Wish Me Luck !

[1STMP]

After 27 years it's getting down to the wire.
Just side windows, window regulators,
and some weatherstripping yet to install.
Then to get it insured, weighed, and titled.
The only hiccup I see is the cab was bought
on a bill of sale (with serial number attached)
DMV's don't see too many of these types of
vehicles, that have a 'home built' chassis.
The body parts are a hodge podge mixture
of Plymouth, Dodge, and Ford.
I have all of the receipts for machine work/
driveline/suspension captured in three
binders, each 3" thick.
I'm a little apprehensive about how smoothly
the titling process is going to go, as I've read
about some having their builds impounded
due to nefarious practices. If such were to
happen, I'd be devistated.....

 

[Budnicks]

Good luck, you got this...

 

[1STMP]

Good luck, you got this...

Thanks for the support, Bud.
Good people here that understand and relate
to the passion.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Good Luck, hopefully it all goes smoothly with no BS..

 

[1STMP]

Good Luck, hopefully it all goes smoothly with no BS..

Thanks 1 Wild....
It will be a huge relief once this truck is
street legal. My hope is that I don't get
some dingbat at DMV that doesn't know
what the hell they're talking about. I've gone
round and round on much simpler transfers
with these idiots.

 

[Motorcitydak]

Hope you get to work with someone who actually just wants to help you along. That first drive will be so great!!

 

[1STMP]

Motorcitydak
Thanks for the vote of confidence.
Though I've driven this creation
around the block, it wasn't more
than just above idle. Can't hardly
wait 'till I get to romp on it. If that
440 performs as well as it's reputation
I'll be one happy camper.

 

[Richard Cranium]

27 years? If you get another vintage car, my advice to you is to buy one that's finished.

Good luck at the DMV.

 

[BB BELLA]

home built chassis, just register it as self powered trailer!

 

[moparedtn]

Good luck - but call 'em and ask all the questions before you bring them the truck!

 

[Hey-O]

A man with a vision, show them how it's done!! You got this!!

 

[1STMP]

27 years? If you get another vintage car, my advice to you is to buy one that's finished.

Good luck at the DMV.

Where's the fun in that? LOL.
You're right though, I ain't got 27 years
to build another one.

 

[1STMP]

Good luck - but call 'em and ask all the questions before you bring them the truck!

moparedtn
Thanks. I've been asking the questions about
the build just about everytime I've gone to
the DMV for other business. It's the different
answers to the same questions that has me
worried. The last time there, I asked about
the cab I bought via a bill of sale. The clerk
at DMV said I needed a title for it when in
fact I know the title went with the old
rolling chassis. Common sense should tell
you that you can't have two titles for
vehicles with the same serial number (not
a vin # on a vehicle this old). The engine
on these old Doge's and Plymouths had
the same serial number as the cab and
the frames.

 

[1STMP]

A man with a vision, show them how it's done!! You got this!!

Hey-O
Thanks for your vote of encouragement.
I've spent a lifetime career of designing
heavy trucks and busses, and thought it
would be fun to design a chassis. With
input from another engineer we modeled
all of the chassis components on CAD
to work under the sheetmetal of a pre-war
Plymouth/Dodge truck.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Are there any vehicle registration services in New Mexico? I know a couple guys here locally that have used services to avoid dealing with our DMV simply because its so frustrating but we deal with title issues long before putting allot of hours & $$$ into getting our cars road worthy... And I've only once heard of a car being confiscated & that car had previously been reported stolen... If NM has a history of confiscating vehicles just just they don't like the story I'd consider using a title service to avoid involving the DMV nut cases...

The truck is way to cool to have some government official type screw things up..

 

[1STMP]

Are there any vehicle registration services in New Mexico? I know a couple guys here locally that have used services to avoid dealing with our DMV simply because its so frustrating but we deal with title issues long before putting allot of hours & $$$ into getting our cars road worthy... And I've only once heard of a car being confiscated & that car had previously been reported stolen... If NM has a history of confiscating vehicles just just they don't like the story I'd consider using a title service to avoid involving the DMV nut cases...

The truck is way to cool to have some government official type screw things up..

1 Wild,
Thanks for the suggestion, and I will
investigate this possibility. My vehicle
insurer is a pretty cool dude (loves hot
rods), and he'll probably know how to get
around the deficiencies of the DMV.
Sad that this recourse has to be pursued
in the first place. But I'll be damned to see
27 years of effort wind up in an auction sale. Maybe I'm being just a little paranoid.

 

[Hey-O]

Where's the fun in that? LOL.
You're right though, I ain't got 27 years
to build another one.

I didn't build my Coronet, unlike the ones before it, times for me have changed. The good thing is, you have plenty of time to enjoy the fruits of your labor, get started!

 

[moparedtn]

moparedtn
Thanks. I've been asking the questions about
the build just about everytime I've gone to
the DMV for other business. It's the different
answers to the same questions that has me
worried. The last time there, I asked about
the cab I bought via a bill of sale. The clerk
at DMV said I needed a title for it when in
fact I know the title went with the old
rolling chassis. Common sense should tell
you that you can't have two titles for
vehicles with the same serial number (not
a vin # on a vehicle this old). The engine
on these old Doge's and Plymouths had
the same serial number as the cab and
the frames.

I wonder if they'd do a search for the number for you without risk of further "incrimination", just to see?

 

[MarPar]

In lieu of a title service, I would get an appt with the manager of the DMV straightaway. This build is going to be too "complicated" for a regular computer jockey to handle properly.

 

[1STMP]

Feeling pretty good today. Got the regulator,
glass, and bear claw latches worked out,
using the inside and outside door handles.
One door to go before the DMV antics. This
has been a long time coming. It will be a big relief when there's a license plate
hanging off the back.
Everything else is done, Seat belts, head
and tail lights, wiper, horn (road runner
beep beep), windshield and rear glass,
turn signals, back-up lamps, rear view
mirrors. Starting to look like an old
Plymouth truck again. Literally hundreds
of hours, and who knows how much
spent. (haven't totaled it up yet).
Thanks to all here that have answered
questions, and offered advice. Couldn't
have done it without you.