1957 VIN Question

[Peter A.]

I am working on buying a 1957 Corvette and the VIN on the car is E57S1002XXX. The seller has disclosed to me that the VIN on the title matches the vehicle but also contains a "V" prior to the "E". It reads VE57S1002XXX. Should the Seller resovle this with the Secretary of State in Michigan before I close on the transaction? We both understand why the "V" might have been used on the title and I have seen instances of this before in threads on this board, but I do not see anything about this in my Corvette reference books. I am prepared to apply for my Maryland title with the V in the VIN becasue I dont have to have the car inspected in Maryland when registering as a historic vehicle. Does anyone have an opinion on this or any experience with this issue?

[Mike M.]

Re: 1957 VIN Question

if you intend to keep the 57 indefinitly and pass it on to your heirs, then proceed with the "V" title. however, if you need to sell the old girl in the future, then potential buyers may pass on it due to the V. i'd see if the michigan owner will take care of the problem before you close the deal. Md DMV are not only lazy,dull and incompetent, they are very unlikely to delete the V on your maryland title. mike, also a marylander with years of DMV dissatisfication.

[Kent S.]

Re: 1957 VIN Question

I'm with Mike on this one - BTW Kansas would be a problem too!

Just wondering what you meant when you say you both understand why the V is there?

[Chuck G.]

Re: 1957 VIN Question

if you intend to keep the 57 indefinitly and pass it on to your heirs, then proceed with the "V" title. however, if you need to sell the old girl in the future, then potential buyers may pass on it due to the V. i'd see if the michigan owner will take care of the problem before you close the deal. Md DMV are not only lazy,dull and incompetent, they are very unlikely to delete the V on your maryland title. mike, also a marylander with years of DMV dissatisfication.

Boy, do I agree with Mike. I lived in Maryland for 38 years.

Maryland DMV is consistently the worst....at everything. Don't even attempt to get anything done there, even if you go to the headquarters in Glen Burnie.

You'll witness bureaucracy at its' finest at any Maryland DMV location.

Chuck

[Peter A.]

Re: 1957 VIN Question

Kent - from what we were able to determine based on what we found in reference books and in talking to an NCRS judge...the V first began to appear in 1955 at the front of the VIN sequence to identify it as having a V8 engine instead of the V6. Why this would appear on a 1957 car is a mystery. I am new to all of this and I am certainly not an expert. I certainly appreciate the input from everyone so far.

[Joseph T.]

Re: 1957 VIN Question

I am working on buying a 1957 Corvette and the VIN on the car is E57S1002XXX. The seller has disclosed to me that the VIN on the title matches the vehicle but also contains a "V" prior to the "E". It reads VE57S1002XXX. Should the Seller resovle this with the Secretary of State in Michigan before I close on the transaction? We both understand why the "V" might have been used on the title and I have seen instances of this before in threads on this board, but I do not see anything about this in my Corvette reference books. I am prepared to apply for my Maryland title with the V in the VIN becasue I dont have to have the car inspected in Maryland when registering as a historic vehicle. Does anyone have an opinion on this or any experience with this issue?

My Survivor 57 was titled as a VE#...below is a picture of the Bloomington Gold Survivor Award back in 1990..the first year of the Survivor event.

Joe

[Jack H.]

Re: 1957 VIN Question

A tidbit more, the alternative 6-cylinder engines then were NOT V-6 blocks they were 6 in-line designs. Hence the 'V' distinction DID differentiate between 6 and 8 cylinder engines...

[Gerry P.]

Re: 1957 VIN Question

I just looked at copies of the prior two owner's titles (SC & FL respectively) for my '57 and both showed a "V" in front of the E. When I registered it here in CO, they dropped the V from the VIN number so my title now matches the car.

I have to mention that when I did a title check on the day of my purchase by calling the state of FL to confirm the ownership of the seller, the office told me they had no record of the car (I gave them the VIN on the car). Needless to say, I immediately got nervous and was about to call off the purchase. But it was cleared up when the seller read the VIN number off his title which had the V in front of it. With the V in the number, the FL office confirmed the seller's ownership.
Gerry

[Garry B.]

Re: 1957 VIN Question

Peter, I am sending to your personal email archived information from the late Mike Hunt that may provide some additional insight into the VE question and also provide documentation that for whatever reasons, there were and are many '57 Corvettes out there with this VIN prefix and that yours is in no way a fraudulent or misrepresented VIN tag, but in fact quite common.

Good luck,
Garry Barnes 18531

[Gary C.]

Re: 1957 VIN Question

Gary, Mike's article on "VE" 1956-7's is available on this thread Gary....
https://www.forums.ncrs.org/showthread.php?t=70303

[Garry B.]

Re: 1957 VIN Question

Gary, thanks for reminding me. I couldn't seem to attach the MH documents on here, so I sent them to Peter on private email. I should have remembered that they were on here. Thanks.
Garry 18531