Hello everyone. So my new purchase of a 1948 truck is in need of a title. So the story is from the previous owner is that he started this project over 20 years ago and moved out of state. During his process of restoring the truck, he initially bought a 52 truck with a title which I have, the cab was in really bad shape. He then bought a 48 cab in a field and did all the body work to it cab corners floors etc. and placed it on the 52 frame. The vin plate on the 48 states it is a 1.5 ton chevy truck 5RK is the start of the vin (3600). As far as I remember, the cabs, fenders, hood and beds are all the same 47-53 correct? Now, Im in a dilemma. Should I tittle the truck through MVD with a lost title as a 48 1.5 ton or go with the current title I have and get a new vin plate stamped to match the title? I guess I could always look to buy a 48 1/2 ton title and go that route. Does anyone have any suggestions. The truck cab is definitely a 48, the passenger side bed side has the hole for the gas tank so I believe that is correct for it as well. Thanks again Jason
My '48 truck did not have a data plate or an original engine (they used to go by the numbers on the engine), but I did have a title so it was easy to transfer and register. The result is I have a truck, I have a title, but there isn't any stamped number on the truck that ties it to the title. Here at the Arizona DMV they didn't even want to look to see if the title matched the vehicle's manufactures number, so it was no problem. Motor vehicles didn't have standardized VINs until after 1954 For my GMC, the engine had the manufacture's number on it, and that's long gone. When I bought the truck, I transferred the title to my name, no problem - they didn't even look at the truck (thank goodness since most of it was in boxes) The only problem I had when I registered it after sitting several years during the restoration was that I had to provide an affidavit that it hadn't been driven and pay a small fine. They didn't want to look at the truck, just the paperwork. I've built or bought cars that I had to get a 'bonded' title (I think this is what you're referring to as a 'lost title') In Arizona, this requires that you post a 'surety bond' that you can purchase from most independent insurance brokers (my last one cost $150). More important than the surety bond is the DMV's requirement of a "Level 2" inspection at one of their local offices. They are going to want to look at the VIN for evidence of tampering - DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES SHOW UP TO A DMV INSPECTION WITH A VIN PLATE THAT DOES NOT LOOK ORIGINAL TO THE TRUCK. The bureaucrats at the DMV are looking for evidence of VIN fraud, and they take their job very seriously. I'd transfer the title I already had. You can go back and change the data plate later to match if you want. Remember this is coming from someone next door in AZ, but DMVs operate more-or-less the same. If you want to hear the back story of my DMV adventures, keep reading.............. A few years ago I bought a 1974 Triumph TR6 without a title. I completely restored the car, including putting over 400 hours in paint and body work, but I didn't bother to get a title until the car was roadworthy again. I'd built several off-road vehicles from scratch before and used the title bonding process to get them titled, so I figured it'd be simple. (all I had to do was jump through some hoops to prove the major components weren't stolen - but that's another story) The car had an aluminum VIN plate in the engine bay. During the paint job, I removed it to sandblast the engine bay. I replaced it with a new polished VIN plate and had the number engraved on it, then re-riveted it to the firewall. Looked tits. Having completed the car, I drove it down to the DMV with my application and surety bond in hand, ready for the 'level 2' inspection. The inspector said "show me the VIN" so I popped the hood to show it to him. He looked at the VIN and said "wait here for a minute, I'll be right back" He returned a couple minutes later with a claw hammer and an old wood chisel and proceed to try and remove the VIN plate rivets. He'd gotten one lick in with the claw hammer before I managed to talk him into stopping and call his supervisor to see if he'd intervene. The inspector said his intention was to confiscate the 'fake' VIN plate and impound my newly restored car for VIN fraud - he was pretty excited to have busted a major crime syndicate that dared try get an obscure British sports car titled. IIRC correctly the supervisor said if I could produce the old VIN tag and it matched a number on the chassis somewhere, he'd let me go ahead with the title application. I managed to take the car back home that afternoon with a bonded title, but I could have lost my car. Instead of the factory VIN, I had to have an 'assigned VIN' that the DMV applied to my chassis on a metal sticker. (Sold the car to a guy that exported it to Austria and didn't seem to care if the state and manufacture's VINs matched)
Wow What a hassle that was for you. I’m thinking my best bet is to title the truck as a 52 and just explain to whoever may buy it one day
Has anyone ever bought a title from a different truck and register title it as that new vin number? I know Of some people who sell historical vehicle documents for that purpose.
LISTEN UP FOR THE FINAL TIME!!! There is NO reason why ANYONE cannot get a 100% LEGAL title by using the Oklahoma Title 42 law. It makes me want to upchuck reading all the horror stories of dealing with various states DMV's and the robot monkeys that staff them. Oklahoma legislators had the two grams of brains the others lack to realize there is not a huge insanely profitable market for ones selling illegal 1936 Hupmobiles. It is RARE when we get a 60, 70, or 80+ year old car with matching paper work or even more rare to get one with a title. We have 17 cars in the shop right now being restored or street rodded and probably a dozen have no title/paper work---NO PROBLEM! The Oklahoma Title 42 act issues a title on the vehicle AS IT IS NOW, repeat-- AS IT IS NOW. Yes it takes a number of steps and verifications (they're not fools) but it as all done from your desk or shop and not by standing in endless lines dealing with a DMV wasted Wanda who's two lonely neurons in her skull can only parrot her computer screen---any intelligent thinking would get her fired. Average time to receive a title is 16 weeks so it's not a paper mill but infinitely better than other paths. We use a service out of Shawnee, Oklahoma that the family has a wrecker service and impound lot so they are very familiar with the ins and outs of paper work required. Probably the most expensive one ($225) but dead on reliable and ones not dealing with one working from a kitchen table with an $85 price for the service. I can furnish the name of the service and the lady that is never impatient with even the most inane questions and will guide you STEP BY STEP through the process. She is a pro so little glitches, like a Boeing 747 engine mounted to a Red Flyer child's wagon, doesn't even cause her to blink.
Coil over can you please send me some more information about that title 42 Oklahoma act. I referring to getting a title for New Mexico. Im cant remember what state your in or if you have any issues getting titles. PM or here is just fine Thank you very much for the assistance. This is the first time Ive dealt with a non correct title for a truck.
RE : Title issues . First and formeost, LOOK AT THE FRAME as many do in fact have a factory sequence # stamped into the cross member . If you're lucky there will be some number stamped into the top of the frame near the steering box, often it's very faint on under neath rust and paint . Sometimes the cross member # is not visible with t he cab installed . In either case the easiest way to go is to transfer the title you have into your name and after that's done and you have license tags, go back to the DMV/RMV / Title Service Company and request a "title correction" because you replaced the original worn out engine, it's serial number was used to title the trucks when new in most cases, not the V.I.N,. tag in the door frame . As Evan says, you need to find someone who understands all this, until the 1980's 'correcting' the title after engine replacement was common and routine . I've been doping this for over 50 years and the main thing is to not confuse the government drones who don't like to go off the daily program, even iof they're not dul witted thjey're rarely properly trained so be gentle with them . If you have a current title with a number on it, any number, you have something to work with . My self I get it transferred and the tags & title in my name and current, then I address the mis matching numbers . If you're doing cab off works, you can add tat number off the title to the top horizontal surface of the frame near the steering box (this is a federally mandated anti theft thing), finish up and paint the frame then use that BUT beware they the V.I.N. verifiers are really picky and your uneven home brew stamping will get you in dutch . The key is to make it look factory , not home brew .
