VIN plate on e-Bay

[Rob M.]

Is 't legal selling VIN Plates in the States?

greetings,
Rob.




eBay 7994506595

[Craig S.]

Re: VIN plate on e-Bay

Sure sounds wrong to me......unless it is placed on the original vehicle......and HOW would you ever prove that Maybe from a frame stamping and engine VIN stamping.... not likely....... Craig

[Rand Fujimoto]

Re: VIN plate on e-Bay

Suspiciously, he also says he has "a few more of these. What do you need?"

[Rob M.]

Re: VIN plate on e-Bay

Sound to me like someone who (steals), strips cars and sells it in parts (incl. the VIN plates).

greetings,
Rob.

[John M.]

Re: VIN plate on e-Bay

Nope,
If you look at it closely, you will see it has never been installed on a car, there are no marks where the screws go! This is a manufactured tag. There are sources where you can get such a tag made, but the people who make them are very careful about having documentation that indicates that the tag is going back on the car that matches it's VIN. I had one made for the 59 Resto-rod since the original tag was lost during the 20 years that it was dis-assembled.
They made me get a statement from a state Trooper that the number matched the alternate VIN on the frame, and I had to supply a copy of the title in my name with that VIN. The assumption that making a new VIN tag is an automatic trip to the slammer, is incorrect. Many states have process to restore a VIN tag to a car, with either a state-issued VIN or a reproduction. The burden of proof is allways the same, you must prove that the car is the one from that VIN, and you must show proof that you have title to that VIN. I had one made simply because I did not want that uglu, state-issued tag!

Regards, John McGraw

[Joe R.]

Re: VIN plate on e-Bay

Gentlemen,

There are several clues to the identity of the person selling this tag and others on this board will recognize him in an instant. It's perfectly legal to make a tag if you can satisfy the state in which you live that the car is legally yours.

Several car owners have used the services of this gentleman for their trim tags. Mostly on the 20,000 1967 427/435HP that have been produced by Chevrolet or maybe various shops around the country.

This person is no thief unless you call taking your hard earned money in exchange for you making a Corvette that never existed and selling it for an obscene amount of money.

Regards,

JR

PS. If this person ever published a list of the trim tags he has made there would be people jumping from 10 story windows. I believe some car dealers would have fire trouble and then insurance trouble.

[Christopher R.]

Re: VIN plate on e-Bay

Very questionable legality.

Simple answer to your question is, "No." It's not legal to sell VIN plates. And, more so, it's not legal to attach a VIN plate to a car of a different VIN.

But I'll bet the defense is that this plate is not a "VIN plate" as we understand them today. This is a serial number plate. VINs didn't exist for C1s. The concept of a VIN didn't arise until much later. These are just serial number tags of no legal consequence. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

[Craig S.]

Re: VIN plate on e-Bay

This is the same guy selling blank gas tank stickers if you look at his other auctions.....plus a bunch of never used trim tags with no evidence of prior attachment....Craig

[Joseph T.]

Re: VIN plate on e-Bay

Years ago..I interviewed a St.louis Corvette plant employee that was responsible for stamping and applying trim tags and vin plates..in 1963.

He said the blank vin plates were signed out for at the start of the shift and accounted for at the end of the shift.

The trim tags were made from blanks according to the cars coming down the line and when mistakes were made they went into the trash..but the unused or incorrect vin plates were turned back in at the end of the shift.

[Bernard M.]

This car never existed

1956 Corvette serial numbers ranged sequentially from E56S001001 to E56S1004467. This would have been for the 24,0370th of 3467 built.

[Verne Frantz]

Re: This car never existed

I think it's a 6cyl '56 Belair.

[Bernard M.]

Re: This car never existed

Verne,
The first character "E" indicates 2900 series body; i.e. Corvette.
Regards,
Bernie Myers

[Verne Frantz]

Re: This car never existed

Bernard,
I don't pay much attention to '56s, but I know starting in '58, the letter prefix indicates body style and V8 or 6cyl on passenger cars:
A 6cyl Delray
B V8 Delray
C 6cyl Biscayne
D V8 Biscayne
E 6cyl Belair
F V8 Belair

That's my point of reference.

Verne

[Bernard M.]

Re: This car never existed

Verne,
Apparently the fellow who produced the tag wasn't paying much attention to '56s either. A=150, B=210, C=BelAir, D=Sedan Delivery, E=Corvette. The V (for V8) prefix was used on passenger cars and I believe, only a few Corvettes.
Regards,
Bernie