Vin Question

grey46

grey46

Junior Member
I just got a 1926 T .coupe. When I checked the motor number to the vin on the title I was very happy as it matched, then I ran the motor number (8961703) and it shows as a 1923 number. Im in Illinois and they have made it very hard ,especialy if its an out of state title to get a title without doing the bonded title process. Any one ran into this kind of deal before? Thanks
 
There might be a number on the drivers side frame rail that you should be able to see if you take the floor boards out, if this matches the vin that's great. The state will not have any way to date your motor to 1923. Some time in the past the motor was swapped out and the old vin was re-stamped on the block. If you had bought a replacement block in the day it would not have had a motor number stamped on it. If all the number match the title, motor and frame, I would just go for it.
 
December 19, 1923 to be exact. That would make the engine a 1924 model. It's not uncommon for engines to be replaced or to have a car assembled from parts. Post pictures of the body and power plant and someone can give you more detailed descriptions of what you have. Depending on the month your 26 chassis was built, there should be a number stamped on top of the RH frame rail. Lift the floorboard to see if it's there. If present, this would be the original engine number. The transmission should have wide low/high and brake pedals. It should also have bolt flanges at the top that would attach the trans (hogs head) to the back of a 26 engine.

Somewhere in it's life, the car was retitled with a different engine (number). This is good in that the title matches but not so good from a collector standpoint. It's going to be hard to get it straightened out if that's what you want.
 
redmodelt said:
There might be a number on the drivers side frame rail that you should be able to see if you take the floor boards out, if this matches the vin that's great. The state will not have any way to date your motor to 1923. Some time in the past the motor was swapped out and the old vin was re-stamped on the block. If you had bought a replacement block in the day it would not have had a motor number stamped on it. If all the number match the title, motor and frame, I would just go for it.
Click to expand...

Ive checked both frame rails no numbers ,I understand they didnt start stamping the frames till Dec 1926. So thats ok,but theres this woman in Illinois DMV that is pulling all out of state titles pre 1948,and looking for anything to make us get bonded titles. She got me on a 29 coupe that had a 1930 engine number and wouldnt issue a title unless I went thru the bonded process. And she shreaded that title .So now Im afraid to send this title in as she may discover the 23 motor number when the title is for a 26,its getting real tuff in Illinois.
 
CCWKen said:
December 19, 1923 to be exact. That would make the engine a 1924 model. It's not uncommon for engines to be replaced or to have a car assembled from parts. Post pictures of the body and power plant and someone can give you more detailed descriptions of what you have. Depending on the month your 26 chassis was built, there should be a number stamped on top of the RH frame rail. Lift the floorboard to see if it's there. If present, this would be the original engine number. The transmission should have wide low/high and brake pedals. It should also have bolt flanges at the top that would attach the trans (hogs head) to the back of a 26 engine.

Somewhere in it's life, the car was retitled with a different engine (number). This is good in that the title matches but not so good from a collector standpoint. It's going to be hard to get it straightened out if that's what you want.
Click to expand...
I agree its a good thing the title matchs the motor number,and Im not that concerned about numbers matching car,but I just dont want to lose another title because of the discrepency. Do you have a link to check Model T vins,and one for Model A's Thanks
 
I just talked to a collector that buys and sells quite a few A's and T's in Illinois.
He had a 30 sedan with a 28 engine. The 1930 title matched the engine number. The state police inspector looked up the number and said the car was not a 1930. She demanded he lift the body to inspect the frame number. He hasn't decided what to do.

I have heard this many times. In Illinois, the engine number must match the title number and be the correct year.

They are worse than that for street rods and motorcycles.They look at every part.
 
In NY which is generally a tuff state to deal with, they have a lost or nontitled method to register an old vehicle. They run the numbers to check if they are clean and then issue the registration. I have a 15 with a 1920 body number and a 1916 engine. We used the body number.
 
As the letters "VIN" stand for Vehicle Identification Number, and as when they put your motor/frame number on your title it is listed under VIN it all amounts to the same thing.
Dose not matter if it's a motor number or a modern number with codes built in, it is still a VIN number when it come to the/your DMV.
 
I have a 23' touring with a 26 eng. & trans in it and the N.J. "VIN" number on the title is the 26' engine number. So go figure.
 
Hey brother- I am also in IL and went through a particularly and similiar tough process this fall. Email me and I can help you with suggestions. I had an Indiana '27 Tudor with a swapped engine.

Thanks,
Jim from IL
 
I may have missed something here. If you have a title and engine with matching numbers do you actually have a problem? Or does IL inspect the car before re-issuing a title in your name? They don't in NJ. If you have a title they issue you a title in your name without looking at the car, for an insane fee of course.
 
I recently purchased a '26 roadster here in CA with a frame number that matched the engine number (March 1926). It had no title but it came out of an estate sale with a bill of sale. It was an easy process to get it titled in my name and I got the title in the mail today. For body type it says 2D so I'm guessing that the car originally may not have been a roadster(?). Now, if I were to replace this engine with one of a different number and trade this engine in as a core what is the likelyhood that this number may some day show up again as a "vin"? Given many people here are saying that the engine number is a vin number on a T. Even though the same number is stamped into my frame.
 
In Illinois ALL pre-1946 antique cars are "flagged" by the SOS and have to have a police officer visually inspect and verify your engine or frame number. The page has to be signed and then either faxed or emailed with an image of the serial number to a special investigator which has your caseload. Then, and only then, will the title be released and sent within 2-3 weeks.

Jim from IL
 
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