Customs Registration with no VIN

I have a 1942 Chevy pickup ( in pieces) with no VIN tag. How can i get it registered in California? I have Bill of Sale, old ***le etc.

 

This looks like the place to start, if you haven't already.

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/

 

do a search for a business that specializes in cl***ic car ***le searches, etc

 

Talk to Elizabeth at C.A.R.S in Temecula ca...
She's very knowledgeable

 

Where are you in CA? I'm in Nor Cal and use Angela Cordova in Sonoma County. She's done great for me.

 

The California Department of Transportation would be my guess. HRP

 

First off, verify if you can find a matching frame number, or engine number to your ***le. Ca vehicle's of that era were registered to the engine number Second, hire a ***le company that specializes in old cars. Believe me, with the cost of gas and h***le, it's easier to pay the fee and stay at home.

 

If you have a California ***le, you should be able to register it with no trouble. If it is in pieces, why even register it? you only need to register it to drive it..

 

I'd wait to "register" until it was ready for the road. I wouldn't put a minute or a dime into it until I held a "clear ***le". Unless CA is different, or the OP is confused on his/her terms

 

If you're near the bay area, I can highly recommend Ken from Peninsula Registrations. He does mobile DMV services, and helped me when I had a vehicle with out a ***le. (I try to avoid physically going to the DMV if at all possible...)

Even if you're not near the bay area, still might be worth contacting him, he was super helpful even before I officially used his services.

www.peninsularegistrationservices.com

 

I second this,, I have used Ken several times.

 

As I understand the OP the issue is no vehicle ID number at all. Hard to have a bonded ***le service verify what doesn't exist. Sounds to me like you'll have to take a walk on the dark side and deal with the DMV and CHP. Hopefully I'm wrong. If I am wrong and a ***le service can handle this for you there is a good one in Yucaipa, CA.

 

IF you have the ***le and a bill of sale from the person on the ***le just go into a AAA or DMV office and do a ***le only swap. If they want to see the vehicle then the fun begins.

https://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=969064

"You will not find a serial number anywhere but on the engine, right by the distributor. If the original engine is missing, you have no VIN. The cab tags contain other information. It wasn't till 1955 or so that the VIN was stamped in frames."

 

100% agree! Give Ken a call. His mother ran it originally and I used her to ***le my '54. No ***le or registration, just a Bill of Sale scribbled on a piece of s**** paper. One phone call, two emails and I cut a check for $275. Done! New pink slip in my name, car is on non-op, new plates (if I want them) or I can use the original plates. Way too easy!

 

When I bought my '54 Ranch Wagon with a bill of sale only I was able to use a private ***le service to handle everything thanks to @gimpyshotrods He posted that you had to have at least some type of official do***ents in order to have the vin verified by a private ***le service. BUT it had a vin plate on the car which matched the 1972 reg slip that the seller gave me when I purchased the car so there were no issues. If this is an issue of registering with only a bill of sale a buyer might be able to have a ***le service handle everything. Easy peasy. But if its an issue of no or missing vin plate or stamped ID number then off to the DMV and CHP is probably the case. JMO

 

Check the vin on the registration aganist the engine serial numbers for 1941 and then hope you got the engine block with the pile of parts if it figures out and that the number on the pad next to the distributor matches.
1941 - 1957 Chevrolet Engine Identification (oldcarmanualproject.com)

No matter what these freaking Ford guys keep saying Chevy did not have any damned serial numbers on truck frames up though the mid 50's at least. They ***ume that they have them but they don't.

This page from the GM heritage center archives shows where the serial numbers should be


That being page ten on this page pages (gmheritagecenter.com)

 

Last car I did, I took my bill of sale and a statement of facts. DMV gave me a one day move permit and I drove the car back down. An hour and 250 bucks later I was off with new plates and ***le. Good luck.

 

For that very reason, here in N.Y., a lot of the Chevy guys own a set of number stamps

 

They must have been all temps that day. It doesn't sound like anything a full-time DMV employee would let you get by with.

 

Why is that? They did a vin verification, which is the engine number on my 53 Plymouth. It had been sitting since 87 and no longer in their records. It's not as difficult as people make it out to be.

 

Exactly. In California 90% of these ***le issues can be resolved without going to a registration service...if your stuff is legit.

 

When did you guys go through this?, what years was it?.

I believe that ship has sailed in 2018 or 2019. Now the VIN verifiers have little authority and it's a different process with bonded ***les and such. Hopefully @gimpyshotrods will fill us in and correct me if I'm wrong.

But IF he does have the ***le and a bill of sale from the same owner I would try to do just a ***le swap.

 

The state patrol inspectors here would spot that as being bogus in five seconds. **** you can get away with in some states won't fly here.

 

Those are the people that fix the roads.

 

California Vehicle Verifiers have had their wings clipped. Too many bad actors.

I gave up the profession. I had to carry a hefty bond to do it, and what I could actually do was reduced to very basic stuff that was of no use to anyone.

I'm still happy to provide advice for free, just that same.

Here is the straight-dope.

With no stamped numbers this is currently a non-vehicle. Get your head around that. There is no way to prove that the decorative piece of paper that you have in your possession goes with the vehicle that you have.

Call the DMV and ask them exactly what to do. Do not do anything but what they tell you to do.

 

It was a small joke,son. No harm intended and not relevant,really, to the OP's problem.

 

if you need a VIN stamped, I've got an old stamping tool that stamps on 1/2" wide steel strips. You would need to check the legality of that first though, I know there are alot of rules around VIN plates.

 

Cool stamping tool but I'd p*** on that idea but that's just me.

 

Go into the DMV with what paperwork you have and they will register it for you. They use the engine number for the VIN on early cars. No forgery needed.

 

California is not overly complicated, and if you have the time, you can do it yourself. I have not had a numberless carr in years, but have had several missing engine cars, and numerous no ***le cars. My last non ***led truck cost 500 to reg, plus my time to weigh it. This was through Peninsula registration service. I had no problem paying him his fee, to go to the DMV, and do the necessary paperwork. Most of the older managers have retired, and the new hotshots could care less what section of the vehicle code you are quoting, and will deny or charge you because that is what they were told to do.