Barrett Jackson Las Vegas

[RamAirDave]

[ QUOTE ]
Early Vettes have a VIN tag that is screwed on with two phillips head. Is removing those screws to paint the car a crime? What happens when said painter removes the tag and loses it? I personally know of a car that that happened to. A new VIN tag was made by a company and it was reapplied to the car. What would you classify this car as.

[/ QUOTE ]

It would be a questionable car.

I don't know the exact legalities, but straight R&R (temporary and doesn't go to another car) in the process of resto isn't going to be prosecuted as far as I know. It happens often in the case of upper dash panel replacement and maybe (in vette cases, I don't know) in paint process. For paint, I would rather it be masked rather than removed.

For whatever case, "losing" the removed tag is inexcusable IMO. That's a pretty important piece and great care should be taken as far as securing (not losing) it.

As far as the new VIN tag being made, well... I would wager that the guy that bought the new VIN tag would not say where it was purchased, nor would the tag maker ever advertise. Very illegal to manufacture VIN tags.

[The Dude]

Post deleted by TK-65

[RamAirDave]

So the guy is openly making VIN plates?

Care to provide a link?

[Les Quam]

Witnesses to a crime cannot be prosecuted for not coming forward. What your probably thinking of is a material witness warrant which is issued for a witness that ignores a subpoena after being duly served.

Friends that know of a VIN change cannot be held liable unless they participated in the process of altering the cars identity or later hiding the fact. Mere presence or knolwedge of a crime does not constitute a conspiracy it requires an act in furtherance of the conspiracy. This issue can change when someone knows a crime involving the public safety is ABOUT to occur. But that is more complicated and doesn't relate to this matter.

This car needs to be destroyed because its identity has been altered causing someone to pay 125K in reliance on the fraud. That is just one of the reasons the laws against vehicle identity change exist. This car has been so artfully altered it even fooled a recognized camaro expert who inspected it. If it is not destroyed at some point in the future it again will be sold to a buyer in good faith. The laypersons concept of Buyer beware doesn't cover active acts of identity change, it relates to checking for rust etc.

Almost all states make provisions for lost vehicle identity tags and also for necessary alterations. In those cases the State comes out and personally supervises the work or the car is brought in and clsoely supervised. I had to change out a speedometer on a 97 Porsche a few years back and had to jump through a lot of hoops to get the state to certify the mileage from old to new speedo and the change was supervised by the state.

This case is different than a camaro that left the factory with a 307 engine and the ZL-1 option or other rare options which were later added. Those cars are clones or tributes but their original identities should remain intact. Its unfortunate in Chevy world there is no factory docs like PHS for Pontiacs or a Marti report for Fords to determine a cars original factory options.

This car will not be re-sold if the allegations turn out to be true. Both state and Federal authorities have been notified of the information contained on this thread and other forum threads and have acknowledged reciept of the information and are opening an investigation. The NICB boys are relentless when it comes to cases like this. I think that this car has been sold for the last time assuming everything is true.

[RamAirDave]

Les, my last post (which I'm guessing is the one you're referring) was in regards to TK's now-deleted post about the guy who makes and advertises making VIN plates.

[GMC_Typhoon]