rebodied with out salvage a title
 

I tried to post this on the other post but was lock out https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/dunno.gif I MUST post this as I have found it was not legal
Ok guys we have a serous problem I have read this post and was 85 % sure but waited to talk to a friend of mine that’s a judge I ask him if I bought a car for x amount of money as been a special car and found out that some one took a car that was in bad shape and took the fire wall of this car with the vin number on it and rebody the rest from another car do I have a case to sue in court He told me if the car has a clean title in Pa and in many other states its illegal The car MUST have either a salvage or a reconstructed title If the car has a clean title and was embodied the person who did the work and if the person selling the car knows that it was rebodied is looking at some serous jail time He said if the car has a clean title that the car IS worthless because sooner or later some one WILL get burn on this car He said the law was made because of just this type of thing to stop people that would try to get big money for a cut up car With a salvage or reconstructed title forces one to sell a car for much less Now as for someone that goes on this site with this information and then gets burn to the stake is wrong I though that is what this site was all about to keep things clean and legal but it seems that once again its all about the money and who cares if its legal Its buyer beware Lets not talk about it because some one might get mad I WILL be putting this cars vin number in my clone data base because that’s were it belongs its worth more in parts
T

Re: rebodied with out salvage a title
 

Norm,

I recall this topic (rebody) about a year ago. It was well discussed here on this board. Take a look back you will find the thread.

Phil https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/beers.gif

Re: rebodied with out salvage a title
 

Yes I know about the post last year BUT on The yenko post someone got burn to the stake because he reported a car that was rebodied this is worng https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/no.gifbecause it not legal if the car has a clean title I would rather for some one pull the vin and trim tag put then along with the title and frame it then and hag it on the wall I did just that in 1971 with a 67 GTX I had

Re: rebodied with out salvage a title
 

I'm not sure a salvage title would warn a buyer. It seems to me an owner could just sell a car on a bill of sale. I know in my state they don't issue titles on older vehicles.

Re: rebodied with out salvage a title
 

I can see your point with newer cars but back in their day old cars were pretty smashed up and repaired but did not need to have salvage titles. This was a running registered car that was untubbed by taking a large part from another car. It might not be your cup of Tea but I don't think that makes it a salvage title car or a rebody.

Re: rebodied with out salvage a title
 

Charley I know what you are saying but the laws have and are changing faster than I can type From what I have been told the federal government is taking a hard stand on this Too many law suites

Re: rebodied with out salvage a title
 

ON a Corvette site I was just reading that in California they are on the war wagon again to out law old cars it never ends I know that this was bought up a few year ago but the environmental whackos are at it again Like I said the laws are changing so fast
If you wanted to start to build 69 Camaros with today’s laws you could not built them like they did in 69

Re: rebodied with out salvage a title
 

At what point should a car be considered a rebody? I think if over half of the car has been replaced it should be considered a rebody. It seems to me that things are different when a $100,000 car is involved. If this were a $20,000 Camaro everyone would be talking trash about it. This is just my opinion.
James

Re: rebodied with out salvage a title
 

A salvage title is only issued when a car is wrecked in an accident and cannot be fixed. insurance claim is paid for totalled car or a theft recovery. A restored car doesn't meet those terms. But i am not a big fan of cut the car in half, but the car values have kind of encouraged it to be done. Roger

Re: rebodied with out salvage a title
 

As I was told money does not matter I was doing some more research today and you would be surprised I have be out on disability for the last four years and out of the business man has things changed every body is law suite happy and with that came the reconstructed titles There are soo many law changes even street rod builders are throwing in the towel I have talked to many people and things are only getting worse
Restored cars that are rebodied does meet the reconstructed title law at first I did not believe it but like I said before every body is law suite happy so there is the law change like I said in the beginning it is not in all states but wait a few years its coming

Re: rebodied with out salvage a title
 

In in the eyes of most states, the fact is that it was just repaired back to original condition is legal. A salvage title has come into use, more in just the last 20 years or so because the insurance companys have finally pushed for the use of them to keep them from having to pay for the same car twice. Salvage title laws have been on the books of most states for years, but not all and some states without a Title on their cars can clean a salvage title by registering it in that state. Thank goodness the authorities are starting to close those loopholes. Newer cars with the longer vin #'s can't get away with this but the collector car that we all love are not on this list.

