Just wondering but on the truck in the sig where are the vin numbers located at other than at the front of the dash.

and the second question is that since my truck has been in an accident it turns out that the body shop has decided well not decided but they are recommending to the insurance and me that they purchase a new cab shell and replace the existing one because they do not want to hack apart the one i have and try to piece it together because when the lady t boned me it muffed up the bottom of the cab and right behind the door and around the door.

my question is that what will happen to my VIN #. They are looking for a new shell or a used from a 2008 truck which is basically new anyway. Can they just pop the VIN off of my current cab to go over to the other one or what. The VIN's have gotta match because i mean hell if it's a used cab they get and i get pulled over and the cab comes back to some truck from another state or w/e and doesn't match my registration idk.. I'm just trying to figure this all out. Too late to call the body shop got the message when i got home after they closed so i'll talk to them tomorrow.

 

It should be up in the window on the dash, which I think you already state, and then it's also on the inside of the door.

If they are having to do that much frame-work, I would think the truck should be totaled...? When my wreck happened in my first ram, they told me that the frame of the cab had messed up and it was going to cost a lot more to fix than the truck was worth...Are you sure you brought it to a shop that knows what they're doing? I could be misunderstanding here, or just not have a very good idea, but when I was reading what you described I just kind of shook my head in disbelief that they were considering basically taking your frame apart and bending it back into position...?

Be careful with this man. There are a lot of guys on here with much more experience and knowledge with insurance companies(they'll chime in eventually) that will make sure you get taken care of and not screwed over, but I figured I would help you out with another vin location

 

the frame itself of the truck is fine. The total estimate is like 10k approximately and if you look it all over literally only two pieces of suspension are being replaced and that's it.

The girl that hit the truck hit me dead center in the passenger door and it basically tweaked the cab as well as the door. nothing was pressed in far enough that it actually hit the frame of the truck. all moving parts are essentially fine it was just a butt ton of superficial damage.

The original plan was to order an entire cab side and basically cut out the damaged sections and replace the paneling. Upon further inspection they realized that the way everything had buckled for them to actually sit there and do the metal work required to actually fix everything properly they felt that it would be a lot of wear and tear on the metal alone and they decided to look for a new cab shell. If you look at it I have to agree i'd rather have a new cab that is straight than have my old one that took a butt ton of hours to straighten back out by cutting pieces off and rewelding in new panels that were ordered in.

Personally I think if really any core components woulda been damaged the truck woulda been totalled but seeing as it really is all in the body primarily the door, cabside, and fender literally all other parts of the truck are completely untouched. They were never planning on bending the metal back which is impossible because when it was hit and the metal dented in it also stretches making it impossible to just pop the dent out seeing as in it's original shape now the panel would not be correct due to metal stretch. The body shop was originally planning on just cutting out all damaged panels and putting in new. This was deemed by them to be too much work and they felt that the time it would take them to make the cabside right again would take much longer and still never be as good as what a new perfectly straight cab assembly would be. I'm actually very happy they brought this to our attention instead of continuing with the plan they are trying to make sure that the truck gets all the right parts and nothing gets half-assed or is done in such a way that they won't feel satisfied with it.

The only part we're trying to make sure of is that the Vin numbers will match just like they always have.

 

Oh I thought you were saying there was frame damage, that's why I was weirded out by their decision. I think I'm just a little too tired to really get a picture in my head of the damage that was done lol.

Srry you got Tboned though, glad you are ok and made it out safe. Women drivers man;\ lol. I got Tboned by a chick as well

 

In Michigan that vehicle would become an assembled vehicle with a new assigned number. The vehicle would be a "2009 assembled vehicle". They cannot legally just "assign" the VIN from the original chassis to the new cab. There are several confidential VIN (CON-VIN) locations on all vehicles.

 

They will just put the VIN plate from the old cab dash into the new one. The frame/chassis is what is VIN locked. Mine has a couple of different barcode stickers on the frame with the VIN on them. It is probably stamped somewhere as well. Body parts are made to be replaced. Frames are not.

That Michigan rule is FUBAR.

 

See that's what I thought too just wanted to talk to u guys so I was looking my truck doesn't have a vin on the firewall that I can find.. I'm just wondering in the long run how this will affect the value of the truck. According to carfax a vehicle that has had body repairs is good which isn't a bad value drop. So idk. Just blows this happened. I assumed vin was tied to the frame not the body just frame and motor. Thnks guys uve made a stressed guy feel easy

 

Well, by replacing the cab, it will be worth more than one pieced together and bondo'd up!!

 

You cannot "just take the VIN plate and put it in the new one". I am here to tell you, I any police officer sees that, we WILL be taking the truck. The body shop does not have access to the proper attachment devices (rivets). It is a felony to even possess the rivets.

When major body work is done like that a list of the parts and where they were from has to be presented to vehicle inspector and then they sign the forms and that is what you get your "assigned VIN" from. By federal law all high theft body parts have to be labeled (usually a mylar sticker that is destroyed if it is removed).