Alot of questions answered

[Pavementsux91XJ]

So when I bought my 73 J10 I found alot of things different than a 73 (like they didn't make em) I chocked it up to various PO's swapping parts over the years and maybe it was a late 73 made with 74 parts. When I went to get a cap and rotor for it, they were parts from a 76. Weird right? Like I said, PO must have swapped parts over the years. Also, when I ran the VIN decoder, it said it was an automatic. That truck is definitely not an automatic. Anyway... I'm doing a rebuild on the truck with a drivetrain swap and everything. Today I was wire-wheeling the frame to prep it for the new engine mounts and paint and guess what! The frame serial number doesn't match what it says it should be on the VIN plate. Also, I thought the VIN plates should be the same color as the firewall. My firewall was yellow, the VIN plate was white AND when I bought the truck there was a white J2000 sittin in the field next to it. I think somebody swapped VIN's so they wouldn't have to smog the J-truck since I think its a 76 judging by the frame serial. Well, I know there was a thread on PO's before, so this is my story.

[v10sport]

Or your driving a stolen truck

[FSJ Guy]

Or your driving a stolen truck

[jaber]

Paint it quick before someone else sees it...

[Pavementsux91XJ]

Yeah, I thought of that. I think that frame might need a gusset with a weld placed...Aww...right over the frame serial.

[joe]

I don't know what to tell you, but I've danced with DMV in the past and it's a long dance and not fun. I'm pretty sure I'm on the WA DMV's 'do not resuscitate' list. Chananging a VIN is fraud and they take it serious. I would try to get it sorted now while it still appears the screwup(implied fraud) wasn't your doing and you're trying to make it right. You may be able to get a bonded title with a new VIN that becomes officially yours after 3 years. I would NOT weld a plate over the serial number.All DMV's have a book that's sold to "law enforcement only" that tells where all the hidden serial numbers are stamped on anything. When they go to look for the place on your truck and see a welded on plate, plan on getting a ride home. From that point on it's not just a possible past screw up it proves intention to defraud.
If you just forget about it you'll prolly be fine since you've already had it titled and plated once. But when you sell it the buyer is going to be jumping through a lot of hoops if a VIN inspection is required.I'd either try to get it straightened out legally or forget about but in any case I wish the next owner luck. A lot is going to depend on who's in charge of the VIN verification. Here where I live it' all of Jefferson Co is done by one man with the WA State Patrol. This particular old guy is an old car freak (Hudson's) and knows his stuff and if there is a glitch is pretty helpful getting things sorted.
Good luck.
Save youself some grief and don't weld over or try to alter the serial number.

[billyj7175]

X2 on what Joe said...

I had a good friend that went through a similar instance on an old Camaro that had some fishy circumstances surrounding the serial number & VIN. Long story short, he ended up losing the Camaro...after he had put a ton of time & money into it. Last time I talked to him, he was still trying to recoup some of the money (has to do with a certain type of legal involuntary bailment, but my memory is fading), but that was years ago. Never really found out the end result.

You would think that considering all of the things that the DMV/Gov turns a blind eye too, they wouldn't care about a 20-something year old truck. But serial number/VIN number fraud is almost like their Cardinal Sin.

[Pavementsux91XJ]

Thanks for the advice. The weld was just a joke, I'm not actually going to do it. I will however "not notice" the difference in the serial number. Granted if it ever needs a VIN verification, I'd be completely screwed. The only reason I relly don't want to straighten everything out is because I'm here in Kalifornia and the smog nazis will be all over me if they find out its actually a 76. Ehh, maybe I'll look into it anyway. It wouldn't be hard to get the thimbs up from Kalifornia with this engine swap anyway.