If a car is totally destroyed then there is no need for a "Salvage title" because it is crushed and no longer exists. But when a wrecked car is re-bodied or has major frame damage repaired and put back on the street then it will be forced to have a salvage title which is a different color of title,just to alert potental buyers that it has had major damage and has been repaired. There are way too many wrecked cars out there that are being put back on the road and the salvage title is the best way to police them.
Now the law that you are refering to is where it pertains to the vin # on the w/s post and the hidden #'s on the frame or cowl. It is a federal law to remove them or alter them in any way. Thats a $10,000 fine plus jail time. But if they are not disturbed then in their eyes, it is just a car that has been repaired.

We in this industry need to push our congress men to re-write the law and close this loophole. Also the feds need to enforce the laws on the books but they never do. They only care if it has to do with drugs or bombs. White collar crimes are almost totally ignored.

There is a big difference in what you are saying and mind you, I am not saying you are totally wrong. But it really depends on the state and what year the car in question was "re-bodied"? If it has been some time since the car was repaired, then if may not be illegal.

Now somewhere in between all this, we all feel that there is some kind of fraud involved when that repaired car is sold with out disclosing the fact to the new owner. I think there is a law now on the books that he has to disclose major repairs.

One thing is that the new buyer has a good case for a civil lawsuit because the value is not the same as one that had never been repaired to such a large extent. But ONLY if you have it in writing that the seller is declaring the car is "original" and not altered. Run don't walk from anyone that refuses to sign one if you are putting your hard earned money out on one.

Unfortunly those are just a pissing contest in the eyes of the courts and most of the time I doubt that the injured party would prevail or get any monetary restution. In my state you only have 3 yrs to sue on a verbal contract and 5 yrs on a written one. I am sure that every state has different laws on this which make it like walking through a mine field if you are out of your state and are unfamilar with the area you are buying the car in.

Above all else!!! Do your research. Knowledge is king!! I think that this forum and the knowledge it contains is the best prevention from buying a fraud or " re-builder" that someone could find.

Perhaps this group should formulate a petiton to congress and try to get some teeth in the laws and close the loop holes.??? https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/dunno.gif

Laws only change when injured people get someone to make campain promises to change them.

Re: rebodied with out salvage a title
 

Larry I agree with you on what you are saying The car in question was on another post and it was stated that the car was butcher up and that some one took the fire wall and welded it to back to another car That to me is a reconstructed car just because they did not alter the vin number means that the car is worth big money It must be disclosed when its up for sale as an altered car If you know about it and is ok with it then go ahead and buy it
I my self do not feel it is the right thing to do Who knows how good was the welder that did the work WILL it hold up The car is only as good as the person that did the work As I said before this is not in all states That is why I feel that it is real important that if a car is alter it must be disclosed If you try to get big money for it you will end up paying big money in a lawsuit I am like all of the people here in preserving the classic cars But how far do you go to restore a car there has to be a point where you have to say it’s dead

Re: rebodied with out salvage a title
 

But this car was not dead. It was a running , driving car.

Re: rebodied with out salvage a title
 

Ok Charley maybe I miss understood I thought that the car in question was all butcher up from its drag racing days and some one re-bodied it from the back of the fire wall if that’s not the case the I sorry I wrong about that car sometimes because of my head injury I get things mixed up

Re: rebodied with out salvage a title
 

It was a old drag car that was turned into a Pro street car years ago. Then recently it was untubbed. Somewhere in the other thread it is described. If it were a dead shell that someone just cut the firewall out of and welded to another car I would have other thoughts but this was a running car that happened to have most of the floors cut out for tubbing. We will discuss this till infinity.. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/beers.gif

Re: rebodied with out salvage a title
 

Charley, What's your logic about the car was 'running' vs not running? If the race drivetrain was gone, would it still be ok? I think the firewall resto method should be disclosed, maybe not illegal, but why not just tell the truth? What is so stinkin hard about being honest?

Re: rebodied with out salvage a title
 

Marlin. I don't know if any logic is involved. And yes I agree that it would be nice if the repairs were disclosed. Hard for me to think a car should have a Salvage Title assigned to it if it was a running , driving Pro Street car. Should every Pro Street Camaro get a Salvage Title if they attempt to put them back stock ? Maybe Brian can clarify just where in the front floorpan the splice is. We will always be discussing what constitutes a rebody and I know I don't think I will ever have a Cut and dried Black and white opinion.

Re: rebodied with out salvage a title
 

Agreed.
Honesty is still the best solution, but usually greed prevails.

