Need some serious advice

[chavist93]

Hi guys. I need some serious advice here for my dad. He bought a 67 chevelle SS396 about 6 years ago. He had one in 1970 and had always wanted to get another to restore. This car was unrestored with most of its original paint and all original interior. The cars has zero rust and is in great shape. He bought it as a non numbers matching car because the door vin did not match the engine stamp. Well in the past year he got into the frame off resto on the car. Come to find out the hidden vins under the heater core and cowl panel match the engine and muncie trans, but not the door vin tag. So the door vin tag had been changed at some point. A little researche revealed that in around 71-72 the car was involved in a fender bender and was fixed by the insurance co. but they would not realease the title to the owner for reasons I do not know. The owner at the time owned a salvage yard and switched the vin from a wrecked car that he had the title to. My dad really does not know what to do and is almost to the point where he wants to part it and crush the body even though he will lose a lot of money. I am in hopes that someone here will have some useful advice for us. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Tim

[Kim_Howie]

Contact the insurance co. If you know what company it was.

[chavist93]

I dont know it, but could probably find out. Even if I could obtain a title to the real original vin I would not have a vin tag.

[nuch_ss396]

Tim,

Are you sure this car was not involved in any monkey business in the past? i.e stolen, etc.. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/no.gif

[chavist93]

Well not as far as I know, bou of course I cant be 100% sure. I have it traced back to the 2nd owner which I spoke to and he admits to changing the vin number. The car was purchased new in NC and the original vin may stil be in their name or the insurance company's name. The 2nd owner who change the vin was in SC where the car has been ever since. I have a family member who works for the DMV here and he searched for the original vin in SC records and it was never registered in SC. So I'm guessing the 2nd owner which owned the salvage yard bought it from the insurance Co. and wasnt able to obtain the title or it was just cheaper and easier for him to switch vins. It has had the same (incorrect) vin since around 71, but there is no way to know if the 2nd owner is telling the 100% truth. Is there anyway or anyone who can search the NC records for the original vin?

[firstgenaddict]

Most likley the vin will be out of their system by now.

[nuch_ss396]

Tim,

Either way you slice it, changing VIN's is illegal. SO -
I would tread lightly and ask lots of questions before you
tell too many people ( or agencies ) that the VIN was changed.

Steve

[BBIGG BLOCK 396]

I would contact the Department of Motor Vehicles of your State and see what can be done.I doubt that you will ever recover the original vin#.I would not spend any more $$$ on a vehicle like that until everything was100% legal.

Bobby

[chavist93]

Yes, I understand that. We have completely stopped the restoration. Its just ashamed that someone did that to this car. The enging, trans, and rear are all the original ones to the car. The only reason I am afraid to contact the DMV is I'm scared of what might happen to the car. If we dont tell anything at least we could part it and recoup some money. Would there be any way to get a state issued vin?

[Charley Lillard]

Check with DMV. If the car wasn't stolen you might be able have them assign a new vin to the car.

[firstgenaddict]

Sounds like the car was destined to be scrapped and the wrecking yard owner rebuilt the car and then when he couldn't get a title... he clipped the post and essentially did a vin swap.

[mudjnky]

Maybe do a search for the original vin under the premise that it was friends car growing up, or something along those lines, and you are trying to track it down.

[quick-bowtie]

Check with the DMV if the car has never been reported stolen I would think your fine, Just get a Alabama transferable registration with the hidden vin/real vin of the car then take that to your state and transfer it and BAM you have a title to your car with the correct/real vin. If your dad has always wanted this car then it shouldnt matter if it has a real tag or a state issued one, either way if the hidden vins are there and it isnt stolen I think Id be happy, after all you have a numbers match car now too.

[chavist93]

Really appreciate all of the help. The vin tag doesnt matter if its state issued or not, as long as we get everything back legal. He just wants the car for personal enjoyment with no intentions to sell it. Will the state issued vin be the numbers as the oringinal vin or will they issue a new number? I know that the tag will be different.

[akcamaro]

I would try to get title to the original(hidden) vin via the ababdoned vehicle route "someone left this vehicle in my field five years ago", or if you know anybody who owns an impound/auction tow yard, they can report the vehicle abandoned/impounded and get title/ownership for it via storage fees owed against it.
You have to get a bond ($500?) and the DMV contacts the last registered owner of the vehicle (by mail) and tells them where it is and how much is owed against it. If no one responds by a predetermind date then they issue you a title for the "abandond" vehicle.
but reserch the vin first and make sure it's clean.
then have the vin tag reproduced with the original vin number.
In my opinion not shady since you do own the car, just a little sneaky.
if it would make you feel beter, you can through away the "new" vin and let the car sit in your field for five years so it will all be on the up and up.

I have a feeling not everones gonna like my idea. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

[njsteve]

[ QUOTE ]
...then have the vin tag reproduced with the original vin number.
In my opinion not shady since you do own the car, just a little sneaky.
if it would make you feel beter, you can through away the "new" vin and let the car sit in your field for five years so it will all be on the up and up.

I have a feeling not everones gonna like my idea. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Whether or not anyone "likes" your idea is irellevent as "reproducing" a VIN tag is illegal and a major felony. Attaching it to the car would also be a second felony. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/scholar.gif

The common sense thing to do would be to contact your local police department and tell them what occurred. They will search both VINs to see if there ever was a theft issue involved with the car. If there was, you may end up losing the car to the original victim and you will have to sue the person you bought the car from for your $$$. The most likely situation will be that they will remove the VIN tag and make you apply for a state issued vehicle identification number.

[kenham]

Charlie has the correct answer to your problem. You're only going to complicate things by making up some story. Your dad hasn't broken any laws yet. Phone the DMV and ask to speak to an investigator and explain what has happened. If you have already done a VIN check through the DMV and it didn't show on their records as stolen it most likely is not. You'll have to bond the car probably for the first year.
Good luck,
ken

[BBIGG BLOCK 396]

Just use common sense and don't do anything silly to land in JAIL! Take the route you should take because your Dad has done nothing wrong or Illegal.I think the only way they would be able to take the car away from you is if it does come back STOLEN! I would think you can get this straightened out to a point you would not be on the loosing end of this vehicle.The worst case scenerio I feel is you would have to part the car out to be LEGAL if you couldn't get things square through DMV!Just don't do anything ILLEGAL!It will usually come back to BITE you in the AZZ like a PIT BULL!

Bobby