Frame swap registration

[Ziegelsteinfaust]

I was messing around on the internet, and I saw a slammed International Load Star.

http://www.stanceiseverything.com/20...onal-loadstar/

I live in California, and I wonder how people with registering these things sometimes. Since I would love to build one for messing around rather then serious work, but rather normal 1 ton towing.

Which matters most when registering a truck the Cabs year or the frames year.

Lets say I get a 77 Load Star, and put it on a 74 dually frame. Which would be the way it gets registered. To me this is important so I can skip smogging it every two years, and excess tax when registering.

I asked the lady at the DMV one time when registering my C20, but the blank stare told me she had no idea.

[alabama mike]

I can't answer for California, but here in Alabama the vin follows the cab, so putting a 77 cab on a 74 the truck would be registered as a 77. Or as long as you keep clear records and receipts you can have the state issue you a new VIN (saying you want to change vehicle designation from a 2 ton to a 1 ton). Best thing to do is find the California code and start reading, of find a shop in the state that has done something like that in the past and see the steps they've used.

[buggy5872]

From my experience it is best to use the title that is with the cab and keep you mouth shut about the frame. As soon as you start asking these kind of questions at a DMV the red flags are up and you may not get it registered at all. In PA the vin tag on the cab is the one that counts.

[ETsC10]

I'd ask someone at the licensing agency and follow their suggestions.
And keep copies of every paper you give up until it's done.

Doing anything, without doing it by the book, is most likely illegal & could
cause all kinds of woes with weight scales, being in a wreck, re-selling etc.

.

[Peanutbutter]

Remember, talking to someone at the DMV is like, well talking to someone at the DMV, talk to three different people and get three different answers. Document who you talked to and preferably see it in writing, half of them don't know either.

[Clyde65]

In Texas if it is registered and stays registered, it really doesnt matter what you do to it.

what makes a difference is when you buy it, dont have a title and it isnt registered.
If I bought something like that and registered/titled it here, then went and made all those changes and mods, who would care as long as the state gets their money?

Side note: California is way different than most states.

[old Rusty C10]

In most states you need to contact the state police who then inspect the vehicle and the paperwork you have for the chassis and cab then issue a new VIN for the truck and determine what year it is. It ruins any historical value but its the legal thing to do.. this discussion is over because as someone suggested keeping ones mouth shut is illegal and could lead to trouble down the road even at a routine traffic stop we do not encourage any illegal activity on this site