[RichSchmidt]

Thats pretty much how it is done.As it has been stated before,the law doesnt regard the trim tag as an actual document for the car.Changing the trim tag has the same legal reprecussions as restamping an engine block.Both are considred fraud,but since the law doesnt really place a value on what the trim tag or engine stampings are worth,it is a tough act to prosicute.If you purchase a car that is advertised as "all numbers matching",and you can prove that the engine is a restamp,you could stand a chance in court getting a refund if you could provide expert testimony to explain how the expession"all numbers" refers to the engine stampings and other components as well as explain how such a representation effects the value of the car,otherwise,the defendant could claim that he just meant that the title numbers matched the VIN on the dashboard,and the judge might be inclined to agree with him.

As for that scenerio that I mentioned about the replacment parts compared to the whole body,I was making light of the fact that many cars are restored and end up having no original structure or metal other then the VIN tag.If I were to find a crushed 69 camaro in the junkyard,pull it ou from the bottom of the pile,and start by placing the existing VIN tag onto a new repop cowl panel,then attaching the new cowl panel to some new toeboards,then attaching that to a new preassembled floorpan,and hangling some full rockers off of it,then adding some repop frame rails and a repop trunk floor and dropoffs,along with some repop inner roof structure,some reop fulll 1/4's,a repop roofskin and tail panel,some repop door sheels,and all the rest of the repop parts,how is it any different then just putting the tag on a repop body?How about if the car wasnt crushed,but rather totally rusted?How about if the job started with me welding a new cowl panel into the rusted hulk,then putting the tag on the new cowl panel,then replacing all the above mentioned parts one at a time?How about a law that makes it illegal to repair cowl boxes?Make it illegal to make any repairs to the cowl area of a car.If the car is so damaged that these areas need repaired,make it a law that the car must be proven destoyed in a metal shredder regardless of perceived or potential value.Race cars and wierd accidents would be no exceptions.

This is the problem with our hobby.Cars are selling for 10 times their book value for reasons that the law cant define.Take for example the proposed"all numbers matching" car that I mentioned above.Lets say that it was an RS/SS 68 camaro with an L78 4 speed and was 1 of 10 made in puke twist green.As such you payed 1 million dollars for the only know surviving example of such a car.As it turns out,the car and the trim tag are legit,but the engine is restamped.You feel that this devalues the car to be worth only $100,000 because there are 2 other NOM cars identical to yours in existance,but you payed the extra 900 grand for the numbers car.Should you get the 900 grand?Maybe only 200 grand?Whose to say?How about the guy who got scammed into buying a "numbers matching" white 327 powerglide 68 camaro on Ebay and found out that it had a 1976 pickup truck engine in it?He payed 10 grand for his car,but now it is only worth 9500.Can he still claim that he was robbed by as much as you were?Would any judge really want to touch that?As long as we continue to make it worthwhile for this business to exist,it will continue to thrive.