How much can you swap out and still keep title?

spectac

oldbie
Joined
Nov 5, 2010
Location
Goldsboro
Just curious, how much has to be the original vehicle to keep the title? Would you go as far as putting the VIN plate on a scratch built vehicle?
 
"It depends"

You can get away with much more on an older vehicle vs. a newer one (just to pick a number...pre-70-ish, vs after).

I talked to the DMV officer several years back (12+) about replacing the body on my '73 CJ. He said the law wasn't clear, but in his opinion, as long as I kept 1 sq. foot around the VIN tag that is rivited to the body (on the firewall in the engine box for the CJ) then it would be OK. Dunno what applies nowadays. Probably can't get by with near as much.
 
If its older I'd just swap the vin plates and not say a word about it. To me title follows the frame not the body.


Sent from my smart box using Tapatalk
 
That's what I was curious about. I know body replacements are common enough, but what if I was to do a custom frame and swap in my current drivetrain? I am assuming it would work just so long as I don't try to pass off the old frame as the same vehicle
 
I just swapped an extra cab onto my regular cab frame. I kept the VIN from the reg cab and put it in the extra cab.
 
sgtbriangreen said:
I just swapped an extra cab onto my regular cab frame. I kept the VIN from the reg cab and put it in the extra cab.
Click to expand...

Actually what is supposed to happen in this instance i believe is that BOTH titles be sent off to raleigh, original frame title and new cab/body title. They then return you a "modified" title that will somehow match your new merged vehicle. This is how it is supposed to happen with frame repairs when a full frame replacement it done or when a majorly rusted body is replaced with a VIN-ed replacement. When you get an all new body tub, im not sure how the new tube is numbered or anything, i have never bought a new body.
 
Back
Top