Help... Registering Issue

[Erik Carlson]

Trying to register my freshly rebuilt '74 and I'm running into a challenge. Took it to the California DMV and found out that I have an Arizona Assigned VIN Number (only 7 digits). The new number makes my vintage '74 an '86 Kit car because it says "Recon" and "1986" on the title. They can register it, but it won't be a Ford, Bronco, or a '74... it will be an '86, therefore needing emissions testing each year. (it's not set up to pass emissions).
After speaking to someone at the DMV that knows early Broncos, he told me to go to the California Highway Patrol office, and they do a walk-through and "May" assign a correct VIN Number that actually says its a '74 Ford Bronco again. My question is this.. has anyone gone through anything like this, and if so, is there anything I should know to say to the CHP to make this easier?? Thanks a TON. Erik.

 

[broncoswede61]

Do you have a VIN on your glovebox door? If so does it match the VIN on the frame rail?

 

[Erik Carlson]

the only VIN I've been able to find is the vin on the driver-side engine compartment firewall next to the brake booster bracket. Nothing on the glove box and I'll take another look at the frame (but where would it be on the frame?)
The first owner told me when I bought it that he rebuilt it and registered it in '86 and ever since it has had the "recon" title.. HELP. I need this to be a 74 Ford Bronco, not a Damn 86 kit car that I can't pass through emissions..

 

[broncoswede61]

the only VIN I've been able to find is the vin on the driver-side engine compartment firewall next to the brake booster bracket. Nothing on the glove box and I'll take another look at the frame (but where would it be on the frame?)
The first owner told me when I bought it that he rebuilt it and registered it in '86 and ever since it has had the "recon" title.. HELP. I need this to be a 74 Ford Bronco, not a Damn 86 kit car that I can't pass through emissions..

That's a strange place for a VIN.Maybe some AZ members can chime in. The frame # is on the pass. side top of frame,usually straight down from firewall. You might have to scrape it a bit to reveal the VIN.

 

[brian72]

nothing on the glove box...odd.

If nothing else you can probably buy a glove box door and title somewhere%) %) :-X

 

[adunham]

Arizona recon titles are issued when, for example, the body of the vehicle did not originally come on that particular frame, and the owner cannot prove or make it seem otherwise. There are different levels of inspection depending upon how suspicious they are of theft or shady dealings. I almost got a recon title because I did not have the glovebox door, but that meant I would have had to do a million things to it in order to pass inspection (finish turn signals, horn, finish wipers, dash, etc.) Instead, I went to Marti's and ordered a new data tag for the glovebox (legal) that matched the # on the frame. You could do that, and maybe apply for a new title in California saying that your old one is lost. I think maybe they would go off of the correct VIN at that point. Of course I have no idea what the system is in California, so I could be completely wrong. At any rate, the best way to find the VIN on your frame is to first get a Brillo pad with the incorporated pink soap. Open up your hood (parking brake on, truck in gear of course) and stand on your front passenger wheel. Look down at the top of the passenger side frame rail in the engine bay and follow it back toward the firewall. It starts to dip down as it approaches the firewall and then disappears under the body. Reach down with the Brillo pad (dry) and brush the top of the rail through the entire dip region (10" length or so). If you can't reach it from up top, you can access it through the fenderwell and also from underneath the truck, reaching up and over. The Brillo pad scrapes away all the dirt and grease, but it also fills in the stamped VIN with the dry pink soap, so it becomes a lot easier to read. BTW the first and last characters will probably be stars, so you're not crazy if you think you can't read them.

Here's the Marti link:

http://www.martiauto.com/

Good Luck

 

[screamin reel]

Eric hope this helps.
On my 74 I have 2 VIN #'s stamped on the frame.
1st is 39"s back from front of frame right above the elongated hole in your frame looking at it from the bottom.
2nd is 5"s in front of the 3rd body mount back from the front of the frame.
Both are on the passenger side and both are on the top of the frame. 2nd is kinda tough, if not impossible to see with the body mounted on the frame.

 

[Erik Carlson]

Thanks alot. So I understand, I assume I'm gonna find the original VIN # of the Bronco that was on that frame (which could be the same complete one I'm currently driving). But because it couldn't be proven, the previous owner accepted the 7 digit AZ Assigned #.
So now I'll end up with the correct VIN # AND an Assigned #.
What do I do? Your advice is to use Marti Auto to print up a new VIN tag to match the frame # with the glovebox and the inner firewall, THEN take it to CHP?
I fear I'm already too deep in this process, as the DMV now has records of the Assigned # on my rig? (even though I didn't pay em yet or finish the process)??? HELP...

 

[adunham]

I fear I'm already too deep in this process, as the DMV now has records of the Assigned # on my rig? (even though I didn't pay em yet or finish the process)??? HELP...

That I didn't know. Is it registered or are you trying to move from a temporary to a permanent registration? Otherwise I don't think they'd keep tabs on your truck if you had only asked about it. If you want to contact ADOT, here is the link to the info:

http://www.azdot.gov/mvd/contact.asp

One more thing, I think (and this is a big I THINK), that the 7 digit number might revert back to the original VIN after a 2 year waiting period in AZ if no one else can lay claim to the vehicle. You'd have to ask about that one, though.