Re: rebodied with out salvage a title
 

A-Men https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/beers.gif

Re: rebodied with out salvage a title
 

Could someone tell me what a "tubbed" car is? Since I have never raced and keep my Camaro's all original, I am not sure what this term means. Thanks! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...iggthumpup.gif

Re: rebodied with out salvage a title
 

tubbed is when you want to put a really large tire under a car you cut out the wheel houses and parts of the floor to accomidate the large wheels. Camaros are unibody so usually you are also cutting out the part of the floor that incorporates the frame. Then some new Iron is usually to tied subframe connectors that now hold the rear suspension. Basically you are cutting out most of the floor in the back half of the car.

Re: rebodied with out salvage a title
 

Thanks Charley. I knew it had something to do with racing.

Re: rebodied with out salvage a title
 

It is my understanding in Michigan that a firewall with a VIN is a car. You can replace anything forward or back as long as the VIN tag does not come off.A rebody ,in my eyes, would be removing the VIN tag and putting it on another body. If a VIN tag is removed, replace a dash panel on a Camaro or a windshield pillar on a Vette the state issues a new VIN and title. I believe it will be an assembled title.Street rods usually have VINs like this.

Re: rebodied with out salvage a title
 

And to really screw things up... Many first Gen Camaros have had their Dashes replaced because of rust at the base of the windshield. To do that you have to remove the vin plate from the old dash and attach it to the new one..Would that constitute a rebody ? https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...ns/naughty.gif

Re: rebodied with out salvage a title
 

[ QUOTE ]
And to really screw things up... Many first Gen Camaros have had their Dashes replaced because of rust at the base of the windshield. To do that you have to remove the vin plate from the old dash and attach it to the new one..Would that constitute a rebody ? https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...ns/naughty.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

In a word...No. In this situation you are repairing a car, removing the VIN and then putting it back on the same car. At least on most GM vehicles the VIN plate is rivited to something metal. The scariest thing are the e-body Mopars (cudas and challengers) the VIN plate is rivited to the dashpad which is completely unboltable from the car. I have heard of horror stories of many a bone-head pulling out their dash to be reuphostered by Year One or other companies and leaving the VIN plate still attached, then getting the dash back minus the VIN plate. Year One used to warn people that under Georgia law, if they received the pad with the VIN plate attached, they had to turn the VIN tag over to the DMV. -OUCH!

Re: rebodied with out salvage a title
 

Charley I do not feel that would be considered a re body you are putting it back on the same car A re-body to me is when you take the vin and trim tag and put them on a different car or when some one takes the fire wall and weld it up to a different car

Re: rebodied with out salvage a title
 

As a wise man said recently, opinions will vary on what a "rebody" is. We just have to agree to disagree, and, move on. The problem, as I see it, is compounded when a person who "heard about" what was done to a cetain car, takes that limited information, and, applies THEIR definition to the work done. My feeling is, unless YOU saw the work being done, or, accurate pictures to back up your opinion, it's better to keep your opinion to your self.

Re: rebodied with out salvage a title
 

Hi Guys. Thought I would jump in here.
I am a long time reader and first time poster.
I don't think we will ever be able to agree on what
constitutes a "rebody". The problem that we have on the
post about a certain car that was deleted is if this forum should allow people to post negative information about
someones car. Whether the info is true or untrue is NOT
the point the "damage has been done". People will remember
years later and question the car. That being said I should say (before someone else does) that I do own a 69 Yenko Camaro that was crashed in Nov of 71. The car was damaged down the right side along with severe cowl damage. It was repaired back then with some new sheet metal and a used door. The cowl and front floor were hammered out the best they could. When I bought the car almost 4 years ago I was well aware of the damage. After having several body and frame people look at it it was decided by me to replace the cowl along with most of the front floor. I also replaced the right 1/4 and outer wheelhouse as it had been brazed on. I found a donor car and had it done. It is documented by pictures. This is a 13,000 mile original engine car.
Do I have a Yenko? a Rebody? Several people on this board know this car and what has been done. I think it would be hard for me to sell this car without giving someone this information. It is only right. The car is now in it's final
assembly stage and I will post a picture soon.

