Identify a 1949 truck with no cab plate

[gigamanx]

Considering a truck purchase and I'm finding both the owner and myself can't figure out what it is. The title has the number GBA113045 which I read is a 1949 Chevy with the 216ci engine. The owner can't find that number anywhere on the truck though. The door jam plate is missing. Does that make the title useless? I'm not concerned with the seller, more concerned that the DMV will give me a hard time.

The only other number found on the engine was F09I4J

I haven't been able to find any matching information on other forums or Chevy truck ID sites that matches this number on an engine block. Is it possible the engine was replaced?

[dwcsr]

The dip at the top of the firewall circled is not on a 1950 cab, the arrows show where no ribbing is 47 48 and some 49 looked like this flat and smooth. The circle on the left by the fender was not on 47 or 48 with a floor shift. That little L bracket is a 3 speed column shift only feature. The carb and valve cover are 235 ci engine.

It may be a 49 because there is no ribs on the firewall that I can see. In the back of the cab there are cab mounts. If that attach to the sides if the frame its a 49. if the cab mount is a single mount in the center is a 48. It is not a 47 and it is not a 50. Your choices are 48 or 49.

[gigamanx]

Good stuff to know. 235ci engine. How would I find the number that is listed on the title? Should it be on the engine somewhere? GBA 113045

I might have figured out the other part. Flint Michigan, Sep, 1964 built engine. F0914J. Not an original.

[joedoh]

Originally Posted by gigamanx

Good stuff to know. 235ci engine. How would I find the number that is listed on the title? Should it be on the engine somewhere? GBA 113045

yes, GBA XXXXX is an engine serial number. most trucks will be titled by their engine number. most states have relaxed VIN standards for older than 1950 because of this.

you can look for this number on a flat pad on the block directly behind the distributor hole. if it matches, good for you, PA will LIKELY (I dont know for sure) inspect it based on that number and assign a VIN that they will rivet in the door jamb.

if you find the tag, USE IT, the tag number will be different than the engine number, they will not match.

[67GMCkid]

Pa has never verified a vin on a vehicle I brought in from another state, the most recent was my 52 3 years ago last month.. Where you are going to hit the road block is when you go to get your yearly safety inspection ,,, if the garage that you use decides to verify the vin on the truck vs the vin given on the owners card (they are suppose to). If they do and things don't match or are not present that is where the poop hits the fan.

There is no leeway in Pa. it conforms or it don't.. Black or white.. If it does not have a vin tag matching the title, it is suspect and will not be tilted if they catch it... Anyone know if these trucks have frame #s?

There is no such thing as a bonded title in Pa.. There are ways to go about getting titles fixed but you will be spending good money after bad..

Just to get the month letter in my 52's vin corrected it took the notary filling out all the paper work twice the 2nd time he had to set up a 2hr meeting at the DoT. He then had to take color pictures of the vin plate, a tracing of the vin plate, a copy of the page from the assy manual showing how to read and breakdown vin # and a notorized statement from me.... All this BS was over the simple fact somewhere along the line the J was entered as a U.... Yes that's right all that to prove there was not 21 months in the 1952 calendar year!

[mr48chev]

The firewall mounted fuse block was on 48, 49 and I think 47.

This is a 49 firewall
[URL=http://s173.photobucket.com/user/mr48chev/media/GM%20AD%20truck%20information/AD%20firewall%20differences%20by%20year/IMG_4386.jpg.html][/

This is a 51 firewall and you can see the stamped ribs Dave mentioned earlier. Just for the sake of comparison.


I'd say that the title was correct for the truck in question. You can buy a reproduction door post plate for 25.00 or so but I am still hunting the correct font of stamps
Big problem is that years ago guys took those plates off when they painted the truck on a regular basis and forgot to put them back on. Up though the seventies no one gave it a second thought.

If the truck has to go through inspection to be registered before you can drive it it might be a bit of a hassle but if you can take that title down to the license office and transfer it and get tags with a new title in your name you are probably good to go,

[gigamanx]

Thank goodness the guy does seem to have a legit title and the numbers make sense for the year. Pennsylvania will still require a VIN verification as part of their title transfer process, so I don't know how that will go. I could def. go the route of a repro vin plate but isn't that kind of illegal? I feel like its like making a fake ID haha. How would the DMV even know it was a recreated one?

[Highsider]

It will be the newest, shiniest, item on the entire truck.

[mr48chev]

Probably wouldn't work to stamp it and then "age it" but my original vin plate has probably a dozen coats of paint on it and the a scraped off area over the vin. to be able to read it. I think I finally scraped enough paint off so that I could read the weight but the tag it's self is a mess.

Did you look under the seat, in the glove box and in the other hiding places in the truck, that tag might still be in the truck somewhere.

[mr48chev]

No vin or serial or series number on any AD frame that I know of.

Added to that I don't believe that the numerical part of the engine number matches the production number part of the vin on the door tag. I've never dove into the numbers matching thing but rather it started with 1955 passenger cars.

Can't tell you what to do unless you have a real good buddy that does inspections that will let the freshly stamped aftermarket vin tag slide. Talking your away around that one while dealing with someone who is bent on finding something out of sync might not be something you want to do.

