Confirmed, VIN problem that has always bothered me. What would you do?

[Neil Mylar LakewoodCA]

Dennis,
I had actually talked to Audrey before I started this post. I have used her vin inspection service in the past. She said she can only do vin inspection for cars that do not already have a title. She is the one who told me I would need to contact the DMV or CHP.

[pooch]

Jeezuz, I just went to Pluck's site and picked out a number that suited me,

Went and registred it, no probs,

I figured it was better odds at winning the lottery than that number I picked being on record as someone else's.

If i fronted up at the desk and they said HEY, this number is already registered, my stock answer would be , well that is how I bought it .

Then go back and pick out another number. and go back and say I bought another engine or another chassis whatever.

[walls]

I understand wanting to follow the rules, but think it through.
There were no “VIN”s back then.
That idea does not register to the average government worker.
They do not solve problems.

You could apply for a new title with the frame number through the title service.
Forget fixing yours.
If you’ve decided you have to do this, I’d look into that.

[DanK]

Originally Posted by Neil Mylar LakewoodCA

Dennis,
I had actually talked to Audrey before I started this post. I have used her vin inspection service in the past. She said she can only do vin inspection for cars that do not already have a title. She is the one who told me I would need to contact the DMV or CHP.

Try a different service. Having a title should not be a constraint. I used a service and I had an out of state title.

[denniskliesen]

Originally Posted by DanK

Try a different service. Having a title should not be a constraint. I used a service and I had an out of state title.

Same here, out of state title. I'd try Quick plates in Huntington Beach. We have a member in our club that wanted to correct the same problem you have. Been months and still no title.

[1930-Pickup]

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Buy a parts car or chassis with no title.
Register it at the title service company with the number that you want.
Use the parts car title now as the title for your good car.
Take the title that you have for your good car now and make it 'fade away'.
Sell the parts car without a title, just the way you bought it.

[asapguy]

Like the old saying "don't kick a sleeping dog" I have a late 1930 CCPU which I bought in Long Beach Calif. in 1976 from the 3rd owner. The Calif. title had # LB73XXXX not a # which started with an "A". I had always assumed an eng. swap and the LB stood for long block. Until reading an article in the Restorer about the restoration of a 1930 fire truck which was assembled at the Long Beach Ford plant on Ford Island. The article mentioned it had an LBXXXXXX # which stood for Long Beach assembly plant. I have owned my PU for 40 yrs. now & not having a title with # starting with an "A" has never been a problem.

[Chris Haynes]

Buy another car to get a frame number?????? I am going through the same thing right now. I am simply going to bite the bullet and lift the body and pull the splash apron to expose my frame number. Do it right so you don't have to do it over.

[Phil Brown]

Only two things fore sure about the Calif. DMV offices
1. Going to be frustrating
2. Going to cost you some more money

I don't think that I would mess with it ... just go drive it and enjoy

[Chris Haynes]

If the CA DMV says you have to go to CHP there is no getting around it.

[Dale]

Last year I bought a 1929 ccpu from calif, the calif owner had bought it from nev, it had an erroneous number on the title, he took it to one of the title service companies near sacramento to get it straightened out. He had to lift the body some so the cal hwy patrol could verify vin, then do a calif title search, then cal hwy patrol installed a calif vin plate with the original ford number on the drivers door post. I don't know the cost, but I am sure that it was not quick.
Colorado mv accepted the calif with no problem.

I traded a merc for the a and used a colo even trade bill of sale & neither of us had to pay any sales tax

[1930-Pickup]

Originally Posted by Chris Haynes

Buy another car to get a frame number?????? I am going through the same thing right now. I am simply going to bite the bullet and lift the body and pull the splash apron to expose my frame number. Do it right so you don't have to do it over.

Yes !!!!!!!!
Did it, not with an A though.
It was easy.
Cost nothing because the other car was sold.

[Neil Mylar LakewoodCA]

Thank you for your posts.

I appreciate all your advice, even the person who felt the need to lecture me that what was bothering me was trivial compared to starving people in Africa.

[ronn]

sorry Neil,

wasnt trying to lecture you.

we only have so much time on earth and many small things are incidental to me.

[WHN]

Originally Posted by ronn

sorry Neil,

wasnt trying to lecture you.

we only have so much time on earth and many small things are incidental to me.

Well said!

Bin there, done that, veteran, father, grandfather, business owner, retired, Model A owner, “if it isn’t broken, don’t try to fix it”.

You learn things in life when you are to old to use the knowledge. Enjoy.

[KCTA Chris]

I live in Mo. It's bad here.
Last year I had my vintage boat to the HP inspection 4 times, In the end I located the previous seller, drove across KS. and had to make a new bill of sale. Boat, trailer and outboard require separate paper for bill of sale. My boat never had a title or needed one, and EVERY outboard even if from the 1930's must have a title even if they never were issued one from the manufacturer. Icing on the cake: the young worker mad a mess riveting the metal ID tag to my restored mahogany wood boat, why not wood screws? "Because thats how it says to affix it in the manual."???

My '55 Chevy involved a judge declaratory statement because the title in Texas was motor number and Missouri uses body number on that year.

My '34 3 window chassis came from CA. He kept the body and title, had his new mfg. frame stamped to match and was legal in CA. Missouri told me to sue the title because in our state each title stays with the frame. Missouri issued a new title with existing frame numbers so now there are two '34s with same number.

Had an Inspection officer once told me swap meet frames do not exist in the state, luckily he has retired. I'm not even getting into my model "A" mess, I'm about to swap the chassis and the paperwork and process is overwhelming. The HP office and DMV don't follow the same guidelines therfor most answer involve a Judicial Statement ordering one agency to issue for the other. I'm a 100% stand up taxes paid legal guy and what I have to go through in this state is absurd. I see why historical documents are a trend in Missouri.

[Bikerider58]

Wonderful CA DMV can be a pain. I have gone through the VIN / registration grinder 3 times. 2 old motorcycles and the A. Both bikes required DMV referral to CHP inspection, the A was DMV only, but a wait for 2 different inspections on the same trip.

Corrected the year for the A.
Corrected year and got CA registration approved on one bike.
Kept DMV from mandating a frame tag on the other bike.

It is your car, if getting it corrected makes you happy, it is well worth your effort. Just do not get hope up that it is an easy or fast processes. Prepare your documents and your story and go for it.

[TerryH]

When I bought my Model A 14 years ago, from a man in New York, it came with a current registration from New York, but no actual title. It did have a rubbing of the frame vin, which matched the engine. A good friend, who buys older cars, told me to take it to the AAA office in Newport Beach, where they had one man, whose specialty was titling older cars. One visit with him, with my car, and some forms to fill out, and I had my California title. Wonderful not having to deal with the DMV!

[Neil Mylar LakewoodCA]

Ronn,
Thank you for your follow up comment.
I'm sorry, too.
I was probably being too sensitive.

_________________

By the way everyone, I did cancel the DMV inspection appointment.

However, I liked Bikerider58's comment about 'if getting it corrected makes you happy, it is well worth your effort', so I will definitely give it more thought.

[silversink]

an engraved number on a tag with ford script on it mounted to the firewall and painted over and dirtied to look like the rest of the firewall worked great for me. they asked where the number was and I played stupid and suggested looking at the tags and they were so proud of themselves that they discovered it----was done in ten min.s