Curious if i buy a 75 Cab and mount it to my 79 frame will it be smog exempt with the new VIN # ? or can I just swap Vin tags since their just riveted on and make my 79 a 75 and smog exempt ? I know I know it's illegal but who could tell the difference ? Anyways got a killer deal on a 75 cab only with a title and Im going to do one or the other, any response or ideas appreciated.

 

What you do is up to you but in most states the frame VIN is what's required for title purposes so your '79 is legally a '79 regardless of what the door plate says.
BTW, the door plate is not the official VIN plate, Ford doesn't even call it that, It's officially a warranty plate. Doors are too easy to swap so it can't be used for the VIN. The legal VIN has to be mounted on a permanent part of the vehicle.

 

I believe it is mounted to the dash between the dash pad and window, well that is where mine is located. Where on the frame is the other vin # I'll grind it down and paint rust cover up on it. i've never seen a smog tech check my frame # only the tag on the door or the one I mentioned on the dash

 

Uh, dude, never post something like that, something like that should be kept a quiet secret, there is no statue of limitations on altering a vin, leave it there and you only have a small problem if it gets noticed, remove it and you could have a big problem. a frame is considered stolen once it does not have a vin (that's the way the law views it) as there would be no other reason to remove a vin on purpose, rust I think would be the only reasonable excuse for not being able to find a vin.

 

Didn't do it just talking about it, and Im sure the law has better things to do then chase something like this, but thanks for the heads up.

 

Ford didn't start putting a VIN on the dash of the F=series until 1980. Like Mike said, the VIN number will be on the frame and on the warranty plate on the left door.

 

All kind of bad ideas in this thread especially with the OP being in CA, a very smog conscious state.

I am sure the emissions folks and the DMV are very intune with all the tricks to try and get around a smog ck.

 

You said you found a body, is it on a frame? Swap it all out and you will have a 73.

 

Better yet, move away from Californicated.

 

Like VocaTexas said, Ford didn't start putting the VIN plate at the base of the windshield until the 1980 models.
Your frame VIN is in the engine compartment, top right (passenger side) frame rail, usually about inline with the alternator but it can be anywhere from the radiator support to the firewall. There is a second, hidden VIN located under the cab.

 

The smog tech is not the one to be concerned about when you start altering VIN numbers . It's the state police and higher up law enforcement personnel . By the way there is more than just one VIN number on that frame , i won't say where .__


.

 

AT [ mikeo0o0o0 ] looks like we were both thinking the same , i was a little slow hitting send ,L.O.L.

 

In California, the officers take a 8 hour course on the emissions stuff, at least the one I was talking to about emission stuff, he said on a road side stop we dont even try to figure it out, if they have any questions they are instructed to write the ticket and let the BAR sort it out (bureau of automotive repair) or commonly known as the smog ****'s, then you can only move the vehicle on the roads to and from the BAR until the ticket is cleared.
Now, the BAR dude in SoCal at the Canoga Park location is very cool, nothing like you would expect.
The Highway Patrol guy I spoke with about VIN's said he does not care what body changes I make, it goes strictly by the frame VIN, thus allowing me to put a crewcab on a reg frame, in your case you have the opposite situation, I think you can contact the CHP and ask how do you legally replace a damaged frame, I had a truck and a motorcycle that got a "California" VIN number, they rivet a all new VIN to it, it hurts the value of the vehicle to have a non mfg VIN, and every potential buyer thinks something is fishy.

 

All great stuff and info I guess I'll have to wait out the smog ***** and hope they raise the smog exempt status to newer vehicles or just deal with it and drive my choked down 302 till then.