Buying/Selling Firewall Tags......

[Belair62]

Yeah its called Real Fake Tags !!

[jfkheat]

Here is one that was just listed on Ebay.
James

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayIS...807422&rd=1

[resto4u]

Compare the fonts, fake and real. crisp and clear, and not so clear. You decide... Im not telling

[Don_Lightfoot]

It's not only sellers involved here, but people are not shy to ask up front if tags are for sale. This ebay seller has a bunch of parts for a rare car for sale and, if you look at some of the comments in the listing, people are asking directly if the tags are for sale.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=4515227729

[jbsides]

There was a BB Pacer at a Federal Government sponsored auction in Carson (CA) a couple years ago. My partner and I went to the preview showing to the look at the car, as it had been one of the draw cars with pictures advertising the auction in the LA Times. When my partner, who restores 69 Camaros, pointed out to the Government reps administering the event that the trim tag was a stone fake, they exibited very little concern, and sold the car to the highest bidder, a reseller in Oregon for over 30K. He, in turn, sold the car off his lot.
It is my opinion that, unless someone makes a huge legal stink, even the feds don't really care. I'm sure there are board members who remember the car, and its obvious shortcomings...

JB

[Pantera]

No legal law enforcment will inspect a car with the VIN changed! Instead they will conficate the car on the spot. It is a federal law not to remove and put on another car.

There is no legal way to put a different vin on another car. By law they have to issue a State assigned Vin # with a completely new number. IMO, The best way to do this is to repair the firewall of the car and then mate it up to a good solid body. Caution!! if you do this be damm sure that you have a legal BOS for the body that you do attach to a legal firewall with the good vin.

There are hidden # on bodys in more than one place. That is how the feds catch cars that have had the vin changed. So be wise and do it the right way or you may be very sorry.

Pantera
Former bodyshop owner

[firstgenaddict]

A good friend of mine had his 97 Corvette stolen... the theif altered the vin# and drove the car around town for over 2 years until he was finally caught. He got the car back and the DMV issued a vinplate along with paperwork explaining the circumstances.
It was the old vin#

[Verne_Frantz]

DS,
Again, from my point of view, the trim tag is NOT a vital organ or a replacement part to make the new "body" complete. When Wadsworth donates his vital organs to Wad to keep him alive, yes, he's still Wad, and still has his original birth certificate - even if he has new "guts".
But if Wad dies, his birth certificate goes on file, marked deceased. It doesn't get attached to someone else.

I also have a hard time accepting re-bodied cars. I don't think the entire body was meant to be a replaceable part either. I know it's done all the time when an original body and/or frame is too far gone for restoration, but I feel uncomfortable calling the resulting car "restored". "Re-created", yes. But that word gives me the same sensation as scraping my fingernails on a chauk board.

Verne

[DarrenX33]

I think I am going to start buying fake trim tags. Bang them a few times with a hammer, chew up the holes a bit and spray them black. Then I will list them on ebay.

[resto4u]

It must depend on the value of the car as how people feel about this. Also if your the one getting ripped off or doing so. Rememeber there is a ZL-1 that has had major surgery. That car may only have about 20%-30% of the factory original parts from day one. And has not really affected it's value. Point being, that they saved the vin# and cowl tag. No switching. How many corvettes have new tags, just for a color change.