Cab switch legal issues?

[Reno81K20]

I'm wanting to switch the cab and bed from a 85 2wd C-20 I have onto an 81 K-20 4wd. The reason is the 2wd truck has all the bells and whistles. Power doors/windows/air and better interior and exterior. But i'm wondering if I should go ahead and switch the VIN tags at the same time.

The 2wd, once I get all the parts I need/want from it will be parted out and what's left will be scrapped. So the VIN from it wont be needed anymore.

Does anyone have any input on this issue? Also since I will be doing all this swapping in my driveway (no garage) What is the easiest way to swap things around? Most of my friends will not be available on my days off.


Thanks in advance.

Chris

 

[DoubleDingo]

As far as the VIN is concerned, I would ask DMV. I think you need to keep the VIN from the cab on the cab. They can always check the frame if they wanted to verify the cab and frame matched. Not sure how it works, but I wouldn't recommend swapping VIN tags.

As far as swapping things over, I don't have any experience on that. If it were me, I'd either build an A-Frame with a pulley system on it. Or get a bunch of 4x4 or 6x6 that can be stacked and jack up the cab one side at a time until you can roll the frame under it.

 

[Stepside Billy]

D.D. Is right. Check with the D.M.V. to be sure everything is legal. Hate to see you lose your truck after all the work you put into it!

 

[crazy4offroad]

Each state is different. Here you have to keep all titles and surrender them, and the truck gets rebranded "ASM" for assembled and whatever year it was completed is the new model year for the vehicle. I would call your state's DMV. For the longest time people just kept the title to the cab they wanted to keep and that was it. But if a state trooper has to check the secret vin on the frame and it don't match, and it's not an ASM, it goes to truck jail.

 

[Reno81K20]

Thanks for the input. Guess it would be best to just pull everything from the Silverado cab and put in the original 4x4 cab. Just a bit more work but would be much easier on staying 100% legal. Not to mention less work from having to pull the second cab.

Thanks again.

 

[smoothandlow84]

Interesting...so the next question is....where is the "secret" vin number on the frame??

 

[Georgeb]

While I'm sure there are states that will give you a hard time and there are ways to go about getting a new title I have done this exact thing on three going on four of my trucks. I just swapped over the VIN to the replacement cab and went about my buisness. Three of the replacement cabs had no title in sight. One was from down south and two were from the local yards. On the ford it was a sticker so I cut out the metal and riveted it on the new cab in the door jamb. Two of them still needed state inspection and there were no questions asked.

 

[crazy4offroad]

Interesting...so the next question is....where is the "secret" vin number on the frame??

Passenger frame rail on top near the front cab mount.

 

[smoothandlow84]

Passenger frame rail on top near the front cab mount.

Ok...so now its NOT a secret anymore...wuhahahaha

 

[Keith Seymore]

Ok...so now its NOT a secret anymore...wuhahahaha

It wasn't a secret to the guys that put it there, either...

K

 

[MadOgre]

It wasn't a secret to the guys that put it there, either...

K

How does a guy verify that that is indeed the # attached to your VIN# as they are not even remotely close to being the same ?

 

[DoubleDingo]

How does a guy verify that that is indeed the # attached to your VIN# as they are not even remotely close to being the same ?

If they came paired up from the factory then the VIN on the frame and the VIN on the tag will match.

I didn't know about this frame VIN until I had to strip down my old '65. I was cleaning the years of gunk off the top of the frame and saw numbers. After exposing all of them I noticed they matched the tag that was in the door frame.

 

[DoubleDingo]

A little off topic, but not really since we're talking about VIN's. If your engine is original to the vehicle there will be a partial VIN on the pad behind the alternator. I found that out when I was decoding the engine in my '81, it is original to the truck.

 

[Keith Seymore]

How does a guy verify that that is indeed the # attached to your VIN# as they are not even remotely close to being the same ?

They better be, or there has been some tomfoolery.

The frame VIN should have the model year and plant code, followed by the sequential portion of the VIN. These should match the full VIN on the cab. Make sure you are looking on top of the upper horizontal flange, not on the side of the rail (the side of the rail contains part number, manufacturer and date code info).

Also - while we are at it - there are no secret VINs on the cab itself, other than some Oshawa built trucks have a partial VIN underneath the heater box.

K

 

[Myojunk]

I didn't know the vin was on the frame.