[markpj23]

OK I'm just a casual observer, but when the pictures show the firewall data plate obviously bent - as if someone pried it off another car - I would run away. What other explanation could there be for a deformed data plate??

Check out this eBay listing and tell me what YOU think....
Item number: 220061979888

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1970-...QQcmdZViewItem

Mark

[Jerry H.]

As far as fraud, I wouldn't worry as much about the data plate as the vin tag. I didn't see a photo of it, so can't make an opinion. Could it be the tag was warped during sandblasting? That's a possiblity too.

[wagonmaster]

It seems like the fit isn't there. especially for a frame off.

Tim

[markpj23]

Sorry but I'm not buying the sandblasting possibility... looks to me like a screwdriver was inserted under the plate. There are 2 places where this was done - you can see the inverted "V" where the blade was stuck in there.

I agree - the VIN tag would be the real clue... and yeah I saw the poor fit-up on the body panels too.

If I had >$100K I'd spend it on another car.....

[north]

My guess would be a repro trim tag and the wholes did not quite line up. does not mean the car is not legit, but adds to the risk.

Also, am I mistaken when i think that 70 verts did not have door jam vents. This car has them.

[gregsgtos2]

he11,it has to be a fake!none of you guys own it!my 1 owner 69 judge conv. has door jam vents,its probably a fake too.i cant wait to see the one car on ebay that you guys dont cut on,but i am sure i will never live that long.if somebody on here doesnt own it,IT HAS TO BE A FAKE OR REBODY,GIVE IT A REST!

[TinInjun]

Originally Posted by gregsgtos2

he11,it has to be a fake!none of you guys own it!my 1 owner 69 judge conv. has door jam vents,its probably a fake too.i cant wait to see the one car on ebay that you guys dont cut on,but i am sure i will never live that long.if somebody on here doesnt own it,IT HAS TO BE A FAKE OR REBODY,GIVE IT A REST!

No reason to be an ass about this question. I have a '70 vert and it doesn't have the door jam vents. Therefore it is a legit question.

[gregsgtos2]

the question was about the trim tag,the vents were secondary.my point is,you better be 100 percent sure about this car and person before you call them a fraud.i cant wait until somebody on here makes these statements to the wrong person about their car for sale and gets their ass sued off!these are very serious accusations being made about the car AND the owner.after further review,i think it is a rebodied 65 el camino.

[400 4spd.]

This is the only picture I have seen of the data plate. Is this the same picture everyone else is seeing on the Ebay ad? If so, would someone please point out the obvious screw driver damage to me? I can't make it out.

[68pongto]

Looks like the tag is warped from sandblasting. I have seen a few that look just like this one on ebay that have been blasted. As for screwdriver marks, looks like knicks to me. They are just a thin piece of aluminum, could be damage from a wrench or who knows what people throw up on the cowl over the years?

Scott

[enjoytheride7072]

Who uses a screwdriver to pry a trim tag off? I always just drill the rivets out.

[PonchoV8]

Exactly, they will come off with a phillips screwdriver too without even drilling them. I know because I did this to one of my cars that is at someone else's place to prevent someone from stealing the VIN and data plate.

[enjoytheride7072]

Oh yeah, you can never be too careful. A Pennsylvania State Trooper, of all people, was restoring a 1970 LS5 Chevelle for his friend, the second owner. Well, they sent it to an acid dipper without removing the data and VIN plates, and the dipper sent the car back without them because they allegedly 'melted' in the process. I've never had anything dipped, and I question the integrity of the Data plate, but I don't think it's possible to melt both. And why wasn't any of the other thinner metal parts of the body melted? I think the dude got scammed.

[BLKBRD]

The cowl tage rivets appear to be new. My guess is that the tag was removed during the restoration process, and was not reinstalled cleanly. Lets be honest, it wouldn't take much effort to install this tag so that it looks factory installed. It's obvious that some money was spent on this car. If the guy was commiting fraud, I suspect that he'd have made every effort to get this right so as not to bring attention to it.

[Tellyshavilli]

time for the know it all critics to line up and be accounted for

[Chris Roach]

Guy's

Do most of you forget these cars are almost 40 years old! And a lot of things could have happened to them throughout the years. Some explainable, some not!

A slightly warped tag don’t dismiss it as a fraud in my book, It may prompt me to look in other areas though. If everything else lines up as it being legit, then I’d say it’s legit.

Some of you guys look way to hard to uncover a fraud that every little mis-Q deems it as a fraud.

Expand your minds to the aging process of 37+ years!

Sh!t, I'm 38 years old and have scars on my body that I have no clue where they came from.

[north]

I looked through the whole thread and no one has said the car is a fraud, just that these kind of warning signs are present. And that is what they are, just warning signs. I agree though that we all have to be careful in how we comment on these cars as it is not fair to make judgemental statements that could prejudice the seller and his financial interests. That being said there is nothing wrong with pointing out issues that can be seen that MAY be indicative of trouble.

The high price of these cars increases the chance of questionable things happening and raises the amount of attention a potential buyer has to excercise to protect himself.

By the way in this case the seller is not making any claims about the background of the car. If I were considering buying the car I would press the seller to know its history and if I got the typical dealer answer of "I don't know" I would assume the worst.

[goatnutz]

Real or not, I couldnt get away with that kindof panel alignment on a customers 86 sable wagon, especially that left rear quarter to bummper area. Then the same area on right you can literally see bondo turds. And pictures are decieving. But with the prices some of these bring, Buy it now and put it back in the shop ,correct a few things and get 500.000 in a year, souns easy anyway. My judge conv. has two quarter vents stacked per side, according to PHS. its heavy duty rear brake cooling option.

[north]

Rear brake cooling option??????

[mmarx]

Not that it matters...is this the same car??

http://www.nickeychicago.net/vehicle.php?id=46

Mike