Hello everyone,

Short version of my story.

I was always dreamed about older truck with 4x4 and I bought one.... but now I’m feeling like I did a biggest mistake in my life and feeling crushed.

I bough this truck from Craigslist and it’s said 1956 Ford pick up truck with license plate matching the title and I was so happy and never thought to check the vin number.But now I can’t find a vin number anywhere as the PO said someone before him replaced the frame with 70s truck.

i looked everywhere for a VIN number and can’t find it... and I don’t think frame number will be helpful at all...I’m devastated 😓😣

I do have a clean title and just paid registration till March 2021 and thru Carfax it’s showing 1956 Ford truck.

Any ideas where else to look ( with pictures ) for a vin on the body itself? Thank you so much 🙏🏻

 

The data plate on the 1956 F100 is located on the forward door jamb (where the hinges are located) on the driver's side. Even if the plate is missing you should see the 4 screw holes where it mounts.
Since you are in Calif I would strongly recommend that you conduct all your VIN verification and registration work via a private business and NOT the DMV. You can have a new data plate made for your truck (assuming yours is missing) using the info on your title. Once you have the new data plate then take the truck to the VIN verifier (here in El Cajon I use a business that does the VIN verification and also the DMV registration) for a small fee they will fill out all the paperwork and take it to the DMV for you. You never have to stand in line at the DMV again. The VIN verifier will compare the data plate info with the title...they never look for frame numbers, the data plate is all they care to see. If you fail to follow these directions and you drive into a DMV inspection lane, you will be opening a can of worms that you will never get out of. You did not say what state your title is issued in...if it's CALIF then you dodged a bullet.

 

Hi Alex, welcome to the forum! The vehicle's serial number, or what later became known as the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is stamped on the frame, not the body. There is a rating plate, or data plate attached in the glove box or drivers side door pillar, depending on the year, that will have information related to the truck, including the vin. Because the plate is typically screwed or riveted to the truck, it can easily be swapped and is not considered a legal identification marker in most cases. If in fact your frame has been swapped with a replacement other than which it came from the factory with originally, and it was never inspected and documents updated by a state regulatory agency, there's not much more we can help with. The good news is you do have a title and your truck is registered. You can drive it and no one will likely ever bother you about it. Drive it and enjoy it, and try not to lose too much sleep over it.

 

Truck is registered by its specific VIN, so it will be on the title and registration.

The Rating Plate is located on the inside of the glove box door. Compare the VIN on the Rating Plate to the registration/title to see if it matches.

If you belong to the Auto Club of Southern California (AAA), you don't have to mess with the DMV and there's no appointment necessary.

 

The problem is there is no data plate anywhere 😣


I have a14 digit vin on the title and it’s scare me a lot and I tried to do a Carfax by a license plate and vin right not but it doesn’t show anything and it was finding it a week ago and now it doesn’t 😣

i check for vin number everywhere including glove box and it’s nowhere to be found 😓

 

Thank you so much for your reply.

i though it’s illegal to install/manufacture Data plates yourself? I’m in California and do have a clean CA title in hands.

also i was pointed that my truck in not 1956 😓 so I’m screwed big times

 

All 1956 trucks have a wrap around windshield. Pictured truck has a 1953/55 cab, 1955 grille.

4WD is an aftermarket conversion. Ford didn't offer factory installed 4WD in F100/250 until 1959.

No such thing as a 14 digit VIN as original, this may be a CA DMV issued VIN because the original VIN was missing, truck possibly salvaged, or stolen and later recovered.

VIN should be 11 digits, like this example: F10V6R12345 // The first 5 digits of the VIN on your title would be correct, the remaining 8 digits make no sense.

F10 = F100 / V = 272 2V / 6 = 1956 / R = San Jose CA Assembly Plant / 12345 = 1956 Numerical Sequence of Assembly

 

So I’m screwed? 1956 title ? 1955 Cab ? 70s frame ? No Data Plates ? OMG 😳😓

I’m done. Can I legally sell it for parts ? Just to recover some of my money i paid for it ? It’s running with Borg Warner 4 Speed and I do believe 351.

 

so I can legally sell it without Data Plate ? 😣😓😳

Thank you.

 

Charlie’s way is the best way to do it keep away from dmv I use private vin verifier and AAA

 

I don’t want it anymore 😣 I want to sell it ? Can i legally sell it and if yes how ? Thank you.

 

So you have a title for a 56 F100 and you have the license plates to match. You have current registration so life is good. There is nothing illegal about having a replacement data plate made based on the info on your title. Take a look here: https://dataplates4u.com/ As for your truck being a slant cab...maybe you just did some customization. There are many older vehicles out there with model year designations that don't match.

 

If the title is in your name, there's nothing I know of that would stop you from selling it. How do you sell it? How did you find it and buy it? Sell it the same way.

 

[QUOTE=AlexF100;19176402]Thank you so much for your reply.

i though it’s illegal to install/manufacture Data plates yourself? I’m in California and do have a clean CA title in hands.

also i was pointed




fiber glass over wood

 

Just called CHP and thanks God it’s not stolen 😳