Thanks..........Sully

Re: rebodied with out salvage a title
 

I have been associated with paint and body work in NC for many years. Cars here are classified as "totaled" not so much by the amount of damage, but by the dollar cost to repair the vehicle. Several factors are considered such as the value of the vehicle per NADA, and the salvage value of the vehicle. If it is decided not to repair the vehicle, often the owner has the chance to buy the vehicle back and the title is unchanged. If it is sold as salvage the titles are turned in to the state. If it is then bought to be rebuilt it is inspected upon completion by the DMV and a salvage title is issued so the potential buyer is aware it was salvaged out. There are a lot of fairly new high end vehicles repaired with substantial damage though that is done so at the direction of the insurance company. It is about economics. What is the most cost effective solution. Insurance companies here can specify used parts which drastically reduces the actual repair costs. The better salvage yards here even inventory vehicles by color and often you can request a door, pickup truck bed, etc. in the color you need and surf the hotlines for yards until you find it. These are well run, quality yards that sell only quality parts with no or minimal damage. You don't wander around in these yards either. They no longer view their parts as junk, and do not want someone carelessly opening a door into another door and damaging it. Yes, you may have to paint the exterior of the door and blend it to the rest of the car, but you wont have to break it down to trim it out. Of course this is a substantial labor savings for the insurance company and actually gives you a better repair as it is an undisturbed original part with factory paint, noise deadeners, rust preventatives, etc. I personally would much rather have a good clean used door or fender as a new one. An example that comes to mind was a new Lincoln 2 door. It was hit hard in the rear end and nearly flat to the back glass. A rear clip was located in the same color and the car cut in half at the floor pan and the windshield post. The rear clip was perfect as received and when welded on the only paint needed was about a foot on the windshield posts and 2 feet on the rocker. The paint matched perfect. This car was repaired in 4 days and looked great. Granted it would be really great if it had not been hit, but I think this repair was much better than ordering the rear structure in pieces and building it back. Another was a pickup truck that was reframed. Try it. That is a job. I could go on and on but clipping is an accepted industry standard and heavy damage will be repaired if it is monetarily feasible, and industry standards regard the repair as safe if done by a reputable certified shop. As to how this relates to Camaros, the COPO, Yenko, ZL1, etc. were quite expensive when new and I think the majority of owners were of higher income and treated them with more respect than the 18 year old kid who bought a Z or a SS. There were no exotics here in our town. 302, 350, 396, yes. I don't remember any of the 69 camaros here that didn't have some damage to them at one time or another. As to now this is the rust belt and they have a lot of rust in the lower body. As I said earlier, granted I would like to have all my cars virgin, rustfree, never damaged time machines that I found in my grandmother's barn, but the reality of it is there are more that need repairs, and some of them extensive than there are survivors. I would rather have a clipped car myself with a super clip than one that had to have rockers, floors, trunk, wheel housings, quarters, tail panel, etc. but I hear no compaints about those. You talk about a quality construction issue - now you have one. If you put all this on a car would this not come close to the replacing half the car scenario mentioned earlier? Just some thoughts. You know you can repair them several times. Over and over if need be. You can redo them again later too as technology changes if you feel so led. But you can only throw them away once.

Re: rebodied with out salvage a title
 

Point well taken....sounds like hard work...what are your thoughts on tagging a car ?

Re: rebodied with out salvage a title
 

A good friends nephew was a auto body man. For years when he worked at a Chevy body shop he would buy wrecked cars and fix them in his own shop, moonlighting. Often the owner of the wrecked car wanted to buy a new vehicle and he would get the wreck for a good price if the dealer took it in trade or sometimes he made a deal with the owner.

When it came time to sell he would tell them they were wrecked but often did not tell them of the extent. Well after doing this for many years and making a lot of money. He sold a Blazer that was in a bad run off the road accident. He fixed using all GM parts but he never disclosed the extent of the accident to the buyer. It did not have a salvage title. Well, although he was a good body man and used all GM parts to repair it, the new owner, a young girl was fatally injured in the Blazer. This happened about 6 months after he sold it to her parents. They suspected something wrong with the vehicle, so they hired a very good lawyer who found out the extent of the damage and how much he made on the transaction. An investigation determined that he was negligent in his repair, some parts were not replaced and later failed. They said he failed to disclose the extent of his repairs, he insisted he did but nothing was in writing. He was lucky to stay out of jail. He was sued, the parents blame him for the accident even though it was shown the driver was speeding. He cannot find a job in any body shop to this day and works construction. He was not really a crook, although he was a good body man, he was not state licensed and insured to do this work outside of the GM dealership.

