so i know a guy... lol that has a 78 short box f-100 2wd with a 351M with and a 79 long box f-150 4x4 with a 400...

the 79 was a T/L, would this person be able to put the VIN from the 78 onto the 79 and say he swapped a 4x4 front axle underneath? and painted it a different colour? and yank off the f-150 emblems and be legal? without trouble?

i ran the vins...

Your VIN number: F14SPDE3664 <table style="border: 1px solid rgb(153, 0, 0);" align="center" width="600"><tbody><tr> <td colspan="2" style="padding-left: 55px;">Your Model Year is 1979.</td> </tr> <tr><td colspan="2" bgcolor="#0099cc" height="1">
</td></tr> <tr> <td style="padding-left: 15px;" width="40%">Truck Series:</td> <td>F150 4 Wheel Drive</td> </tr> <tr><td colspan="2" bgcolor="#0099cc" height="1">
</td></tr> <tr> <td style="padding-left: 15px;">Engine:</td> <td>V8 - 400cid, 4BBL carb, 167-177 HP</td> </tr> <tr><td colspan="2" bgcolor="#0099cc" height="1">
</td></tr> <tr> <td style="padding-left: 15px;">Assembly on:</td> <td>Twin Cities, MN</td></tr></tbody></table>
Your VIN number: F10HLCD5179 <table style="border: 1px solid rgb(153, 0, 0);" align="center" width="600"><tbody><tr> <td colspan="2" style="padding-left: 55px;">Your Model Year is 1978.</td> </tr> <tr><td colspan="2" bgcolor="#0099cc" height="1">
</td></tr> <tr> <td style="padding-left: 15px;" width="40%">Truck Series:</td> <td>F100 2 Wheel Drive</td> </tr> <tr><td colspan="2" bgcolor="#0099cc" height="1">
</td></tr> <tr> <td style="padding-left: 15px;">Engine:</td> <td>V8 - 351cid, 2BBL carb, 161 HP - 165 HP</td> </tr> <tr><td colspan="2" bgcolor="#0099cc" height="1">
</td></tr> <tr> <td style="padding-left: 15px;">Assembly on:</td> <td>Michigan Truck</td></tr></tbody></table>

 

i know sgi changes colour on the registration... so can this person go in and tell them some bs and say they converted it to 4x4 and they change it? or does it matter?

and what about wheel base info? would they check it or give a rats ****? lol

 

I somehow doubt it`s legal, it would be too easy, ha, ha.
I`ve heard (just a unconfirmed rumor) that when switching vehicle bodies the frame serial number is the correct legal one for registration purposes.
There`s still the matter of the original serial number stamped on the frame in a few places as well if you try to use a different vehicle serial.
I`ve been tempted to do the same but it`s not worth the problems it can cause. If the vehicle is in another accident or for some reason gets thoroughly checked over by SGI too many unanswerable questions will pop up.
As far as BS it maybe worth a try, if SGI approves your application story your in the clear....Maybe!

 

yeah, ive been lookin up vin info on here and i see that it is usually stamped between the front bumper and the back of the cab on the top of the passenger frame rail... so the cab has to come off to see it, and if you can see it threw all the rust / grime / whatever else is there from 30 years back then yeah... but i believe thats all

the frame is the vin that should be used, i've done many cab swaps and firewall replacements, the frame vin is the vin to be used... but like i said, on these trucks its in a tough spot and who knows if its legible

 

this guy is deffinatly gonna go to sgi and try to sweet talk some hotty behind the counter to switch some registration info around and if it works well then the dealer plate comes off that truck! haha

 

interesting situation, keep us informed as to how he gets along in his efforts!!

 

Why do you need to swap the vin number? SGI doesn't care that it's a 4wd or a 2wd. It just gets listed as a truck. It matters on the new trucks but on the older stuff it doesn't matter.

BTW it's the body vin number that takes precedence before of the frame vin. With my truck it will be registered as a 1951 even though it has a 78 frame. A coworker at work has a 1985 Chevy truck with a 1976 box and 1988 frame. It's been safetied (got hit a roadside several years ago) and SGI knows all about the different parts but it's still registered as a 1985. Another coworker had a 1972 Chevy truck on a 1976 frame but the body vin was missing so it had to be registered as a 1976.

 

A new SGI serial number would be issued AFTER an inspection when a different year of body/frame combination is used.
This is according to SGI`s phone in information line this morning.
I don`t know if I totally believe this so at the time of registration I would inquire again to be accurately registered.

 

Just with SGI you probably could get 5 different answers on who you talk to. Just like you can't have two names listed on the registration but yet my parents still have it on the truck. It was first registered in 1980 and the plate was transfered 2 years ago to the replacement truck. It still has both their names on the registration yet you can't do that anymore.

Just like with farm plates. We can't register our 3/4 ton van but can register my car. Stupid SGI!

 

I could see SGI wanting to inspect frame swaps.

 

thats got to be the dumbest thing i've heard!!!

 

No kidding wow...

 

I talked to a guy who works in a body shop once and I asked him what determines the VIN number and he didn't know.He said that they replace cabs and frames all the time and keep the original VIN.SGI told me once that anytime a cab is replaced the vehicle has to be inspected though and the VIN has to do with the percentage of the vehicle which is original.If you could somehow convince SGI that you replaced the frame,cab and other parts of your 78 with the parts from the 79 then they might let you register the 79 using the 78's VIN but it would be a long shot.It might be easier to purchase another 79 with the same wheelbase that has a clean title but is all rusted out or needs work and transfer the parts to that one.

 

Like Nathan said, it depends on who you talk to and their mood that day as to how the rules are interpreted.

 

very true. i remember going in to register a trailer i bought from my neighbor. home made trailer, they told me i needed a bill of sale and all that stuff...i went back later that day, told a different girl the SAME story, she gives me a serial #, plate and off i go.