Tacoma 3rd Gen. Hood Resale Question

Sounds to me like a new hood - changed at your option - is not a reportable "accident". If you had it replaced at a dealer what do they do? Grind off the "old number" and re-stamp the item? Add it to your title as an amendment?

This is bordering on ridiculous.............

 

Some dudes on here are so confident in their misunderstandings that they sound reasonable to unsuspecting new guys.

 

Live your scooped hood life worry free OP.

 

How about keep the matching vin numbers and just add a stick on hood scoop...why risk a diminished value due to a salvage title...

 

was slammed with work yesterday but will look under hood for vin number. Why would there be a vin number for a hood? My buddy is also in insurance world so I’ll consult with him too.

I’m actually more curious of how people are selling their old ones more than anything. I just don’t have the space to store that sucker.

 

There isn't.

 

Speaking as someone who has actually done what you've described here in CA, with a 1967 VW Notchback I own (so, not a Beetle but close) you're wrong about the DMV asking for a certified brake and light inspection or a Smog Inspection (nothing prior to 1974 requires one in this state). All I needed was a VIN inspection at the DMV for my Notch. They did also check the engine number and (once I scraped four inches of grime off it) and verified that the engine was not original (no surprise). I also have a '73 VW Thing, which like my Notch has non-matching body, parts and engines. They also verified the Engine number (I've never had a car where the the VIN on the body matched the engine). Both of my VW's ('67 Notch, '73 VW Thing) have clear Titles.

Bottom-line, no one at the DMV cares if you replace the hood on your new truck just because you want to. Now if you replace it because of a collision, I can see that being another matter. Damage to certain key structural pieces will also get a car a branded or salvage title. One of my neighbors has a 20 year old Hyundai which has a Salvage title because (from what he says) he was in a minor fender bender and the Core Support for the Radiator had to be replaced. He also has a replacement hood so maybe that's the real reason for having a Salvage title LOL!

To the OP, make another 40 or so posts and list your hood in the BST Forum here. Or, if you're a gearhead and have a female in your life who is understanding of such things, lean the hood against the wall in your Dining Room and call it good; I have a hood for a '73 VW in that exact place in my house right now

 

I am in California and the DMV will not salvage your car for a hood.

My man Keith wife’s 1996 Rav4 with healthy amount of miles was probably in a fender bender and insurance was involved. Insurance deemed the car a total loss due to the Rav4 being only worth some low $2500 bucks or something. The cost of a new hood and who knows what other damaged parts like grille or headlights combined with shop labor hours will probably equal or exceed the value of the Rav4. Insurance company total loss the Rav4 but wife decided to keep it. So in that case the car will need to go to headlamp and brake inspection plus go to DMV for their own inspection.
Once the insurance company deems the car a Total Loss the insurance company notifies DMV and will be a pending Salvage title. The car is not road legal until DMV inspects it and regardless of it being just a hood or hell even some small broken mirror, it will become Salvage Title.

 

Ha, my wife is hella cool but a hood in the house... that might be pushing it.

Cool, thanks all for the input! Anyone ever have MTB questions I can help with that in return.

 

Is my GT Palomar worth any good money lol

 

I never said a thing about the part number, but I was talking about the VIN# which is also stamped on the hood and matches the VIN on the truck if it is the one that came with the truck. Just to clarify. Thanks for the dialogue...

 

I know about not having to smog the earlier vehicles. What I was referring to and I admit that maybe I didn't write a long enough diatribe, but I was trying to make the point that if one takes that 1967 VW Beetle and puts a V8 engine in there, and then tries to register it as a 67 VW, DMV is going to balk at that, and look up the engine make and year, and if it is of a year that requires it to be smogged, then you will have to do so.

 

hah, someday it could be a classic.

 

What’s a good cheap beginner MTB out there nowadays?

 

I sent you a PM.

 

OK where exactly is the VIN stamped on the hood? Obviously you know exactly where it is lol.

Actually you said every part is marked with the VIN, which is hilarious.

 

I don’t pretend to know all the local DMV laws and insurance roles, but this all sounds so odd to me.
So, I replaced the front grill on my Tacoma … does that mean it’s “salvage” now!?! Doesn’t make sense.
Here’s an idea for the hood dilemma. How about putting the hood of your choice on your truck and enjoy the crap out of it. Then, since the resale of the original hood is so low, just keep it and store it. If you sell the truck swap the hood back on. Then you could sell the scooped hood for a decent buck.

Just a thought.

 

Most crazy azz thread about a simple question.

As an FYI, most parts are not stamped, they may have a sticker of the vin like on a door (not the vin sticker on pillar). A few parts on late models have hidden stampings for investigators to use in case of vehicle thefts. Some cars may have a portion of the vin stamped into the strut towers or other areas for the investigators.

 

What about a guy who puts a Subaru motor in a '73 VW? Or is your argument only valid for V8 engines?

As you can see by the pic I posted below, I swapped a modern engine into a classic VW (2.5L Subie into a VW Thing). The DMV couldn't care less; my car is still registered as a '73 VW Thing. FWIW When I bought it, my VW it had a modern Ford Engine in it. Title transfer was quick, easy and required no inspections or visits to a DMV office.

However the hood on my car is original so there's that

Honestly, your point is more valid for a post '74 car which needs to pass smog inspections. Even then it's still possible with a BAR then a Smog inspection. Just a bit more complicated.

 

So VIN stamping is a thing however I do not believe Toyota does it anymore. There was a race to highest resale value and removing VIN checkpoints helps that case.

Edit: I mean on replaceable parts like hoods, panels etc...