[joedoh]

I grew up in pittsburgh and when I tell people in kansas about the hassle of getting a drivers license in pa it boggles their minds. you have to apply to take the test, wait for the form, take the form to the drivers station and take the written test, if you pass they send you a permit. you practice driving a while and go take the driving test, if you pass they stamp your permit and you submit a form to get your license. in a couple weeks you get a form to take to the library and have your picture taken. in a couple more weeks you get your license in the mail.

when I moved to kansas I lost my wallet a week before moving. the ks dl center wouldnt give me a ks dl until I gave them the pa one to cancel. I went back twice a week to plead my case to the same lady, the pa process to get a duplicate couldnt be done ad absentia, I needed to be there to have my picture taken again and get a duplicate. after three weeks and the same answer, I left the "out of state" line and got in the "new license" line. the woman at the front of that line sat right next to the woman I had been pleading with for three weeks. she watched me advance in line and when the lady in my line asked "have you ever had a license in another state?" I looked right at her and said "NO". I had a picture license in an hour.

[73kay]

I bought my truck in Texas with a missing plate. But I also had no engine or title. Paid $300 for somebody else to figure it out and do a bonded title. Case closed they assigned the bin as the engine serial. So for you find out if pa has to inspect it. If not title as you normally would and then apply for change in vin bc you have a different motor in it. That's all legal and true. I would say a "new" used motor in there and want all your numbers to match.

If for any reason, you can always go bonded title. But you have a bill of sale, a title etc. I wouldn't stress too much on this. You've done a lot of hard work this far just gotta do a bit more til you get a clean pa title. Best of luck!

Remember don't do a damn thing to the truck until the paperwork is cleared up. Lol

[67GMCkid]

Lost title issues in Pa are horrible at best but. I can only imagine what can of worms, the No Vin plate is going to open.

There is no proof that paper is for that truck and that is the whole meaning of vin #s and titles..

There is no such thing as a Bonded Title in Pa.

Do your home work, call a few inspection garages, call a few notaries or the DMV see what they tell you,( just don't call the one you are planning on using)

I have been dealing with old cars and tittle issues with this state for 35 years, it has become a nightmare... Anymore if it has a title issue, I don't care how nice it is , IT IS A PARTS CAR..

[gigamanx]

Originally Posted by 67GMCkid

Lost title issues in Pa are horrible at best but. I can only imagine what can of worms, the No Vin plate is going to open.

There is no proof that paper is for that truck and that is the whole meaning of vin #s and titles..

There is no such thing as a Bonded Title in Pa.

Do your home work, call a few inspection garages, call a few notaries or the DMV see what they tell you,( just don't call the one you are planning on using)

I have been dealing with old cars and tittle issues with this state for 35 years, it has become a nightmare... Anymore if it has a title issue, I don't care how nice it is , IT IS A PARTS CAR..

I'm going to call the AACA and the local hotrod shop and see if they know any details on titling requirements. Good idea!

[mr48chev]

Originally Posted by gigamanx

I'm going to call the AACA and the local hotrod shop and see if they know any details on titling requirements. Good idea!

That's the best idea, do all of your homework before putting out any money. I see too many guys with thousands invested in no title or questionable title rigs trying to figure out how to get titles on their just finished rigs.

[gigamanx]

I couldn't really care less if the numbers match. I just need to know the piece of paper I'm being handed is for the right car haha. I am pretty sure the engine isn't the original, so it comes down to the chassis # or if the guy finds the cab plate. He is getting back to me if he finds either.

[Highsider]

Give joedoh $300 to title it in Kansas.

[gigamanx]

Originally Posted by Highsider

Give joedoh $300 to title it in Kansas.

If it were that easy! The issue isn't the title. The truck comes with one of those. The issue is that the number listed on the title, GBA113045 is not anywhere on the vehicle. I thought it was engine number which would match the description on the title of a 1949 1/2T Chevy, but the engine code I was given is for a 1964 built engine.... The owner may never have done an engine change on the title leaving me out of luck if I bought it. Hoping to find the GBAxxxx stamped on the chassis. If not, well, I guess I might still buy the truck and try and find another way to title it.

[joedoh]

Originally Posted by Highsider

Give joedoh $300 to title it in Kansas.

haha 49 and down is bill of sale only no VIN inspection in KS, EXCEPT out of state. everything out of state gets VIN inspected.

[gigamanx]

Just got off the phone with a local shop that is on their 3rd chevy build. He said if I have the piece of paper, simply get a new plate made to match the title and stick it in the cab. It will pass in PA.

Woohoo!

[gigamanx]

Title arrived today so paperwork was in order and I got what I needed. One note for PA folks, my Oklahoma title did not have the weight rating from the cab plate of 4600lbs. PA requires that, so an inspection mechanic had to come out and complete a form to verify that the cab plate did, in fact, state 4600lbs.

Word of advice...be kind to everyone, you never know when you might need them

[iowaboynca]

Originally Posted by gigamanx

Title arrived today so paperwork was in order and I got what I needed.

Its a good feeling to get that piece of paper

[73kay]

Good to hear. Now you can tear into her with some confidence! Best of luck!

[nvrdone]

do you have a friend / relative in another state that you can register the truck at their address ? then in a year after you have a title "move" to PA & get the truck registered there ? I know its a bit suspect but it seems like a way to beat the PA rules.
Now I remember why we called it Penn-slo-mania

[Desert1957]

Originally Posted by nvrdone

do you have a friend / relative in another state that you can register the truck at their address ? then in a year after you have a title "move" to PA & get the truck registered there ? I know its a bit suspect but it seems like a way to beat the PA rules.
Now I remember why we called it Penn-slo-mania

This will not work, trust me, Pa has to look at every vin tag in person.

Iv'e been through this on EVERY vehicle I have owned (It SUCKS)

Even the tag and title services walk out to the parking lot and look at the vin plates.