Legality of rolling back an odometer

[AyWoSch Motors]

Hello there,
I have an odd dilemma relating a peiced together Frankenstein truck (or a Johnny Cash Cadillac if you know the song lol).
The truck is a K10 long bed.
The frame is from a 76 K10 Cheyenne, the axles are out of a 83 K20, springs from a 85 K30, cab from a 85 C10, bed from a 78 C10, engine from a 74 blazer, trans and transfer from a 78 jimmy, ect, ect. So many different trucks worth of parts it's hard to keep track of.
Anyway.... my question results from me rebuilding and restoring a gauge cluster. The odometer I have says 10,311, but its out of a blazer that was at the junk yard. I dont know the mileage for any other part I have.
I do have a title for the 76 Cheyenne that is the frame, and the title said 98,500 in 1989 when the title was last transferred.
Now, should I match the last known milage on the title, or because I'm restoring, do I have the right to roll it back to 0?
I'm going end up having to get a rebuild or salvage title, and get a new VIN issued for it, but what are the rules as far as milage goes?
Or should I just get it registered as a 76 Cheyenne and tell them that its rolled over from 98,500 to 10,000, and not go into detail about its mutt like genetics?
Any help you all can provide will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Ricko1966]

All you have to due is state actual milage unknown.Are the cab and frame both from the same 76 Cheyenne?If so register it as the Cheyenne is your cheapest, least hassle option. Or anyway it is Kansas.

 

[AyWoSch Motors]

All you have to due is state actual milage unknown.Are the cab and frame both from the same 76 Cheyenne?If so register it as the Cheyenne is your cheapest, least hassle option. Or anyway it is Kansas.

No, cab is from a 85 c10. Which raises another issue, it has a 17 digit vin on the dash. If I do go the easy way, and anyone ever checks, they obviously wont match.

 

[DoubleDingo]

Just tell them what you know of the cab and frame, they don't care what makes it go down the road unless the components are a hazard to the driving public. Highway Patrol has to inspect it if it's a pieced-together vehicle. At that point make sure everything is in running/operating order, literally everything, and if they ask about the mileage tell them the truth. You replaced the speedometer. Use the KISS method. Not kiss their ass, Keep It Simple Stupid. The more you have ready, the more is working, the less they have to question, the less suspect you'll look, and the smoother it will go. If it operates like a factory vehicle, they will assume it'll operate like a factory vehicle.

 

[Ricko1966]

In Kansas if it's a constructed vehicle, you must have a bill of sale or title for the frame and the cab, you also must have a bill of sale for the engine. They check the numbers on all 3 and check the milage on whatever odometer is in it, but it has to have an odometer in it for them to read. Then they assign a new VIN and title with that odometer reading. But you now own a 2021 chevy truck and get taxed accordingly.Where is the cab that matches your frame right now?

 

[DoubleDingo]

That bites. Part it out if you're going to get taxed for it being a 2021

 

[AyWoSch Motors]

In Kansas if it's a constructed vehicle, you must have a bill of sale or title for the frame and the cab, you also must have a bill of sale for the engine. They check the numbers on all 3 and check the milage on whatever odometer is in it, but it has to have an odometer in it for them to read. Then they assign a new VIN and title with that odometer reading. But you now own a 2021 chevy truck and get taxed accordingly.Where is the cab that matches your frame right now?

Bought the truck from a friend of mine. As just a rolling chassis.
He took the original cab and bed off because it was rusted out and wrecked. Last time I saw it, it was on a trailer headed for a scrap yard, long before I bought it.
I do have a bill of sale for the frame and one for the engine, and the cab I got a junkyard.. so...

Didnt think about the tax issue. Now that I hear that, I think I'll pretend like it's all one truck.

 

[Turbo4whl]

Similar as @Ricko1966 said for Kansas, in Pennsylvania you need to apply for a reconstructed vehicle title. Papers for proof of ownership of the parts required, and PA issues a new vin plate and title.

 

[PrairieDrifter]

Wow I love ND, do whatever you want as long as it's road worthy pretty much lol.

 

[Ricko1966]

I remember having to search for original wheels so I could register my 75

 

[Grit dog]

Each state has its own inequities for title and registration.
It’s not an actual mileage vehicle, ao I suspect it won’t matter.
I’m going to roll my odometer to 00000 before I re assemble my 86. Seems cool to have a 0 mile old rig. Not like it matters. Engine isn’t original and it’s value isn’t in the miles , but rather the condition.

 

[75gmck25]

Registering it with the cab vin would make the most sense, but it sounds like you don’t have a title for the cab. Could you come up with enough paperwork (bill of sale,etc) to prove you bought and own the cab? If so, you should be able to apply for a lost title and then register it. The rest of the truck is just hard parts (engine, frame, etc.) and they don’t care about them for registration .

Also, since you have title and registration for a ‘76, you could just use that . The catch is that there is no vin tag on the door frame of a newer truck cab and you lost the old one. However, it wouldn’t surprise me if someone out there makes reproduction vin tags. You can prove ownership, so I don’t see any legal question about making the right tag.

 

[Salty Crusty]

I've always thought of a "constructed" vehicle as custom, usually beginning with a one-off or modified frame and other parts.
When a cab, doors, bed, tailgate, fenders, hood, core support and frame are possibly from different vehicles but are the same as original, it's a "cobbled together hooptie". That's my field, it's the only way mine are built.
As long as the title matches the cab VIN, I'm good to go! As many vehicles as I've registered in Texas, I've NEVER had anybody check a frame VIN. Most of 'em don't even look at the windshield or door pilar VIN tag.

 

[Ricko1966]

The salvage yard has to turn the titles to salvage vehicles over to the state so, applying for a lost title that the state knows wasn't his title might not be a good idea.

 

[AyWoSch Motors]

Each state has its own inequities for title and registration.
It’s not an actual mileage vehicle, ao I suspect it won’t matter.
I’m going to roll my odometer to 00000 before I re assemble my 86. Seems cool to have a 0 mile old rig. Not like it matters. Engine isn’t original and it’s value isn’t in the miles , but rather the condition.

That was my biggest part of the question.
I really wanted to roll it back to 00000, just because nothing matches and it doesn't really matter, but I'd like to know how many miles on put on it since I restore it.
Just wondering how legal it is.
I guess I could just say milage unknown and that I bought a restored gauge on ebay or something. Shouldn't get into may trouble there, not trying to falsify anything, it's just what happens when you got Frankenstein build. (That's what named the truck too, haha)

As far as registering it, the only parts that matter are the cab and frame, I think I'm just gonna say it's the '76 that I have the title for. And since 70s truck didnt have it up by the windshield and instead on the door jam, I think I'll just cut it out so you cant tell from looking at it.