matching vin tag on the door post. No worries about bogus paperwork then. Problem now is that a lot of those trucks like I drug home for 25.00 are having a lot higher asking prices on them.
Walk away from this one. Much like women, there are others out there that are legal........ with necessary papers.
I've seem so many good deals on projects lately. I'd avoid the headaches. Projects are time consuming enough
Yea I was thinking about that too. Seperating the cab from ch***is. Heck out of what he has the ch***is is what I really want. I can find cabs on old farm trucks all over the place. Ultimately I want to be able to look over the truck and see if I can't find anything anywhere that is a serial number or VIN so I can do the research myself.
Already done that, its a pretty straight forward process the problem is that I want to do my due diligence and make sure I'm not getting something stolen that dem coppers would try and take away from me.
Inquire of your province's MOT what they require to register a newly constructed vehicle. If you are in Ontario they recently tightened up the regulations making it nearly impossible to get a safety and register a vehicle like yours.
I get this type of question. He is doing his homework. He hopes to, and may, know the answer before he asks the question at his DMV. When it comes to old cars the DMV may not know the answer off the top of their head since they don't work with them every day. They may just guess an them refuse to back off of that position. If he knows the answer he can "help" the DMV person give him the answer he wants. Maybe he will be able to bring copies of the DMV regulations with him to help them. I actually went to a large DMV (in Los Angeles) and they didn't have a copy of the California Vehicle Code in their office (I ended up going to the local library and looking up the information I needed). But I agree with Gary when he says the DMV has the final answer but sometimes you will need to go to a different DMV to get the answer you want (and know is correct since you did your homework). Charlie Stephens
Don't know how it is in Canada, but not having the correct ***le and paperwork could prove to be a m***ive headache when you want to legally drive it. I wouldn't buy it.
You did the correct thing. No matter what the regulations are in Canada, as compared to the states, trying to verify the validity of a vehicle, without proper paperwork, is tough ...... and could lead to the vehicle being impounded, if it was stolen. Then you're out your cash. Better to look for another (they're out there).
Good decision. I have a friend in Washington that bought a 57 Chevy from AZ. went to get it vinned in WA, numbers weren't right, they belonged to a pick-up. Was a restricted registration and he could not get a ***le for several years. My rule is no paper- no deal.
The very first questions I ask the seller are, "Do you have the registration and is it registered in your name?" If no then I'm done. I get a kick out of the guys selling cars without papers, they always say, "No problem, they're easy to get?" Really? Then why don't you have them?
Washington is one of the easiest states. They do require a bill of sale and if you have no ***le, they will issue a registration which allows you to drive the car and license it. After three years, they will issue a ***le if some one doesn't claim vehicle or it's reported stolen.
Hand in hand with "project 98% complete. All the hard work done. Just a few ez details and it will be worth $20k"
..if it was dirt cheap, I'd of bought the whole package and found a good truck/with ***le to use for the body, sell off any extras .
That's probably what an eventual buyer will do. Buy a 48-54 AD parts truck with clean ***le and roll the ch***is under it. Not saying that's right. What if, down the road you're displaying the finished truck and someone walks up and recognizes the ch***is from his old truck that was stolen (and parted out)? You could face losing the entire truck and have a hell of a time trying to prove to 'dem coppers' only the ch***is came from the 'stolen' truck. Price is probably so low it's not worth the effort for the seller to do all the legwork to get it ***led. Seller might be also wondering if he bought a hot truck and just wants to unload it.
^^^^Since ADs had no ch***is numbers, that won't happen. You can swear on a hundred Bibles that the ch***is used to be yours and you built it yourself, but without a serial number to prove it, it's your word against his. It's like someone claiming you have their $20 bill because yours has a folded corner just like his did.
...a lot of subframed truck frames look the same, hard to prove any one of em is yours unless you marked it with some id marks...
Chevs of the 40s sells a blank "data plate" for AD trucks......not recommending, just sayin, that's all
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