Reconstructed Vehicle VIN swap

[DaveC68]

I almost fear chiming in here... but here goes if I understand correctly. Its not OK to own both the wrecked GNX and a complete car, switch the VIN and reconstruct the GNX.
But it would be OK to clip the GNX at the windshield posts and across the floor...say just below the gas pedal and graft it onto the complete car to reconstruct the GNX.
(And by the looks of the pictures the windshield posts have already conveniently been clipped)

I think the real question is...How much( or how little)a piece of sheet metal that contains the VIN tag (rivits intact) can be removed and replaced to another car without it being considered removing the vin

And does it make a difference if I own the wrecked GNX and want to repair it? (OK?)
Or if I own a GN and buy the wrecked GNX to clone or pass my GN for a GNX? (not OK?)
Isn't it the same "thing" in the end, just different circumstances to arriving there?

[jfkheat]

[ QUOTE ]

I think the real question is...How much( or how little)a piece of sheet metal that contains the VIN tag (rivits intact) can be removed and replaced to another car without it being considered removing the vin


[/ QUOTE ]

You would need to leave at least 1 to 1 1/2 inches so you could weld it in and not hurt the VIN tag.
James

[nuch_ss396]

[ QUOTE ]
I almost fear chiming in here... but here goes if I understand correctly. Its not OK to own both the wrecked GNX and a complete car, switch the VIN and reconstruct the GNX.
But it would be OK to clip the GNX at the windshield posts and across the floor...say just below the gas pedal and graft it onto the complete car to reconstruct the GNX.
(And by the looks of the pictures the windshield posts have already conveniently been clipped)

I think the real question is...How much( or how little)a piece of sheet metal that contains the VIN tag (rivits intact) can be removed and replaced to another car without it being considered removing the vin

And does it make a difference if I own the wrecked GNX and want to repair it? (OK?)
Or if I own a GN and buy the wrecked GNX to clone or pass my GN for a GNX? (not OK?)
Isn't it the same "thing" in the end, just different circumstances to arriving there?

[/ QUOTE ]

This question harks back to a discussion here before about
the Dynacorn bodies and use of original VIN & cowl tags.

This is going to become a slippery slope when someone
prominent ( like, let's say Jay Leno ) gets burned and
wants restitution. How much of the original car is necessary in a reconstruction to keep it the original car?
Just the cowl area? Under that premise, a Dynacorn body
could then be considered a real Camaro ( by the unknowing ).

See where this is going?

[southernfriedcj]

Wouldn't the VIN swap law apply to the purple Hemi Cuda that was sold at the BJ auction this year? They said the car was burned up in a fire and "rebodied". I was surprised when they announced it, as I thought "rebodying" was illegal.

[njsteve]

[ QUOTE ]
Wouldn't the VIN swap law apply to the purple Hemi Cuda that was sold at the BJ auction this year? They said the car was burned up in a fire and "rebodied". I was surprised when they announced it, as I thought "rebodying" was illegal.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes it would. I was flaberghasted when I heard the announcer call it a rebody on the air. Nothing like admitting to a felony in front of a couple million people.

[nuch_ss396]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Wouldn't the VIN swap law apply to the purple Hemi Cuda that was sold at the BJ auction this year? They said the car was burned up in a fire and "rebodied". I was surprised when they announced it, as I thought "rebodying" was illegal.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes it would. I was flaberghasted when I heard the announcer call it a rebody on the air. Nothing like admitting to a felony in front of a couple million people.

[/ QUOTE ]

Steve,

I think your point gets to the heart of the matter. If B-J
can do it for high dollar car(s) ( and get away with it ),
others will follow suit as it appears to be an accepted way
of restoring a high values performance car. I'll say it
again, all those dis-embodied VIN's & cowl tags out there
are going to start showing up as rebodied cars for major bucks.

And, if B-J can rationalize the auction of these types of
cars, then they have another potential whole crop of muscle
cars to start pushing on the public.

[firstgenaddict]

I guess the magic questions is how much of the car do you have to use before it is considered a vin swap...
I guess LESS than this Cowl Graft!

[njsteve]

[ QUOTE ]
Steve,

I think your point gets to the heart of the matter. If B-J
can do it for high dollar car(s) ( and get away with it ),
others will follow suit as it appears to be an accepted way
of restoring a high values performance car. I'll say it
again, all those dis-embodied VIN's & cowl tags out there
are going to start showing up as rebodied cars for major bucks.

And, if B-J can rationalize the auction of these types of
cars, then they have another potential whole crop of muscle
cars to start pushing on the public.

[/ QUOTE ]

BJ has nothing to do with VIN swapping. The announcers have no clue whatsoever. I was just amazed that the current owner actually put that info out there. It doesn't matter how altuistic the reason, i.e saving a one of one built car, if you take the VIN off the old body and rivet it on the new one, it is a crime and you risk losing the car.

Maybe that's why the new Dynacorn 57 Chevy bodies are now built around existing cowls that retain the original VIN numbers. That would be a legal method of "transferring" a VIN. http://www.1957chevybody.com/body.html I wonder when they are going to start permitting current owners of rusty cars to bring their bodies to the Dynacorn shop for transplantation? It sounds all too science fictiony to me -almost like a Twilight Zone episode in the making. Or maybe the cartoon movie "Robots" where a robot can upgrade to the newest body once his is broken down beyond repair.

[firstgenaddict]

Would it be a VIN swap if you took a cowl from say a ZL1 and then took a regular 6 cyl 69 Camaro... cut the cowl out and intalled the ZL1 cowl?