What do you see?

[rang-a-stang]

I wonder if the chassis is a 71? Maybe it was a total rust bucket and he swapped the body and drivetrain from a 80? Realistically, I think he just wanted to avoid smog or something... like that.

[babywag]

hard to tell from pics but it sure looks like an 80-ish frame too.
71 would have SOA up front and post mount springs.

cab is 80-ish too
bed doesn't look 71
more you look @ pics more that just isn't 71

wonder what wheelbase is...

[Crankyolman]

hard to tell from pics but it sure looks like an 80-ish frame too.
71 would have SOA up front and post mount springs.

cab is 80-ish too
bed doesn't look 71
more you look @ pics more that just isn't 71

wonder what wheelbase is...

That's what I got too, Dash '80, cab later, bed later, suspension '80s, drive train 80's, frame '80's, axles '80's. I looked at this truck a lot before I posted about it here and I'm sure the place selling it doesn't only do consignments. Someone somewhere in this trucks life illegally swapped VINs and someone is going to be hurting as a result. If it is investigated and found that this was done it will be seized.

wonder what wheelbase is...

That is a good question given that the J2500 it's pretending to be was a short bed and this one appears to be a long bed. I'm willing to bet it's 131"

[rang-a-stang]

eBay ad is still up. Any updates?

[Crankyolman]

eBay ad is still up. Any updates?

I don't have any.



I let the authorities know, received a phone call back with questions about it. I then sent them info with 8x10 color glossy pictures with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one explaining the differences and where the original '79/'80 and '71 VIN plates should be and referenced this thread. I also recruited another member here who is more knowledgeable than myself to talk to them should they need more info.



I don't know if they really aren't concerned about it or are getting their ducks in a row before they do something.

[rang-a-stang]

Copy that. On my 78 and 79 Chassis's, the manufacture date and last few digits of the VIN were stamped on the outboard side of the frame, driver side, aft of the rear axle.

[Madduck]

what are yall referencing that makes the sale illegal?
thanks

[babywag]

what are yall referencing that makes the sale illegal?
thanks

Selling it as a '71 when it clearly is not.
Removing a VIN plate and installing it on a different vehicle is illegal.
There is implied intent to defraud & profit from selling a vehicle like this.

[rang-a-stang]

Not only that, but if there are pieces that are not "legal" that is a whole other game. Maybe the 80 J10 was stolen but the 71 J2000 was not. What if the 80 J10 had a salvaged title but you bought a 71 J2000 with a clear title (paid 3 times what the truck is worth)? You insure your 71 J2000 and drive it. A teenager is texting and rear ends you in his parents Tahoe and totals it. Insurance goes out to get an estimate and says "here's your $6k check for the the truck you paid $23k for".

Here are two VERY EXTREME, recent cases where it mattered:
Brian Austin Green suing over fake Porsche
Jerry Seinfeld sues over fake Porsche

[chubbinius]

I don't have any.

I let the authorities know, received a phone call back with questions about it. I then sent them info with 8x10 color glossy pictures with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one explaining the differences and where the original '79/'80 and '71 VIN plates should be and referenced this thread. I also recruited another member here who is more knowledgeable than myself to talk to them should they need more info.

I don't know if they really aren't concerned about it or are getting their ducks in a row before they do something.

That's great that you took the time and effort. Will be curious to see if they contact you again or anything changes on the listing for it.

[UnkleMunky]

For some reason the 10k odometer reading seemed a little optimistic to me as well.

Also...think from the angle if YOU were actually the person buying this rig. If you were to fork over $24k for something like this, you'd expect it all to be legit....year, odometer, etc.....all that. If it's not all original (which this clearly is not), that changes the value considerably. And if you found out AFTER buying it that things were not right....well, that's where all the fraud issues come into play. Not to mention the insurance/other matters just mentioned above.

[Madduck]

ahhhh....thx for the edumacation.

[Crankyolman]

I was very reluctant to tell you guys what I did and what's going on because I didn't know what kind of reaction it might get. I'm glad most people seem to feel the same as myself.


The fact is Jeep trucks get modified all to hell and back, that's almost expected. I've seen them in good condition sell for over $18,000. I expect with the release of the new "Gladiator" interest in old Gladiators will begin to increase, which will drive up values. This in itself might be motivation for someone to take a later J10-J20 and swap VINs to make it seem like an authentic Gladiator because the name alone will become something that adds value.



Now I've seen all sorts of mods done to J series trucks. Beds get swapped, engines, transmissions, entire drive trains get swapped, even frames get swapped. There are few parts on J trucks that haven't been swapped by somebody at some time, I've even seen people swap an older dash into a later truck, because quite frankly IMHO the Kaiser era dash rocks. I've never seen anybody swap a 1980 dash into a Kaiser era truck but I suppose it's not beyond a reasonable possibility. The gauges on the truck in question were obviously after market gauges placed into the later model dash, I've seen that many times. All of this stuff is perfectly legal but the cab of a truck IS the truck and the VIN # belongs to that cab.



What's not legal or legitimate is taking the VIN off one vehicle and installing it on another and that is what has obviously happened here. The person doing it didn't even bother to try to make it look legit by locating it in the correct location, which sends up the first huge red flag. Once that is up and you bother looking closer you see that everything but that VIN was from the same '97-'80 truck and the fraud becomes obvious. A person unfamiliar with these trucks might not understand the differences and might lose the truck as a result.

[backroadin']

Any news??

[Tanker]

I know of a 1979 J truck that looks like 80s up the only thing still 79 is the frame,and rear axle. Vin is 79 but the cab was swapped. We also are building a 60s 80s J 20 truck. 80s J 20 vin with every thing else is 60s vin will be 80s but cab,grill,etc will be 60s. of course better wiring. So be careful of it but can happen.