After reading Noahs nightmare, it has me thinking of my own car. I have a 54 Victoria, doing a frame swap, my new frame is really nice and the vin is clearly visible. The frame came from a Skyliner and I am grafting the roof also. Should I register it as the Skyliner or leave as the Victoria? Frame and door tag will not match unless I use the Skyliner Tag. I have the ***les from both cars. Any suggestions, thought, input?
Every state has different rules on ***ling vehicles. I would go to the source and check with your local DMV.
Use the body VIN and ***le to license the vehicle. DON'T TELL THE DMV ABOUT THE FRAME SWAP AND VIN. Get the frame ***le put in your name and file it away. That way you can show ownership of the body and frame. As far as "old" cars go, engine, ******, rear axle, and frame swaps are something that the DMV should understand happens as the owners update their cars. But they always want to find something wrong.
The car has been licensed for the last 4 years..... So I think even after the work, I'll leave it be.
DMV needs to know the frame has been swapped... otherwise you will run into a problem later on if you run into one of "those cops" that is looking for a reason to be a "not nice person" If the frame number doesn't match the VIN on the car... they will impound it until you can prove otherwise. From what I understand, the DMV can "merge" the 2 VIN's in their system to show that the frame has been changed. You will need to go down there with both ***les in your name to get it done. This way, if they run both VIN's, they both come back in your name .... no problems
Here in Pennsylvania, you'd need to get a "reconstructed vehicle" ***le, but you'd also have to have a stack of receipts from every item and then ---- get this--- you have to pay tax on the ac***ulated cost of the parts.
No doubt a good plan. I'd hang on to the ***le and the vin tag from the donor rig though. Keep them together in the file of stuff on the car in case the issue of two vin numbers ever comes up. Being able to pull the ***le and door tag out of the envelope to clarify things trumps what little you would get out of the ***le if you sold it or what little extra value it would add to the hulk of the donor rig if you still had it and sold it. Took two, made one kept both ***les is a lot easier answer than any other one you can come up with.
You'll get 50 different answers because every state has it's own twist. One things for sure; I wouldn't swap body VIN plates as it's most likely a felony in any state. The worst thing to do is nothing, otherwise, you'll always sweat getting pulled over. Go through Ohio DMV and comply to their standards up front rather than doing the leg work when your car is in the impound lot. If you get inspected by an overzealous cop (including another state), or a buyer if/when you sell, they'll first check the body VIN plate, then the frame VIN. The CA DMV goes this route on inspections. I've always wonderd how guys handle this on frame swap cars such as 49-51 Merc with a late model ch***is? Register the late model ch***is in your name as a non-op and carry the registration in the car? It also goes the other way like yours where you'll see someone swapping out the late model ch***is and sliding an original ch***is back under the body. I'm sure restamping the frame VIN is unlawful.
If the frame number is in a spots that's hidden, like under the body, I'd carry on as usual. When I have gone to the DMV, I don't say a thing, until I get asked. It's not lying, if no one asks. Is this the right way? No. In America, it's called business. And if anyone thinks stuff like that doesn't happen, they're being naïve. My thought is, the DMV doesn't want your old car. It cost more in man hours and lost time tracking and dealing with. They make more money on the taxes and fee's you'll pay in the long run. But when you walk in blind, with an oddball story and paper work to match, they almost HAVE to screw with you. A lot of problems can be eliminated with some research and common sense.
1) The VIN on the body rules. This is the primary VIN for the car. 2) If you are painting the frame, fill in the VIN number. In the insurance business, we swap frames everyday. The body shop doesn't get a ***le. 3) If you still feel antsy, get the ***le in your name and put both ***les together and put the VIN tag from the donor with it. Only early Fords do not have a VIN on the body. They are on the frame, the engine and the bell housing. In that case, you cut out the number from the frame and welt it or bolt it to the new frame. BUT, the engine serial number (VIN) is primary. In '54, the VIN stamped to the 'A' pillar and the patent plate and the primary VIN's.
Be sure to check the laws in your state BEFORE you start on any project that involves combining serial numbered parts. The damn chop shops have caused the states to get tough on VIN numbered parts. I know the OP is in Ohio, but in Louisiana the ch***is VIN is the one they use. I've done this on OT truck a few years ago. I put a '76 frame under an '84 truck. Truck is now registered as a '76. DMV (State Trooper) took the VIN plate off the cab and I was issued another VIN plate that matched the ch***is number. Sounds crazy, but that's the way they do it here. The worst part is that you MUST have the ***le to both vehicles before you start AND you have to take the ***les to the DMV and get a "Permit to Dismantle" BEFORE you take anything apart. The troopers have to verify that the VIN numbers match the paper work before you turn a bolt to dismantle. If you don't do this before you start, I was told there is no way to get a legal ***le. NO RECOURSE!!! The lady in Baton Rouge told me that people come in every week wanting to register a combined vehicle that they have built. Without the Permits to Dismantle there is nothing that can be done to get a ***le. They (the DMV and troopers) have the final say and there is no one to appeal to. So in Louisiana, if you go by these rules and you put a '84 S10 ch***is under your 53 pickup, you have an '84 S10! The rules might be different for antiques, but I doubt it.
Sorry, but this is NOT good advice in my opinion. Now I don't know about Ohio where the OP is, but here a frame with a different VIN will be an immediate impound with all the nightmares that can come with this. You might think or say, no one will ever know, but all it takes is an accident with a curious adjuster, a desire to sell the car, or an auto theft task force officer that sees something about the car that gets him interested. Why not just do it right and save the possible grief?
You really need to know what the laws in YOUR state are. Where it can get complicated is if you sell/move to another state, or if you buy from another state. Some states don't seem to care (as long as you have clear 'normal' ***le from any state, Washington doesn't inspect), some do.....
In texas you are required to fill out paperwork telling them of a frame swap or body swap, check your local laws
Ohio won't inspect anything unless you lose the ***le, so far as I know, once you have the ***le for the car, they just want the registration fees. The less they know, the better. If you're really concerned about it, weld in the old vin from the original frame (if possible). Otherwise, you don't know, that's how you got the car. I would probably do***ent the dismantling and keep the second ***le around just in case, but it's not that likely it will be an issue. Fords with the tag on the left door are confounding. Doors sometimes get changed. They rot out. It was a terrible place to put an ID tag.
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