Question for NY Owners on Registration

[Crewguy]

I just bought a beat up 68 M715 and I'd like to start the process of getting it legal. The guy I bought it from gave me the transferable reg but its for a different jeep, it has the wrong 5 digit vin.

Now I have to start from scratch or get my stamp set out (just kidding). I've registered old motorcycles without titles in the past by filling out all the forms and doing a rub of the vin, would the process be the same for an ex-military truck?

What was the make and model you put down for the M715 when you get your registration? Will the DMV recognize Kaiser or should I put Williys or just Jeep? As for model, the reg I have just says 1968 WILLY PICK. Do you think I can put down M715? Or will that confuse a lot of people.

Any help from a NY owner would be most useful, but any other general guidance it appreciated. Thanks a lot.

Brett

[randyscycle]

I'm not sure about NY, but here in VA, the title reads Kaiser-Jeep and the VIN is the same as the plate on the dash.

You should be able to use the same process as a motorcycle. All the DMV is going to see is that its a Jeep truck. Sometimes the short VIN number will confuse the DMV people or come up as something else, but I generally don't offer up any info unless asked for it by the DMV anyway.

[stranman]

I have an M725 and M715.
I did not have much trouble registering either.
But I had to bring a picture of the Vin plate into motor vehicle with me.
The M725 had been registered in NY, but so long ago it was no longer in the database. When they put the vin id in it came up as a boat trailer. Hence the reason I needed a picture of the vin plate. Once I showed the vin they overrode the system and registered the truck.
TheM715 came from PA. and I had a some sort of registration from there, do not recall much of a problem, other than a conversation about the low vin numbers.
I belive one is registered as a Kasier the other as a Jeep.
I think the key is how competent the person waiting on you is and bringing as much information with you as possible.
Good Luck.

[syzygy]

I'm in MA. I was worried about the short VIN, but I just dropped off the title and bill of sale to my insurance agent and he called me about an hour later saying it was registered. They have it listed as a 1969 American Motors Jeep Pickup Truck. It's incorrectly listed as an 8 cylinder, 3 passenger. (To give them credit I think the title that I turned in had it listed as an 8 cylinder...) I'll wait until I have the truck in it's "final" condition (?? cyl. diesel) before I file to correct the title, as you have to pay a fee every time you change it.

[Crewguy]

Thanks for the help. I'll try calling the insurance company tomorrow so I can get an insurance card. I'll put "Kaiser Jeep" as the Make and "M715" as the model and see what happens. I'm sure I'll have to go to the DMV a couple times before its all worked out. Each time I have to change something it will be another call to the insurance company to get a new insurance card and a trip back to the DMV. Wish me luck. Thanks.

Brett

[Pineyguy]

I would think twice about putting M715 as the model. I had a heck of a time getting insurance when I told agents that it was an M... I ended up telling Allstate that it was a Kaiser pick-up (that's what it says on my title, and they wanted a copy.) I switched my other 3 vehicles and my house insurance over to Allstate to get a better rate. I had Geico for auto and liked them alot, but couldn't convince them (after at least 5 tries) to insure it— not even their recreational or commercial divisions.

[Crewguy]

Thanks for the tip, "pickup" it is!

[Pineyguy]

Another stupid thing I did early on was proudly tell the insurance dude on the other end of the phone that the truck was a 1.25 ton. I wouldn't do that either if I were you unless you're going to use the truck commercially. I titled mine in PA as a 3/4 (class 2) because of the curb weight.

[syzygy]

Weird. I know MA insurance stuff is all messed up and everything but I'm starting to really like that I have a local independent agent to take care of all this stuff for me. He'll tell me all these pitfalls and fill out all the paperwork just the right way and knows what trucks can be registered as what and all that, and then I just sign the insurance form and leave the paperwork with him, and he runs to the registry, where they take better care of him cause they know him.

P.S. In MA even though they know its a 5/4 ton they don't care unless I actually *use* it commercially. That actually goes the other way, too... if you use a geo metro for your commercial cleaning business it has to be registered commercial. Granted it'll be at a low GVW and commercial reg. fees are based on GVW so it'd be cheap. But still. I think there is an upper limit to how large a vehicle you can register as a personal vehicle but it might be 26,000 lbs, the cutoff for requiring a CDL...