Kind of hard to explain.......

Does anyone know if it is possible to take the registration from a vehilce (say a pre-SMOG savalge, no good junk vehicle/frame, that maybe hasn't even been registered for several years) and then using that registration on a completely different vehicle (like a Toyota that you can't get to pass Smog or a mid-80's Jeep with an engine swap, or whatever) then taking the registration to the DMV and telling them you did a body swap to it on the same frame? Will they check the numbers on the frame, on the body, etc? Sounds crazy, but is there a way? I am having troubles with smoggin a vehicle and am trying to come up with some creative way of getting around it......hell if it would work then I wouldn't have to worry about smog again a couple years down the road.....

gracias......

Your sidebar says you're located in LA and I'm not sure if that's LA as in Loozeeana or LA as in the Peoples Republic of California city. But in any event in my '53 Willys wagon body was transplanted onto a shortened '74 Wagoneer chassis in California - AMC 360 and all. The California DMV accepted it as a '53 Willys because all of the numbers were on the body only.

When I registered the rig in Nevada the same thing happened - The DMV here accepted it as a '53 Willys, 360 and all. I don't know if the DMV folks screwed up or what but I just played dumb and let them do their thing. Maybe I was lucky, maybe not but were I you, I would play mix n match and see what happens.

Your sidebar says you're located in LA and I'm not sure if that's LA as in Loozeeana or LA as in the Peoples Republic of California city.

Yeah, LA as in Cali.......thanks for the info. I was kind of thinking along the same lines. I have seen several pics of bodies on other vehicle frames on this site (the postal Jeep body on the Blazer frame, a Pinto body on a Bronco(?) frame, etc..) and was thinking that if the DMV isn't going to be able to check the numbers on the frame anyhow and I have the titles for both vehicles, then maybe I could take the paper work for the vehicle I am having troubles with and say that it is actually the pre-SMOG vehicle. I would basically be scrapping one for the other in terms of the title.......thats what I was thinking, but I kind of wanted to hear if anyone has done this or something similar first. And Rockcrusher it kind of sounds like what you did, sort of.....

Move out of CA to a place like TN where the DMV lets us drive tractors on the road.. legally...


Problem solved :cool2:

You are very close to the solution grasshopper. Read everything you wrote and read what rockcrusher's experiance was. The answer lies in that. You are getting goofed up thinking about old off the books titles and frames. :flipoff2: :flipoff2:

Originally posted by DRM
Move out of CA to a place like TN where the DMV lets us drive tractors on the road.. legally...

Problem solved :cool2:

Why move all the way to TN. The ranchers here in NV drive them things on the road all the time. Hell, they also land their planes on the highways.

Or just to AZ. sheesh ;)

You are very close to the solution grasshopper. Read everything you wrote and read what rockcrusher's experiance was. The answer lies in that. You are getting goofed up thinking about old off the books titles and frames.




I kind of figure I am not too far off on my lines of thinking, with any luck that is. I want to try this with an 84 Toy truck though, as opposed to 2 older vehicles to begin with. My smog problem stems from the fact that there is a V8 in the truck right now and I don't have a clue as too what it would take to smog......The thing I am suggesting though is to buy a title (say for a frame, or beater) and then saying I swapped the Toyota onto the frame...without actually doing so. In my case, I have a Ford V8 so maybe try and find a Bronco title so if they lift the hood they see Ford....I don't know what numbers they would check though.


If anyone has swapped a vehicle body before is reading this and knows or has dealt with the DMV on such a matter , please let me know what was invovled. I am interested in any information on the subject as I can git.........
thanks again.

A Bronco that looks like a Toyota? :rolleyes: When did they start importing Toyotas in large quantities? What do they look like compared to let's say an '84? Can you buy the part from a 1973 that truly defines the year/VIN in the eyes of the DMV inspector? If it looks like a Toyota, and is titled as a ford do you think those guys in the cars with the lights with American flag colors will want to check it out?

Also here in CA you have the option of handling your DMV business through a AAA office;) You'd be amazed the crap they let slide there.:D Plus you have someone that'll come tow your rig for you.