Quote:
Originally Posted by JLMounce
This wouldn't really be a retag, and maybe that's really where this person selling the cowl should do a better job on the listing. Retagging may have been harder to detect in the past, but it is now and was then highly illegal.
That's why this guy is selling that whole structure, because that's what the government views as the car itself. The sheet metal around it doesn't matter so much as long as the vin tag is in tact with the cowl tag and the firewall has it's proper vin stampings in place. The add should probably read that this is a re-shell starter which would likely cut down on the comments he's trying to avoid.
The person buying that would either need a donor car for it's body, or you buy a brand new shell from somebody like Real Deal Steel and graft in the complete firewall and cowl. Easier said than done since that's a significant structural piece, but certainly possible. In that situation you still have a numbers car with the added drivetrain components and you're on the correct side of the law as well.
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I find first gen f bodies often with the tag swapped and the hidden VIN isn't even close. For a higher end car, the firewall section with the VIN stamping is sometimes cut and sectioned into another body. I agree, it's illegal, but very few agencies have the knowledge and resources to identify the high quality swaps. The dynacorn bodies made it seem to some that they just had to drill out and replace the rivets on the VIN tag and they were good to go. The car that donated the VIN and cowl tag is often sold with the hidden VIN intact, now there's 2 cars that have the number in circulation in different forms. Especially when the buyer of the tagless body has an inspection done to try to get it titled. This has resulted in several arrests and civil suits, it's not generally released to the public as it would make the criminals more educated in how not to get caught.