So I guess the moral is, be very careful restoring vehicles of any omissions on a vehicle repair. If the buyer can prove a defect exists or you altered the vehicle with the intent to defraud and you failed to disclose, you are in breach of contract and can be sued for any and all damages to include punitive damages.

There is a fine line between restoring a car and making a car from junk. I don't think I would want to be the person who just bought a restored 1969 Z28 for $50g only to find out it was a total piece of junk before the restoration and was made up of many other cars unless the shop doing the work was Body Codington etc.

Re: rebodied with out salvage a title
 

Ed you say clipping is accepted?? Did that Lincoln get re-titled as reconstructed I do not know what is legal in NC but what I am finding out is in some states it is required by law
I have been in the business for over 35 years I for one WILL NEVER CLIP A CAR
The legal aspect is just to great The shops that I have seen clipping cars are all for the most part out of business why LAW-SUTES I have done my home work on this
I called my insurance co today just to see what their policy on clipping a car I was told if its that bad that it needs to be clipped they will total it even if it is a new car because they can be held liable and not worth the risk. They went on to say they have in the past have been sued The Lincoln you spoke of will most likely end up in a used car lot by years end and some poor Joe ends up with a lemon I know what you are saying about high dollar car but is the risk worth it once its clipped it will never be the same I can go on for days telling you of all the problems I have seen when a car gets clipped. What Mike has said is right on the money I have seen this way to many times. People today are sue happy and will sue you in a heart beat It just not worth the risk. I know that I will NOT convince every one but at least
I can sleep at night knowing I did the right thing I have spoke my peace on this subject and now will get off my soup box and end this

Re: rebodied with out salvage a title
 

After watching Boyd's new show on Discovery and seeing how many screw ups they made I don't think I would let them fix my car either! LOL I agree with you about some folks fixing wrecks. I have seen a lot of corners cut on salvage repairs done by back door shops for a quick resale. If obtained properly and inspected upon completion by the DMV the public has some assurance of the quality of the repairs. If someone chooses to violate the law that is the technicians fault, not the vehicles. I guess if we look at our court dockets though, this is not the only law broken in this country. As I stated though if done by a reputable shop by certified technicians with state of the art equipment clipping is an acceptable, reliable, and cost effective repair that in some cases is better by far than piecing a large part of the structure back together from a pile of replacement sheet metal. I am neither pro or con on the issue, but again it is an acceptable process and is authorized by insurance companies if applicable to the situation. I don't think insurance companies are going to endorse the work of someone moonlighting out of a home shop anyway. You have any additional information why if these folks suspected something wrong with the blazer they drove it for 6 months, and what the part was that failed after 6 months? Also in shops here body men are just that - body men. They repair the bodies. Any mechanical issues are handled by the mechanics in the service area where they too are certified to inspect suspension and drive train components. As to the 50K Z/28 I also would think that would depend on the car. There are a lot of nice originals, there are a lot of nice minor restorations where a bit of freshening was done on a good driver. I don't think in reality there are a lot of really nice cars taken apart for a total restoration anyway. Resto costs are just too high for that. When a guy lists every body panel replaced except the roof is it because he wants new panels, he wants to make sure there is no rust or gremlins hidden somewhere, or the body was shot and they needed replaced? If you put in new inner and outer rockers and a floor pan technically you just cut the car in two anyway, but in two places instead of one. I think in reality we really have two issues here. One is the structural integrity of the repair which if done by professionals is OK. You can screw up anything if you don't know what you are doing - it doesn't just apply to cars. The second issue is pedigree. I think some folks just can't accept that the rear might have been a lowly 6 cylinder. That clip knows in it's heart that it is not worthy of being on that car, and everyone that comes in contact with it can pick up on the insecurity and negative vibes it emits. You know I think we may need to look at the experiences of those that have gone before us. The A and T model guys, the hotrod guys, and the 50's era guys have all experienced the same things and have got past it as they have come to realize that the salvage left is quickly running out of prestine shells, parts cars, etc. to work with and now gladly repair what they can find. We will too someday. We just aren't quite there yet.

Re: rebodied with out salvage a title
 

Hey Norm,

I just read your post after the prievious reply. As to the Lincoln I do not know of the titleing, as it was a customers car, and was repaired for the customer and is still owned by the customer. This is 5 years later. It was repaired by a dealership. I can see where it would be a dangerous thing if done incorrectly. Would not any repair done incorrectly be dangerous as well, opening the door for a lawsuit? This is why I am talking trained certified technicians, not just some jack of all trades that hangs out a sign and starts building cars. If man can go to the moon er mars, refloat sunken ships, and build structures that reach to the sky surely a trained technician can weld two pieces of a car together. The best I remember from my own welding class a good weld is stronger than the metal to to be joined.

