Chassis Swaps

Quick question for the brain trust about chassis swaps:

If i use body X on top of chassis Y, which do i use to title it?

I assume you could you body X to get it titles because it bears semblance to the original car and shy of digging around it looks like body X.

Or do you use chassis Y to title it since the back bone is mostly being used?

Chassis swap: Build threads chassis swap section

EDIT: assume your taking the whole chassis (engine trans suspension cooling system) and putting it under body x.....this is to clarify intentions a bit.

(aussiesmg and JTHW8, if you have any ideas as to what this is about, keep it down haha)

LOVE IT! As a famous man once said: "I drink your milkshake. I drink it up!"

Well... most of the time there's no actual chassis as such, right? It's more a matter of swapping all the suspension (and their pickup points and some attendant sheetmetal) into the recipient body?

I'm going to guess that from a registration standpoint, the location of the VIN is going to be a big factor. In most cases, that would make the "body" the "car".

Anyhow, I suspect there are guidelines from a legal standpoint; or at least some folks will have info about the practical aspects of getting such a thing registered and titled and insured.

I suspect the bigger deal from a registration standpoint will be the engine/body mismatch, rather than the body/suspension mismatch...

That 911/chevy dually ratrod thing....

Here in SD you take in the title or receipts for both and they issue you a new VIN plate and a title for the combined vehicle that referenced both.

Of course, when was the last time anyone actually looked at the VIN to the car, let alone the VIN to the frame? If the registration and plate match, and mostly the car looks like what's on there you're probably fine.

With body on frame cars/trucks, I believe there's a special procedure at the DMV where you note both VINs. With a unibody car you use whatever the current body's vin is, I would think.

Out here in California its the chassis not the body that counts. But only if the motor and transmission are original to the frame or legally swappable under current CARB laws.

Pre smog what ever piece of paper you have that matches the VIN number you want to show more then likely is all it takes.

In Ohio, I think it has to do with which VIN is stamped on the firewall and which VIN is shown on the dashboard/window. These should be the same.

Simple example: Lets say you rebuild a wrecked 3rd gen Camaro. To complete this you end up with a Firebird front clip, doors and Trans Am taillights. Even though the car looks to be a Pontiac, the firewall VIN and the dashboard VIN are Camaro. This should be titled as a Camaro (that just happens to look like a Firebird.)

If the Camaro was never reported as insurance totaled then no further action is needed.
If the Camaro was reported as insurance totaled then you would need to have a vehicle inspection done via The Highway Patrol to get approval for having built as safe and legal. The Highway Patrol will want to look at the craftsmanship to verify the car is safe as well as look at the documentation that the replacement parts were obtained legally. For this legal review you will need to present the VIN number of the Firebird and Trans Am from where you obtained the parts. Once all done, you will be granted a rebuilt title for a Camaro. Even if the final car is 80% Pontiac parts, the firewall VIN and windshield VIN are still Camaro.

A kit car can come out looking like a Ferrari (sort of) but it is still titled as a Fiero.

A kit car can come out looking like a Porsche 917 but still titled as a VW Bug.

I had to replace the chassis of my first car, a 1972 VW Beetle, due to rust. I was allowed to keep the body's original 1972 serial number, as opposed to the replacement frame's 1974 number. I'm in Massachusetts. I was told that here at least, the VIN always comes from the body of the car. I hope that helps!

Kenny_McCormic wrote: With body on frame cars/trucks, I believe there's a special procedure at the DMV where you note both VINs.

^This. The 100% legal method is to take the receipts/titles from all donors to your DMV and have a reconstructed or kit VIN assigned. The more common method is to use the body title since noone is crawling around the frame looking for a VIN number.

JohnRW1621 wrote: A kit car can come out looking like a Porsche 917 but still titled as a VW Bug.

Perfect example of above. So many VW based kit cars running around titled as a bug. In NJ (and many other places) this is highly illegal and is grounds for your insurance company to deny a claim. If you give them grounds they'll use 'em.

If you were in Texas I could email you the forms and tell you who to see. Usually it involves recording the body, chassis, and motor numbers and then getting an inspection done by a cop. some states then require a bond. The procedure is completely dependent on your state. Try going to the DMV website in your state and looking for a title manual or something similar.

Ive got a berkly vin plate im going to use on a home built. And no, I didnt swear.

Which VIN location are they going to look at when they inspect it (if they do that in your area) and which one are they going to look at when you get pulled over by the police? (Hint: The one on the dash/windshield area)

That's the one you keep.

If anyone digs deeper, shrug and point at the VIN on the dash/winshield.

Note: This is not advice.

Virginia has a deal where the owner surrenders the title and the car is deemed "unrepairable" and is never to be titled in Virginia again. Must have something to do with airbags or something. I just drug a 79 Chevy out of a junkyard, fiddled with it a little, and it runs great. I will probably take a run at getting a title in Tennessee (where I live).

good information guys/gals. just waiting to snag a deal on the right chassis. have one in mind, but none for sale locally... ill keep ya posted