[Lemans64]

Would you buy a car that has had the Vin Tag removed and reinstalled with incorrect rivets. Appears that 1 Vin Tag is upside down. Not a Pontiac But a GM. Car is sold as a 138 car, Big Block SS 66 Chevelle. Has some signs of true car, but makes one double think the purchase. This was done a few years back, but I had never seen car up close till now. My Brother in laws car. Does not have Big Block in it either.
Just curious as to what others think of this.

[4zpeed]

Originally Posted by Lemans64

Would you buy a car that has had the Vin Tag removed and reinstalled

I wouldn't, what if the tag and or car was stolen? Personally I wouldn't want it regardless.

If they have been removed and reinstalled who knows truly what it was except for (maybe) who did it.

Someone can say anything, (SS or Malibu), it would be up to the believer right?

If you want the car, buy it because you want it, not because of what others may think.

Make sure neither are stolen before you venture into the abyss...


Good Luck
Frank

[lust4speed]

You are dealing with 50+ years, and some paint shops back in the 80's did it to produce a cleaner tag and inner door area when re-painting the cars. They were probably proud of it over cheaper shops that just painted over everything. Before widespread internet usage it just wasn't that big of deal back then. Today we'd beat the painter about the head and shoulders if he did it. Since rosette rivets are fairly easy to obtain, a person intent on faking a car would simply buy a proper set and hide the crime. I'd bet that it is more a stupid mistake than anything else.

Make the purchase contingent on an inspection and report by their local DMV or law enforcement to read the hidden VIN areas. Today it is a big deal and I'd want proof the VIN actually belonged to that body.

[400 4spd.]

Originally Posted by lust4speed

.....................
Make the purchase contingent on an inspection and report by their local DMV or law enforcement to read the hidden VIN areas. Today it is a big deal and I'd want proof the VIN actually belonged to that body.

Around here that would guarantee you would end up with confiscation of your VIN tag, a state assigned VIN tag above your door striker, and a bonded title. Yeah, they will help you out for sure.

[Mr Anonymous]

https://www.justice.gov/archives/jm/...cation-numbers

[Half-Inch Stud]

So, buy a couple special rivets and get the the Tag rightside up.

[Chief of the 60's]

It is a felony to remove a VIN tag. End of story.

[Don Keefe]

First off, I wouldn't go running off to any government officials.

I would look for all the hidden VINs and quietly run any and all numbers through the National Insurance Crime bureau. It is possible that somewhere down the line, and idiot body shop employee pulled the tag off without regard for the law and reinstalled it incorrectly. To my mind, that is probably the most likely scenario because car thieves are generally smart enough to make it look correct.

If nothing comes back from the VIN search, you're probably okay. If you find multiple VINs or it comes up as stolen, then you have cause to get a lawyer involved.

[Elarson]

Imagine getting stopped for an ordinary traffic ticket, the LEO happens to see the upside down VIN and out come the handcuffs.

Eric

[Frank R]

Illegal to remove the. VIn tag. Always has been and always will be. You can check the hidden vin numbers and see if they match. It they do you can install the tag with correct rivets. If they don’t match I would pass on it. The tag would have been changed for a number of reasons none of them good. I’ve seen plenty of corvettes with swapped tags. NCRS always picks up on it then records it. Hard sell if the all other numbers match and almost impossible to sell If they don’t.

[Stuart]

To be clear are you talking about the VIN tag or the trim tag? I'm not familiar with Chevelles, but are there other hidden VIN numbers stamped on the body or chassis that can be used to verify it's legitimate?

[Singleton]

Originally Posted by Chief of the 60's

It is a felony to remove a VIN tag. End of story.

Epilogue:
There are exceptions to the law. It allows a VIN number to be removed in the following cases:

>Motor vehicle scrap processors or demolishers who are acting in compliance with state law.

>Anyone who has to remove or alter the VIN to make a repair.

>Anyone who restores or replaces VIN numbers in accordance with state law.

These exceptions do not apply to people who knew that the vehicle was stolen.

[72projectbird]

I would, especially if the car has clean paperwork. Even if it didn't I'd still take it for the right price.

You can get the correct rivets pretty easily.

[johnta1]

>Motor vehicle scrap processors or demolishers who are acting in compliance with state law.

>Anyone who has to remove or alter the VIN to make a repair.

>Anyone who restores or replaces VIN numbers in accordance with state law.

I think (most states) that the DMV will issue its own VIN to replace the one taken off and new title given, possibly as a 'Rebuilt' title.

[John Milner]

I would look for a hidden vin and verify that it matches the vin tag. If it matches the tag, I would re-install the vin the correct direction with the correct rivets and not worry about it. It was probably just removed to do paint and bodywork at some point by someone who did not know what a big deal some people make about a vin tag being removed. Just because a vin has been removed and re-installed does not automatically mean it is a stolen car. If the tag matches the body and you like the car, I would buy it and enjoy it.

[poncho-mike]

Over the years, I junked out several cars and cut the top of hte cowl off. If a car sat outside and had a leak into the interior, water would condense on the windshield at night, then pool into the lower corners, causing those areas to rust.

[Lemans64]

Just to clarify this, I am not buying the car, but my Brother in Law did a few years back. It was imported to Canada from the USA,
so it did have to go thru the border process, So suspect the Vin is good. Does have some partial vin on the trunk gutters that do match.
So it does look to be good, but why someone would remove big block for small block is kinda weird. Someone did a lot of nice work on the
car, body has been off, everything is painted, including frame and diff housing, fuel tank etc.

[dhutton]

Check the hidden VIN numbers.

Don

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by Lemans64

So it does look to be good, but why someone would remove big block for small block is kinda wierd.

Fuel economy.

A lot of big blocks were removed from Chevelles during the original gas crunch and replaced with small blocks.

Some of those original motors found their way home but I would say it was the exception rather than the rule.

K

[The Champ]

"but why someone would remove big block for small block is kinda weird"

Because the big block was bad and they had a running small block. Just like people dropping an SBC into a Pontiac - they were too cheap to rebuild a Pontiac.

Happens all the time.