Original vs Correct,, New Body Acceptable?

[69rsss350]

You might get more respect (?) if we knew your name not just your handle. There is a place to post it in your profile. If you choose to remain anonymous, expect nothing.

[MotownMadman]

Mike, I wont use this forum as a method of personal attacks, I sent you a PM to explain my position.
Thanks,
Motown [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

[68TopStock]

Being in the healthcare industry makes me chuckle about the reference comparing a car body to the human body. When a heart transplant patient receives a new heart, he isn't included in the family lineage of the donor is he? Maybe someday some donor recepient will sue for inheritance because he is a part of the family tree (in his opinion).

Just because a vin tag or oe stamped block is put in a new body, does not make it the car it is supposed to appear as. The original one is dead and hopefully buried. Unless of course you believe in reincarnation! [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/crazy.gif[/img]

[AutoInsane]

I think it is extremely hypocritical for a person to adamantly say that a rebody is a terrible thing yet whole heartedly support changing every body panel on the car. The idea that the same guys who turn up their noses at a rebody would happily buy a car with almost nothing original left of the body.

Now I could understand if a person were to think a car with all original sheet metal was fine and acceptable and the unacceptable was a car with any non original sheet metal.

What is the difference between a car with new fenders, hood, floors, quarters, trunk and maybe repair around the windshield and rear window and a car that has been rebodied?

You have to think one way or another: non original sheet metal is fine or it isnt.

What's next? Will the worth of a collector car be based on the percentage of original sheet metal? 'That Yenko has 64% of it's original sheet metal so it's worth more than the one with 48% of it's original sheet metal'.......

[Zedder]

It's not a matter of hypocricy at all...

"What is the difference between a car with new fenders, hood, floors, quarters, trunk and maybe repair around the windshield and rear window and a car that has been rebodied? "

Simple: It is LEGAL to change out body panels. It is ILLEGAL to rebody a vehicle. Choose the latter and be prepared to face the consequences should a future purchaser find out about the rebody. And it makes no difference if you tell the next subsequent buyer that you rebodied a car. The felony is committed by the person who tampered with the vehicles VIN. Subsequent owners are at risk of losing the vehicle despite not having been party to the actual tampering since ignorance of the felony is not acceptable in court. Don't believe me? Ask the the guy who lost his Black '69 L78 Nova in Ontario a few years ago because a previous owner rebodied the car. I know there were law suits involved but do not know the outcome.

What I find shocking is that so many owners openly talk about their vehicles being rebodied. I had a guy tell me about his '69 COPO Chevelle a few years ago and another fellow called me about 6 months ago trying to sell his rebodied '67 Z-28. What part of ILLEGAL don't these guys understand?

And what about all those beautiful rust free Canadian cars with "GM Canada documentation" that everyone is so hot about? Give me a break, I owned over 20 early Camaros in the mid '70's and every one of them needed rust repair big time. Also know that many a "rust free shell" has crossed the border into the great white North. Buyer beware...

[MotownMadman]

Mark, As I stated repeatedly, I am not in favor of a rebody, I am just going back and forth with the what ifs. A rebody is legal if you are doing it without tampering with the VINS, example, the entire body is replaced with the exception of the firewall cowl area, or as stated by someone else earlier that had changed the dash and had legal supervision whild doing so. It is illegal to tamper vin a vin for obvious reasons, but it is not illegal to replace a cars body.Motown [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

[Zedder]

Motown, I'm not making my comments to you or anyone else in particular - just stating my thoughts on the matter. As for a rebody being legal from the cowl back - not in Ontario! I bought a wrecked 67 RS/SS a few years ago and it came with another stripped rust free shell - both tags and titles came with the cars. The seller gave me the story about having the police or Ministry of Transport, Ontario "supervise" the VIN removal and reinstallation on the new shell. I called the MTO and the OPP and they told me that this was not true and that the only way to do this was to have a salvage title issued for the "new" combined vehicle. I took the liberty to ask about the practice of changing out the firewall and cowl pieces that so many do up here and I was told that this was ILLEGAL because the donor shell was, and I quote, "more substantial" than the cowl piece. I was left with the impression that it is ok to back half a car, but that's it.

BTW Motown, I've sent you two private emails recently with no reply. Doesn't the address listed in your profile work?

[MotownMadman]

Mark, I cant seem to send you a PM, try [email protected],
Thanks,
Motown

[Jeff H]

I don't think anyone is aiming their comments at anyone in particular, I think it's a good discussion with people expressing their own views. I'm sure there are legal repercussions regarding a rebody where the VIN is actually tampered with. I'm not an expert on that so I can't clarify. But I definitely think there is a big difference between a rebody(using another car's shell) and replacing body panels on the actual car in question. If you say that replacing body panels is not acceptable, then the only legit cars out there are the ones that were never driven and still have their original metal and paint. Replacing body panels is an accepted form of automobile repair, regardless if it's a muscle car or a Honda Accord. A car that has all its original metal and paint is going to be worth more to a certain group of people and the car that has had new panels and new paint is going to be worth more to another group of people. To each his own and I would love to own an original unrestored car, an original restored car and a modern high tech street car. Make them all 69 Camaros though! [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

69ssrs350;
Many of us are just following along with the discussion because we have talked about this before. So, we find it interesting to see what the latest round of opinions are. It's a tough topic, and I think the conclusions will be similar to the last time we covered this area.

I think I remember the line was crossed when somebody other than GM put some stamps into a gangholder, and started hitting panels or engine items.