Vin help!!!!
 

Hello,

I am looking for suggestions... I'm at a loss. Ive owned my truck for 7 years now and it was registered in Alabama. They didn't bother with VIN verification since I bought the truck there for whatever reason. I have since moved to Florida and now I have a FL License and insurance so Bama will no longer register the truck.

Heres where the problem begins:

I do not know how to verify the VIN on this truck.

It is a 1972 Cheyenne Super 10, SWB.

By research I found the VIN decoder and have come to the conclusion that the VIN is CE10734. The issue is that this VIN is nowhere to be found (that I know of). The truck has been repainted over the years and they removed the door plate that would have identified it. The glovebox build sheet has been scratched off.

So I have no way of verifying the VIN with the DMV and they will not give me a tag.

I found the stamped model # on the frame 2S158019 but that does not match anything on the old registration from Bama.

Does anyone have any recommendations for me or little known VIN locations other than above? I may have to file a small claims through the court but I still can't verify the VIN even if thats the case. Thanks in advance.

Re: Vin help!!!!
 

"CE10734" is the model number of the truck, not the VIN

The "2S158019" is a partial VIN number stamped on the frame that would/should have matched the full VIN found in the two locations you mention are missing. As far as I know, there is no other way to verify a VIN if the VIN plate and SPID are gone. Well, your truck probably originally had a blue sticker on the driver door at one time that also had the full VIN on it, but that is presumably gone as well during the repaint.

Re: Vin help!!!!
 

So I have no way of verifying the VIN with the DMV and they will not give me a tag.


Actually you do. The frame partial VIN is unique to your truck. Your actual VIN was CCE142S158019. Partial VINs contain the year of assembly, the assembly plant and the unique serial number. There was only one truck built in 1972 at St. louis assembly with the unique serial number of 158019. The rest of your VIN can be derived by looking at the truck or from the model number.
The question is whether the Florida DMV will title off the frame VIN. Or if they will insist on a VIN plate.
Here is a 1972 Chevy truck VIN decoder.
Plug your partial VIN into the last half and you can see how easy it to come up with the first half.


Attachment 1653203

Re: Vin help!!!!
 

Assuming AL is a no-title-required state? Bummer... Wish all states were the same when it comes to DMV. Recommend ask DMV to conduct a title search with the VIN Bruce posted just in case, it's exactly what your VIN would have been whether lwb or swb. The deduced model number is correct if it's an original swb truck (have you checked the bed or frame for any non-original welding or fish plates since you never had any documentation to prove original swb-ness?). If not original swb, model # is the same except with a 9 in place of The 7. But VIN is the same regardless. You do have some VIN proof as Bruce mentioned. State police may need to be involved. Good luck!

Re: Vin help!!!!
 

Nice work, Bruce.

K

Re: Vin help!!!!
 

A quick cautionary: if you run a Vin search on the deduced Vin number be ready for the possibility of losing your truck. If there's any chance the reason the Vin tag is missing on your truck is it was stolen that number could come up hot from a previous theft. The State patrol comes and takes the truck immediately. Not trying to be an alarmist here, just passing on my own experience. I'm sure that situation is highly unlikely for you but I thought the same thing and it didn't turn out well for me.

Steve weim55 Colorado

Re: Vin help!!!!
 

1972 Chevy Pick UP - VIN help needed.
Will someone with an unmolested 72 Chevy pick up please photograph the location (and style) of their VIN plate and post it or PM Me with it. You are more then welcome to obscure the serial number if you have any concerns etc.
We have just bought a 72 with VIN plate issues. Here in Ontario Canada we can purchase a 'sellers kit' that lists the current and past owners, confirms the full vin number and is an assurance that the vehicle is not 'stolen' or has any leins against it. We also get the 'ownership' for the vehicle which also confiirms the number and the registered owner. The frame number matches the VIN on the ownership but there is NO correct factory vin plate on the truck.
We were at a car show on the weekend and there were no 72's at the show and I know that they styles and placement of plates changed occasionally over the years. The two 69's that were there both had two plates affixed as in the attached photo on the 'strike pillar' of the door frame. (Not my truck so I obscured the vin.)
Your help will be greatly appreciated.

Re: Vin help!!!!
 

So assuming you don't have a title you could be in a pickle and risk losing your truck like others mentioned.
Buy a cheap cab with title.

Re: Vin help!!!!
 

Yes I have a title. That is what we call an Ownership here in Canada. And I have another set of docs that verify the vehicle. I am calling a gvmt office today that apparently can provide a replacement body VIN tag. I am just wondering about what the ACTUAL factory tags look like and their placement.

Re: Vin help!!!!
 

I was referring to the original poster of this thread.

Re: Vin help!!!!
 

Could you find a 'junk' truck or cab from a junk yard and purchase the vin tag from it? Does Florida have some way to 'rebuild' or 'reclaim' a junked vehicle allowing you to get it titled/registered in Florida.

It might not have the exact history/options but at least it's legal. Your just transferring one truck identify to yours.

Another thought. Don't know if this is still good in California. But years ago I built a vehicle from numerous vehicles. Nothing had a VIN. California Highway Patrol inspected and determined everything ok. With that information California issued a completely new VIN number. Maybe Florida has something similiar?

Don't know - just throwing things out...

Re: Vin help!!!!
 

I would never caution anyone to be afraid to have VIN checks done or involve law enforcement. If the truck has ever been stolen, wouldn't it be better to know that information? Also, what if there was another rightful owner out there?

If someone stole my truck, I would hope it would turn up when someone tried to register it.

Transferring a vehicle's identify from one to another is actually illegal, at least in most states. It can be done legally, but requires that VIN checks be done. Exactly why states require a VIN check. Otherwise one could go steal a $30,000 truck, go buy a $20 junk yard truck with a title, do some swapping, and viola.

Every state does it differently, but normally VIN checks are not done if the vehicle has been previously licensed in that specific state. When licensing a vehicle for the first time in a state is when the VIN check requirement usually kicks in.

Re: Vin help!!!!
 

I appreciate your thoughts on this Rufas. In Ontario it is actually NOT legal to take a vin plate from another vehicle and bolt it to yours, but having said that it is often done. If you build a 'Bitza' vehicle (my name for a vehicle that is cobbled together - Bits of this and Bits of that) You can get it plated as a custom/home built and regardless of what year it visually appears to be it would be VIN-ed as what ever year you get it inspected and plated.

Not sure about Florida's laws. I know they have way more lax laws from our past purchases: no safety certification, you verbally tell them the 'value' for registering and paying taxes etc. We know we could drive it over the border and they would not check the VIN against the ownership etc. We really dont want to become the ones responsible for a fradulent switch.

I reposted this problem in a fresh thread as I realized I had not posted it properly (here) and have updated it to what we have found out. Since the frame numbers match the VIN number we were given (on a custom made plate) and we have a valid Ownership/Title as well as the 'Sellers Kit' that verifies everything including that there are no liens etc we can apparently get a replacement VIN tag although it will not match the factory style and it will be legal in all ways. Again, I am Canadian :canada: living in Ontario and that is our rules. Apparently it is not all that 'rare' for body shops to remove tags for restoration then misplace them....:(