GM replacement VIN tags

[Edward M.]

I know that for a period of time, it was possible to get a official General Motors replacement VIN tag. I also understand that there were lots of hoops that had to be jumped through in order to get a replacement VIN tag.

My question is "What does an official GM replacement VIN tag look like"?

I suspect that the answer isn't quite that simple, and may vary depending on the year of the car, when the replacement VIN tag was made, etc.

So, let me narrow it down to something like this:

Do we know when replacement VIN tags became available? Were they available in 1953, at the start of Corvette production? When did GM discontinue the issuance of replacement VIN tags?

I am particularly interested in the answers to two questions:

1. What did for font of the VIN number itself (not the word "CHEVROLET") look like?
2. Was the replacement VIN tag made out of the same metal that the original tag was, or the current metal type at the time of issuance.

So, as an example. lets says that an owner requested a replacement VIN tag for his 1957 Corvette in 1962, and the request was approved. The original tag was made out of aluminum, and the characters were stamped into the tag. A 1962 tag was made out of stainless steel, and the characters were embossed?

What would the replacement 1957 VIN tag, issued in 1962, look like?

Thoughts?

[Edward M.]

Re: GM replacement VIN tags

OK, I found someone that actually went through the process.

He had a 1963 Corvette convertible that was stolen around 1980. He did not have insurance on the car. He located the car less than a year later, but the original VIN tag had been replaced with one from a junkyard. The numbers on the engine had also been changed. The number on the frame was the original VIN.

After recovering the car he applied for a replacement VIN tag from a local Chevy dealer. After doing all of the paperwork, and getting all of the required approvals, the Chevy dealer called him to have the VIN tag installed.

The VIN tag that was installed in the original location (on the Z bar) was a 1980s style VIN tag, and is was attached to the Z bar with rosette rivets. It does have the original 1963 VIN number on the tag. The owner also ground off the incorrect numbers from the engine pad, and intends to restamp the engine with the correct numbers when an opportunity to pull that cylinder head comes up.

So, I assume this was the procedure across the board while the program was in place. The original VIN number was put on the replacement VIN tag, but the style of the VIN tag was whatever was current at that time. I also assume that the state (New York in this case) was OK with using the original VIN on the new tag.

[Edward M.]

Re: GM replacement VIN tags

I don't image NCRS runs into this much, but I assume that, if the owner had the appropriate paperwork showing this VIN tag change, we would accept that as a valid VIN tag.

[Pat H.]

Re: GM replacement VIN tags

Be prepared to have all documentation available fro the National Judging chairman to review. We had a car at our chapter meet several years ago with this issue, a GM replacement tag. The car was stolen and then recovered with no tags. The police report detailed the events and were submitted to the National Judging Chairman, It was approved with the original VIN but was a completely different configuration from the original tag. It had GM stamped diagonally across the tag in 3 or 4 rows and the VIN was over stamped.

[Ara G.]

Re: GM replacement VIN tags

Ed,
I have some pictures of a GM replacement VIN tag from a car I saw at a meet. Email me (nyrfan@bellsouth.net) and I will try to email you some pics this weekend of it. I too had never seen one before, so I took plenty of pictures of it. If you don't hear from me, keep at me....Thanks. ARA

[Edward M.]

Re: GM replacement VIN tags

Be prepared to have all documentation available fro the National Judging chairman to review. We had a car at our chapter meet several years ago with this issue, a GM replacement tag. The car was stolen and then recovered with no tags. The police report detailed the events and were submitted to the National Judging Chairman, It was approved with the original VIN but was a completely different configuration from the original tag. It had GM stamped diagonally across the tag in 3 or 4 rows and the VIN was over stamped.

Do you recall what year car this was, and what year the VIN tag was requested? Any chance that you have pictures of this VIN tag?

I agree that this situation puts the responsibility on the owner to provide appropriate documentation, but assuming the documentation is correct, and the replacement VIN tag is the legal VIN tag on the car, then I assume that any "differences" from factory original VIN tag configuration would not be an issue.

Am I correct when I say that the VIN tag itself is not a judged item, but must be present on the car in order for the car to be judged?

In other words, there really isn't any reason to "restore" the VIN tag (other than normal cleaning)?

[Jim L.]

Re: GM replacement VIN tags

Am I correct when I say that the VIN tag itself is not a judged item, but must be present on the car in order for the car to be judged?

In other words, there really isn't any reason to "restore" the VIN tag (other than normal cleaning)?

25-ish years ago I had a car judged which was missing its original VIN plate. Replacing it was an ugly steel bar with crudely stamped alpha-numerics which represented a state-assigned VIN. This bar was welded to the frame and easily visible (altho not real obvious).

Not a single judge seemed to care about that ugly welded bar.

Of course, times (and judges) change.....

Jim

[Edward M.]

Re: GM replacement VIN tags

So here is something interesting from this conversation.

I now have three separate and confirmed official GM replacement VIN tags that look just like this one.

The rectangular tag, with 4 small holes in each corner, red with a natural aluminum finish bow tie emblem and the word "Chevrolet". Also has the phrase "Serial Number:, and a blank space for the VIN to be entered.

This particular style of tag is on a 1961, a 1962, and a 1965 Corvette.

Does this tag look familiar to anyone? Was it perhaps used as a real VIN tag on some other model Chevys?

This particular tag is attached with two slot head screws. The tags on the 62 and 65 are both riveted in the same location that this one is screwed in. The rivets in both cases appear to be standard pop rivets (not rosette rivets).

I have been able to confirm that the VIN tag on the 1962 Corvette was requested and installed in 1975.

[Rex M.]

Re: GM replacement VIN tags

Someone is selling blank replacement VIN tags on e-bay today.

[Pat H.]

Re: GM replacement VIN tags

Ed,
This is not what I've seen as a replacement tag, at least not in Canada. GM did issue some replacement tags way back in the 60's and 70's, but nothing like what you posted. The 2 that I've seen had GM layered in and then the number typed over, The tag was much longer than the original. One of my sources tells me than GM Canada discontinued this in the late 70's or early 80's. One of my first jobs at GM was typing body tags (trim tags) and VIN tags for full size Chevrolets back in 67. They looked nothing like the ones shown, but how knows what they did back then.