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Toyota Chinook Year of MFG?


Theidmet

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Hey everyone.

I purchased a Chinook a few months back which wasn't in the greatest shape. Nevertheless it's a dream come true, as I've always wanted one, and don't mind the project. Anyways, I've been under the impression it's a 1976, and all the paperwork I have says it's a 1976. In CA where I live, 1975 is the cutoff for smog. I took this thing in to get it smogged and the tech told me he couldn't do it because the VIN on my paperwork doesn't match the vehicle.

But it does. However, it appears to have two dates of manufacture?

Below is a picture of the VIN plate in the door jamb. What year is my truck? In any case, the VIN on my paperwork is the same as what is here. Is there another VIN location on the vehicle? What am I missing?

 

vin.jpeg

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Truck was manufactured in 1975 so no smog. Camper section was manufactured is 1976. Vin is like all vehicles. Under the windshield on the drivers side. Think about it. From December 1975 it had to get to America and then have a Chinook coach put on it. Took a couple of months. Smog goes by the date of truck manufacture though so no smog in California. DMV can do a Vin verification for you when you register it. They shouldn't require any smog.

Linda S

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That's what I thought and exactly what I was hoping for.

I just got confused, as all the paperwork I've received from the owner at purchase said it was a 1976. Even when I registered it, they mentioned it might be 1975, and that it needed a vin verification.

Thank you for for the good news. =)

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The rolling chassis may sit at the coach builder's site for awhile once the coach is complete it is titled. So the truck itself maybe older than the finished product so for smog that is what they have to go by it is grandfathered to the date of manufacture of the truck. 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 6/27/2017 at 4:33 PM, Derek up North said:

Would there not have been a sticker under the hood stating the year that the emission controls were conforming to?

Not that I know of, however it does mention on the VIN tag I posted that it is conforming to 1976 emissions standards.

Anyways, I took this thing to the DMV for a VIN verification. The guy seemed like he had no idea what he was doing. First he wasn't sure if it was an RV or a Truck. I told him I don't know what the legal definition is, but it has no inside bathroom, and no propane; so maybe not an RV? He got his supervisor who said it needed to be marked as an RV because it wasn't a commercial truck, and I was using it for "camping." Whatever, I don't really care.

The attendant at the DMV seemed totally flustered and didn't know what to do with it. He said about 3 times that he'd "Never heard of a Toyota Chinook." Am I supposed to be surprised? How many are still on the road?

When he went to take the VIN, he stared at it for a while, asked me if there was another VIN somewhere else on the truck. I said "Not that I'm aware of."

So says "I'll be right back," and comes back with a paper that says I have to take it to Highway Patrol to have the VIN verification done, because "The VIN is not in the prescribed location."

Mostly it felt like he wanted to get rid of me because he didn't know what the hell to do with the thing.

Anyways, we'll see what they decide. CHP tend to be cowboys, maybe they'll be happier to agree with me that it's a 1975.

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On 6/27/2017 at 4:16 PM, Maineah said:

The rolling chassis may sit at the coach builder's site for awhile once the coach is complete it is titled. So the truck itself maybe older than the finished product so for smog that is what they have to go by it is grandfathered to the date of manufacture of the truck. 

Sorry, so are you saying that the smog is based on the day that Toyota completes its manufacturing, or on the day that Chinook rolled it out as a complete product?

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