VIN question

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454cid

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The VIN on the title matched the VIN plate on the dash but that VIN has a C for C1500. The VIN in the glovebox is not on the title but matches the truck better being a K for K1500.

Besides the K and C difference everything else about the trucks for each VIN seem the same. 1997 and same color. When I ordered a report for each VIN neither show as flagged by the state DMV or NICB.

But the report did shed possible light on the Frankenstein build. The glove box VIN (which matches the actual truck) shows a front end deer collision in 2005 so maybe it was worked on using the C1500 truck.

I know it's really state specific so I'm trying to find how Ohio handles vehicles pieced together during a build or restoration.

Thanks for everyone's ideas so far

I wouldn't think a deer collision would necessitate a cab swap. At that point, I think it would have been totaled. I have seen Fords get new/used frames because a frame horn was bent and it was a crush zone.

Have you asked the seller is she recalls anything? Are the VINs identical except for the C/K? If so, I'd suspect it was a mistake when the truck was made. Now days, vehicles get a VIN very early in the build process and everything is kept track of by computer and parts are staged for THAT vehicle, so a VIN screw up probably never happens. Back then.... I have no idea how it was done.

Any original paperwork?

Did the guy own or work at a body shop? Maybe he built the truck out of two. A friend rebuilt a totaled state truck (in MI) and had to keep track of where he got all his parts, and contact a particular person with the state that would inspect/approve it. It was mainly about theft, not safety.
 

someotherguy

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People swap cabs, which is legal in most situations, or VIN tags, which is 100% illegal, for various reasons. Extensive damage, outright theft, or attempt to work around title issues including original title lost, belongs to someone else (see outright theft), or title lost to the title pawn people (again, see outright theft.)

If they can't convincingly explain why the discrepancy, walk away.

The title pawn issue has become really bad these days. So many people hard up for cash they pawn their title, lose legal ownership of the vehicle, but still have possession of the vehicle and sell it to an unsuspecting buyer while falsely claiming "lost title" without revealing they lost it via title pawn.

Richard
 

454cid

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People swap cabs, which is legal in most situations, or VIN tags, which is 100% illegal, for various reasons. Extensive damage, outright theft, or attempt to work around title issues including original title lost, belongs to someone else (see outright theft), or title lost to the title pawn people (again, see outright theft.)

If they can't convincingly explain why the discrepancy, walk away.

The title pawn issue has become really bad these days. So many people hard up for cash they pawn their title, lose legal ownership of the vehicle, but still have possession of the vehicle and sell it to an unsuspecting buyer while falsely claiming "lost title" without revealing they lost it via title pawn.

Richard

I'm not familiar with title pawn. I wonder if it's not legal here. I guess its a loan with the vehicle as colateral? In MI lending institutions don't hold the title, so maybe those laws prevent the title pawn here? I think the OP is in MI, too.
 

someotherguy

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I'm not familiar with title pawn. I wonder if it's not legal here. I guess its a loan with the vehicle as colateral? In MI lending institutions don't hold the title, so maybe those laws prevent the title pawn here? I think the OP is in MI, too.
Yep, vehicle as collateral, but on paper - they hold the title and rights to it, you keep the vehicle and continue driving and (hopefully) paying on the loan. You default, they send the repo man. It's obviously not legal in all states. I had never heard of it until moving to GA back in the late 90's and noticed them there; when I moved back to TX they were suddenly all over the place as if a law changed here that now allows them. The number of vehicles for sale here with "lost" titles is ridiculous, especially for a state that is relatively easy to obtain a replacement title if you are the registered owner. My bet is a very large amount of them are lost to title pawn. I've asked sellers directly and every now and then one will be honest and admit that is the case.

Richard
 

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Ok so it the truck was totaled it didn't
I wouldn't think a deer collision would necessitate a cab swap. At that point, I think it would have been totaled. I have seen Fords get new/used frames because a frame horn was bent and it was a crush zone.

Have you asked the seller is she recalls anything? Are the VINs identical except for the C/K? If so, I'd suspect it was a mistake when the truck was made. Now days, vehicles get a VIN very early in the build process and everything is kept track of by computer and parts are staged for THAT vehicle, so a VIN screw up probably never happens. Back then.... I have no idea how it was done.

Any original paperwork?

Did the guy own or work at a body shop? Maybe he built the truck out of two. A friend rebuilt a totaled state truck (in MI) and had to keep track of where he got all his parts, and contact a particular person with the state that would inspect/approve it. It was mainly about theft, not safety
Vin tagged it instead of going through the salvage/rebuild/inspection process makes sense. Yeah, It's a big misconception that the salvage title inspection is in anyway related to an inspection of the quality of the repairs. They're not collision experts. They're stolen parts locators and they're good at it.
 
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