Builds and Titles/Registration

When someone takes an international body and puts it on another frame how is that vehicle Titled? Does it get titled to the international VIN
or to the donating truck frame/Motor VIN? If it's registered Antique maybe that's not a big issue. Can it be antique if the body is the only antique part on the vehicle?

This is what Rat Rodders do....

One workaround for rat rodders is to use a title company that operates in a state with no title requirements for old vehicles. Rat rodder Don Watenpaugh explained the process to us: "You obtain a notarized bill of sale turning your vehicle over to them. They register it [in a state with lax title laws] and sell it back to you, giving you a bill of sale and a current registration with a letter from their state DMV stating that vehicles of a certain age do not require titles. I then went to the Motor Vehicle Department in my home state with all the paper work and the cab [of my truck]. They did a VIN inspection on the cab and checked it against the paper work. Everything checked out and I got a title."

I've done these in CA...maybe three of them.
Luckily the vin plate was on the body somewhere.
Fill in CA DMV "statement of facts"..
Mention "conversion" or "retrofit" or "new chassis" at your own risk.
It's that OLD thing. .

One workaround for rat rodders is to use a title company that operates in a state with no title requirements for old vehicles.

Used to be that there were all kinds of companies that advertised in the back of car and truck magazines that did this service. To make a long story short, they "bought" your vehicle (even though they never ever see your vehicle), and then they get a new title for your vehicle issued in that state. (These companies operated out of states that had very loose title requirements, BTW) They then "sold" you your vehicle back to you. Everything works out great, right? Well, just remember that a lot, if not most, states now frown on this and it could come back to haunt you. I would seriously talk to your local DMV before doing this.

Some states have got wise to this and will not accept titles from these companys or states. Most states have some sort of work around, it is not easy or cheap, for a reason. If it is going to be an "assembled" vehicle from parts, better to find out what your state wants, then to title to the body number only to find out later during an inspection they want the frame number (of the later chassie). Often there is a "bonded title" or some such thing. Another place to ask would be a towing outfit, sometimes they will get title to things with a lien, then sell them. Nothing worse then getting you vehicle impounded at a later date for non-conforming id. It can cost you way more then doing right the 1st time.

Right now my truck has all stock parts. I was inquiring about it since many drop the IH bodies on other frames or make so many changes from what was original. I will ask my DMV once I get it registered as antique. I have the title for my truck so that's not a problem for me.

I was asked about CA DMV regs regarding "our stuff".
This is what I've found out:
In CA, if you don't have a title and want to register in your name (and don't want to misrepresent anything) do a lien sale. There are specialists that charge something under $200 for it or do it yourself.
Basically in the lien sale you are saying that this vehicle will become yours in a month unless someone
( who can prove ownership) steps forward.
At a tow yard that person would owe all fees (towing, storage, DMV back tags)
In this situation, a friend with a towing company comes in handy. The vehicle will need to sit for a month.
In "our" situations, since the VIN most likely isn't on record there are no DMV computer hits for past owners. "Owners of Record".
No "owners of record", no one to mail notices to. No one knows you are lien saling the vehicle except you, lien sale company, the DMV.
Get the CA DMV booklet for details.
Otherwise. If you are in good stead with the Lord above, you can say in the DMV "statement of facts"
that you've always owned the vehicle and you lost the paperwork.
A "vin verification" is crucial at this point. The DMV person will do it as a matter of course.
If you approach a law enforcement officer with "statement of facts" in hand, they may sign off the all-important "VIN verification" for you.
This then makes the "statement of facts" document your application for title. You turn it in at the DMV
(For goodness sakes, get an appointment) and the new title comes in the mail. Fast.

Rich I am from Pa. My advise is don't ask, don't tell. You also no longer need to send in pictures of the truck to get your antique plates. If you tell them of a frame swap, you will have to get a reconstructed title.

I agree with Harry.
To us the frame swap is so apparent.
Not so much to most DMV personnel.
The last thing I need to do is to have my 80s/90s frame swap under an old truck become involved with the smog test program as a "NEW construction" OUCH!
Having said that, I don't remove or disable smog devices including "check engine" lights, catalytic converters. Most of this stuff is benign, guys.
I do California Smog Check everyday for a living, BTW.

Right now my truck has all stock parts. I was inquiring about it since many drop the IH bodies on other frames or make so many changes from what was original. I will ask my DMV once I get it registered as antique. I have the title for my truck so that's not a problem for me.

I agree with others, if you already have a title, don't rock the boat, you could end up sorry you did.

WA. state is pretty EZ. I had a 1945 K-3 that motor was gone, had Pontiac 400 instead, cab ID tag was gone, the Ks were titled off engine serial #, there really wasn't anything to match title, they didn't seem to care, license plate matched it along with description,

here if you get a vehicle with no title, and you can find previous owner info, you send a registered letter to them, if it comes back or you have no prior no info you then go to DMV and they issue a registered owner title, where you are registered owner for 3 years, if no one claims it during that time, you become legal owner after 3 years are up.

usually OK on an old truck, who's gonna come out of the woodwork to claim it?

I'd be leery if it was a 57 Corvette, doing anything to it during that time, only to give it away to legal owner if he/she pops up.

another option is the ol "mechanic's lean" you have a buddy who has a shop, he writes you a bill for "work" done on it, you don't pay, he takes possession, gets a title thru the DMV for the lean he put on it,

he can then "sell" it to you to recoup his "losses"

obviously you and him are on good terms before going this route, as you basically give your truck to him.

another way here in WA. state is abandoned property title, you park it on your buddy's land, he tells sheriff it's been here forever I need paper to get rid of it, they will generate a title for it so it can be scrapped or sold.

may be different in a lot of states, but as I wrote WA. is pretty flexible on titles, you just gotta figure out what to tell them.

I have a L-120 title, ID plate and matched license plate in my files for if I find a lost titled L,