1969 Z11 Camaro Convertible Pace Car Wrecked Shell

[rpoz11]

Other pic he had...

[rpoz11]

I goofed on my pic selection...sorry! Can Mr. Clary please omit my duplicate pic I accidentally inserted...Thanx!

[njsteve]

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It's not illegal

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What is illegal under 18 USC 511 would be to take the VIN from that hulk and put it on one of those new repro bodies, no matter the reason. I am very familiar with this statute. Under 511 (a) (1) if you remove it for an illegal purpose you are committing the crime. Under 511 2 (B) "reasonably necessary for repair" does not include placing the VIN on another body. Under 511 (C) it doesn't work either: "a person who restores or replaces an identification number in accordance with applicable State law." I have yet to find any State laws that authorize VIN tag swapping to another car body. And, as we all learned in the Federal Courts class at law school, in the absence of a State statute directly on point, the Federal statute will be deemed the supreme authority on the subject. (The Supremacy Clause)

[BARN FIND]

Legally...how much of the car do you have to transfer (by percent or specific parts) to be legal?

[njsteve]

[ QUOTE ]
Legally...how much of the car do you have to transfer (by percent or specific parts) to be legal?

[/ QUOTE ]

You can sell any or all of the car and it's not a problem. Most State laws make it a crime to sell a VIN tag though, even with an accompanying title. The crime comes into play when you take the tag from one vehicle and place it on another. Heck, you can even take the VIN tag of one of those infamous missing ZL-1s and dance in the streets with it but if you try to rivet it onto another car it then becomes a Federal Felony. The added bonus (to the Feds) is that the car is now deemed "contraband" and will be seized. Once declared contraband it cannot be sold at one of those government auctions either. It usually gets used as a government car in some manner or another or is crushed..... I can just see it now, Efram Zimblist, Jr. cruising up to FBI headquarters in his seized, rebodied 69 ZL1.

[olredalert]

--------While Im sure you are correct in what you have stated about the legalities, I wonder at what point one considers the sheet metal that has been stamped out and then welded together a car. I know this is wierd, but it seems somewhat similar to the point at which a fetus is deemed life. I know, I said it was wierd! Hope this isnt another Roe-VS-Wade on a smaller, less important scale, but I dont consider a bare complete body a car, although others might...........Bill S

[Seattle Sam]

Charley,
SPEED Channel had a special on SEMA and interviewed a guy at the show representing the 69 Camaro convertible body company. He said there was a temporary injunction which had been placed and was already lifted, because they misunderstood that he was producing complete cars instead of just bodies. His position is that he produces sheet metal parts like GoodMark.

At least that's what I heard over the conversation in the room...I didn't catch his name or the name of his company.

Anyone else catch the show?
-Sam

[dbowtie]

Yes,I saw that too.The quote seemed to be "without quarter panels ,it's not a car".That must be a simplification of what was discussed between Dynacorn and GM.Interesting segment in a program that was as informercial-like as anything I can think of.

[njsteve]

[ QUOTE ]
--------While Im sure you are correct in what you have stated about the legalities, I wonder at what point one considers the sheet metal that has been stamped out and then welded together a car.

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The issue is not about the car body, it's about placing a VIN tag from another car on that body. THAT is what is illegal. (Not withstanding any civil copyright issues GM may have with the trademarked design of the 69 Camaro)

I think Dynacorn could avoid all legal problems by simply classifying their "item" as a 1/1 scale model of a 69 Camaro shell. They could put a Monogram or Revell label on the crate and then sell them through local hobby shops. It would be just another collectors item like Johnny Lightenings or Hotwheels...only much bigger!

[gemleeus]

why would anyone even want to place the vin and trim plates from an original car to the new bodies?