Bogus/stolen vins

[vintagez]

I can only assume that those things can happen. I try to tell guys to cover up their vin numbers with a business card or so on the dash, a piece of tape on the cowl tag if an older car. The vin is your own business unless you are selling the car, in which case you must disclose it. So many people try to set up data bases of vin numbers, and in reality whose home computer do these end up on? I recently had a guy on one of the other forums say that because he had met Frank and myself at a car show that everyone should send him their vin numbers and he was thus trustworthy and would store the data. I responded strongly on that website that we had met this person, but why would he try to associate himself with us for data storage, I know I would never give him any info to 'store'. In my opinion, and that is all it is, only the manufacturer should 'store' vins. Funny though I got beat up on the forum saying it should be common knowledge. Needless to say I do not frequent that forum any longer, but everyone is entitled to an opinion. I made a comment on credibility in one of my other posts, that is all we can offer, whether it is you, me or anyone. On a side note I have heard that a 'certain' 1969 Camaro exists with the same vin in 3 different countries, so anything is possible. One guy probably has the original vin tag, the other the cowl tag, and the last guy the body shell. I know that not everyone can have an original numbers matching 69 z/28, and I do appreciate where someone has built their car to look like one, as long as he does not try to sell it as one and discloses that it is a clone. Let the responses begin!

Well....I have said it so many times before. The vin# is not for public display, especially on the rare cars.

[chevelleheart]

Well said George !

[68427caprice]

Thanks George from "Out West" for the great services over the years. I was early enough to get the micro docs for my Caprice years ago (among other cars). Thanks.
As for the VIN, I agree, should not be public, but I am OK with "good" secure storage for "registry" purposes. I am in favour with good registry info, especially in the cases where you may not the original documentation for car, but from the timelines and personal history, the car appears to be legit. I would like to see "public" database's for the registry's without personal info and VIN's. This may help to keep the legit cars shown on registry as legit and the clones in list as clones. Not against clones, just against clones being sold as originals.
Enough rambling...
Jim

[HiHorse]

I prefer to not cover up my VIN and trim tag. If a VIN is widely known and in Data banks, I believe it would be difficult to mess with.

[68427caprice]

[ QUOTE ]
I prefer to not cover up my VIN and trim tag. If a VIN is widely known and in Data banks, I believe it would be difficult to mess with.

[/ QUOTE ]
I think the trick would be to make sure every database it is on is available to people looking to buy, sort of like a state/provincial database, that is also tracked for stolen vehicles etc.
I am sure this could be expanded upon.
There is a company in New Zealand that I know the owner and they are like a cross between lemon busters (database) and AAA (AMA) for auto owners and buyers. I think there may be too many cars here (plus the % of them that don't subscribe to this theory of disclosure) that it would be a monumental task.
JB