Legal question about vin/cowl swaps

NovaMob03 · #1 10-18-2006, 08:49 PM

If you purchase a car that had it's vin/cowl tag changed, with a title that matches, but the hidden vin is different, which car do you legally own? Would you register it by the hidden vin # or the one that appears fake? And, if you locate the car that has your original vin & cowl tag what rights would you have to get them back?

**YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY** · #2 10-18-2006, 09:22 PM

This has happened recently, and the State Police pulled the VIN plate off one car and gave it back to the guy who had the body with the matching hidden VIN.

Kim_Howie · #3 10-18-2006, 10:32 PM

I would say the hidden VIN would be the car you own. Not the VIN that matchs the title.

**PeteLeathersac** · #4 10-18-2006, 10:49 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I would say the hidden VIN would be the car you own. Not the VIN that matchs the title.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wouldn't it be more like the hidden Vin vehicle would be the car you happen to have there...but not own? .

If someone pinched your car and stuck other tags on it and sold it w/ a title matching the 'new' Vin, how could he now 'own' the hidden Vin vehicle...it's still yours isn't it? .

~ Pete

**YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY** · #5 10-18-2006, 10:54 PM

From what I have seen, the hidden vin's over-rule the actual vin tag - after inspection. So, if the vin tag is from a Yenko, and the body is not, you can't simply slam the vin into the firewall and claim victory.

Kim_Howie · #6 10-18-2006, 11:11 PM

OK. OK. I did say that wrong. Duh !!

Kim_Howie · #7 10-18-2006, 11:14 PM

That's what I was trying to say.

**PeteLeathersac** · #8 10-18-2006, 11:19 PM

Too bad...I was thinking if you really felt the way you'd said, your '68 Gibb car w/ some other tags wouldn't be such a bad thing to have afterall?

~ Pete

Kim_Howie · #9 10-19-2006, 01:08 AM

HUH??????

NovaMob03 · #10 10-19-2006, 03:08 AM

Pete, whose Gibb Nova are you referring to? If it's #21 the vin does match the hidden vins.