Re: rebodied with out salvage a title
 

I suppose by now everyone here is tired of hearing my opinions also, and for that I apologize. I just want to point out I am not defending anyone's particular vehicle - that is between the owner and any future potential buyer. I am defending the technology. I remember the day when straightening a frame meant heating the damaged area with a torch and hitting it with a sledge hammer till it went down enough till the front end would line up. If you took it too far, shim it. If the unibody is hung on a frame machine and is true with certified technicians working on it I see no problem. Cars are made up of systems. If you cut a car in half you would have to change the rear suspension if so desired, or use the one in the clip. Other than that you hook up a brake line and bleed the brakes. Put the fuel line back. Hook up the emergency brake, and plug the wiring harness up. How difficult can any of this be other than trusting the weld? Troy Trapenzier (is that spelled right?) just built the ebay Mustang. They cut that unibody from one end to the other replacing panels as they went. They cut the front end off in front of the firewall and replaced it with one from a 6 cylinder coupe. Is that front end now going to fall off and the new owner going to sue ebay and Troy? How about the Baer brakes Road Runner? Cut the front end off in front of the firewall, and replaced it because of damage. A high profile resto shop did it. Is that front end going to fall off? How about the goodmark Chevelle? What a piece of S--- they started with. That thing is really unique. They used it to showcase thier panels and nearly rebuilt the whole unibody from aftermarket parts. Is it going to fall apart? How about the 56 Chevy being built now on American Hotrod by Boyd. Cut from one end to the other. Is it going to fall apart? Lastly how about the motorcycles of Jesse James and Orange County Choppers? Are they going to fall apart? I am sure you all can think of others. You know what all this actually has in common though? It all started as junk and now is worth big bucks because of who built it, aftermarket parts used, and publicity. Do I think you ought to disclose what's done? Yes. Do I think it is the death sentence? No. I think the buyer is thinking that if I pay all the money I want a car that is worth all the money. If the potential buyer is still there after your disclosure he likes it and if he starts to dicker price, it is just a tool then to use to pay less. People dicker and pick the nicest out there too trying to save a buck. Human nature. We often price high to dicker to what we want anyway, and then the buyer thinks he talked you down and you got what you wanted anyway. All just mind games. Don't we all want a zillion dollars for our cars and a bargain on the ones we buy? If everyone here would be completely honest how many of your cars have some kind of wreck damage that has been repaired? How much? How significant? You going to tell? You going to sugar coat it? Doesn't the market already regulate the price based on rarity, options, desireability, authenticity, and condition anyway? https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...ns/Charley.gif https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...arleySucks.gif https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...ffSucksToo.gif Not that I really think you guys suck, I just always wanted to post those things. Besides, by now you all probably think I suck. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...iggthumpup.gif

Re: rebodied with out salvage a title
 

You Suck...but well said.

Re: rebodied with out salvage a title
 

Eddie, some very interesting reading, and thought provoking. And, I tend to agree with what you are saying.

Re: rebodied with out salvage a title
 

Now what about the 32 Ford all steel streetrods?
These are not made by a recognized mfgr. And someone did one up as a restored car and tried to enter it into an AACA national meet. They went crazy.
So now that The Parts Place is going to be offering complete 69 Camaro Convertible body tubs all completely welded etc. (They will be offering Coupes at a later date) what is to stop some one from just putting a SN on one of these ...as a matter of fact that is exactly the senario they use in their ebay ad. "Will make it much easier to rebuild that rusted away COPO" or something like that.

Re: rebodied with out salvage a title
 

69 Camaro Conv Reproduction

Re: rebodied with out salvage a title
 

[ QUOTE ]
You have any additional information why if these folks suspected something wrong with the Blazer they drove it for 6 months, and what the part was that failed after 6 months?

[/ QUOTE ]

It was related to steering and or suspension. The frame was bent in the first accident and was repaired by him using the dealers equipment.

I think it was that the parents could not accept the tragedy and were looking for the reason. When it was discovered they purchased a Blazer that was nearly totaled, they went after him and the court sided with them. He had no business insurance to protect himself.