Not only out here, but in every state I have lived in. PA, Jersey, Colorado, Texas, Louisiana, and quite a few others. I bought a truck off of a dealer in Texas to use for parts and he still had to transfer the title into my name (it was a trade-in that he was going to scrap).

 

If I were you, I'd go ahead and get the state issued VIN, title and registration. That, in most cases, should transfer to any state.
If you were able to register it under the 56 VIN, and sold it to someone in KS, it would be inspected (as all vehicles brought in from out of state are)and since the VIN tag was missing, or did not match the one on the frame they would either issue a KS ID based on the frame VIN and your BOS; or worst case scenario, they would force you to bring a quite title suite against the state to be able to title the truck. At that point a judge would decide if there was any shenanigans going on (cab or frame was stolen). In that case it would be handy to have a BOS on the 53 cab too.

I'd save the ID tags from both cabs for documentation and take a cutting torch to the 53 frame if it hasn't been scapped already.

 

This is an example of the state being involved where they are not needed; since a simple search of the VIN on a stolen vehicle database would settle that, the state and its judges getting involved is merely a way to collect revenue. You don't think they would do that for free, do you?

 

I see your dilemma, CT sure is different than most other states. It does appear that you won't need any kind of vin inspection, so long as you have your BOS from a registered dealer, and yes, they do base the value on NADA. The other option as you stated is that 'after' you pay the tax, you can pay for an appraisal and then apply for a refund, but if you point out the non 56 cab that should assure that the appraisal is below the NADA value. The other thing that sucks is the truck being a 56 and your cab NOT being a 56. The one year that sets it apart, I mean that is a dead ringer to kill you at resale time. As a retired cop, I can assure you it will give you more than one headache over time.

 

They say almost the same for a '54 Panel:
$1,599 $9,250 $17,200 $44,900

Not sure where they get these numbers, but interesting that the Panel is the exact price of the F100 Pick up.

 

How many dealers are there across the country, or even North America as a whole, that sell 48-56 Ford trucks on a regular basis? Enough to create a meaningful market database? There can't be a half dozen or so. So if there were 3 dealer sales in the last 12 months, all of which were "restored" trucks of one fashion or another, there may have been a nice driver for 9K, and an over the top, 150K invested street rod truck that sold for 44K, there's your NADA guide. It's all wrong and contrived, imho. There's no way any of this applies to the average hobbyist.

 

AUCTIONS! The unreal prices of auctions like Barrett Jackson drives it up. But if they are selling at these auctions doesn't that make it real ????

 

Auctions get crazy. Years ago I went to an auction of Lawrence Marshall's classic and antique cars (they were selling about 200 cars and trucks) and saw people paying double of what they should have or could have elsewhere. I went to bid on a 1950 Ford sedan that had been listed several weeks before for $8,000. It was a restomod with a small block Ford and auto, stock frame and suspension, and a decent paint job and interior. Certainly not a show car, but nice. I figured that since it didn't sell for 8 I might get it cheaper. I placed a bid but the bidding got crazy and somebody paid 17K for it! And the whole auction was like that, with some people going crazy.

 

I've heard auctions can get funny. A couple farmers get to bidding on something, an electric drill, whatever doesn't matter what it is. They don't want the other guy to get it is the main thing. And he doesn't, but the cost is 3 x what a new one costs. Sounds like fun, ha ha.

 

Jeez, with all of this talk, I might as well get someone to come appraise my pile of parts before I really begin with my build! Need to talk with Georgia DMV again and get the exact story, and get it in writing (not that the hourly pencil-pushing government worker behind the counter will care what someone else from the DMV has told me)...

 

Might be cheaper and easier to move... just saying. But seriously, I go through similar issues all the time. I deal with 2 states (Michigan and Indiana) with a business and residence. Indiana requires a VIN inspection from any out of state title. Michigan requires no such inspection. Both states are decent about abiding by sale prices and older titles. As long as I have a clear title, Michigan collects the tax based on sale price and issues a new title with a small fee ($15). Michigan will also do a bonded title situation if you want to go through a long process. As much as I hate Michigan at times, they do make things easier at times. I bring this up because every time a discussion like this comes up, some people assume that every state is like the one they live in. Many states don't get crazy and tax based on fair market value, especially on older vehicles. Some states require inspections, many don't. Keep that in mind when buying out of your area. EVERY state is different.

You may want to find a nice relative in another friendlier state to "buy" your vehicle and register it there for awhile. I once knew a couple that lived in Massachusetts that had vehicles registered in New York for over 15 years with their family. As long as the vehicle isn't stolen, there are ways to make it work for you.