Stolen engine verification?

[TNH]

Does anyone know how to find out if an engine is stolen?

I have a strange feeling that the kid I bought my engine from did an insurance job on his car, which would make my engine technically stolen. It's a long story, but certain events are making me think he was parting the car out before reporting it stolen. I may be way off, but I want to cover my ass just in case.

I called CHP, they told me to call DMV. DMV says they could care less, put it in whatever you want as long as the chassis isn't stolen! Can you believe that?? I called Sac CHP auto theft, they told me to call DMV too. I went onto Honda forums (big engine theft problem with hondas), they said to call Santa Fe CHP and they will run engine serial numbers. I called them and left a message, no reply yet.

I was planning on dropping this into my '69 Firebird where the issue would never come up, but now I want to put it in my Miata and get the state ref to BAR it. I don't want them to take it if it my suspicions end up correct.

There is no VIN on the engine, just an 11 digit serial number.

[Fast01]

There are ways to trace the engine, but I won't go into it here. If he did an insurance job you can contact the NICB (National Insurance Crime Bureau).

[Jim Nilsen]

You are looking for trouble just by asking. If you ask if you are breaking the law you are halfway there in the eyes of the law and they will accomadate you to go the rest of the way out of curiosity. You didn't steal it and that is that.

Noone will ever know or care just like the DMV said.

Now leave it alone before some anti bull headed politician gets an idea to check all of our engines and make it illegal to do what we do.

JUST STOP and Don't WORRY be HAPPY or do you have a wish to go to jail and screw it up for the rest of us? LOL

[PT Goat]

... I went onto Honda forums (big engine theft problem with hondas)...

I was planning on dropping this into my '69 Firebird ...

Did I read this right?

[MarkM66]

Did I read this right?

LOL!

Also, why would there be a VIN on an engine? Do you know what VIN stands for?

[raf0419]

Dang import "gurus" are clouding your judgment. You bought the motor. Drop it in and have fun. The only ones who will care about the motor is the person looking at your tail lights and you.

[TNH]

Did I read this right?

Yea, you read right. I do my research to avoid trouble. If that info comes from a Honda forum, so be it.

LOL!

Also, why would there be a VIN on an engine? Do you know what VIN stands for?

Many cars have a VIN on the engine (most US market Hondas in fact, and other cars that are stolen frequently). Yes I know what it stands for. How do I know some engines have VINs? I am a wholesale auto dealer and I do some salvage repair as well. In the state of CA, you have to show receipts for all the parts that go on a salvage titled car when it is rebuilt. CHP verifies all parts and will check the engine's VIN if it has one.
I already tried to ask them, they are not interested in looking anything up if it is not going on a salvage vehicle.

VIN numbers are placed all over modern cars nowadays. It's not 1970 anymore where you just have it on your firewall.



And last but not least, to those that say who cares, refer to my original post.....

I was planning on dropping this into my '69 Firebird where the issue would never come up, but now I want to put it in my Miata and get the state ref to BAR it.

When you go to a state ref for an engine swap, they will run the engine's serial number (which I found out DOES correspond to the original VIN) to make sure it isn't stolen and to see what the original car it came out of was. When it is BAR'd in this state, a new tag goes on the cowl that essentially makes the car registered as whatever the engine is.... just for emission purposes.


Thanks for the smartass replies, I expect that kind of **** from some punk kids, not grown adults.

[TNH]

Now leave it alone before some anti bull headed politician gets an idea to check all of our engines and make it illegal to do what we do.

JUST STOP and Don't WORRY be HAPPY or do you have a wish to go to jail and screw it up for the rest of us? LOL

Clearly you are not from California. They already DO check engines here, sometimes they do it when you get pulled over. If you are old, white, and drive a domestic, this will never happen to you. If you are young, non-white, drive an import, or any combo of the three, it will happen.

Of course I do not wish to go to jail, that is why I want to make sure this engine is not stolen before rolling my car into the state ref with a possibly stolen engine in it.... that would be stupid.

[Damn True]

Thanks for the smartass replies, I expect that kind of **** from some punk kids, not grown adults.

It's the same with silly questions.

[TNH]

It's the same with silly questions.

How is my question silly?
I want to get this engine into a car that will have to be verified by a state referee. If it is stolen, they will take it from me. Get it?
Since I am so stupid, and you all know everything, how would you handle this if you were in my shoes?
Say **** it, put it in, take it to the ref, find out its stolen, and lose the whole thing? That would be brilliant.

Thanks for the positive reply, very mature, especially from a moderator.

[Jim Nilsen]

Clearly you are not from California. They already DO check engines here, sometimes they do it when you get pulled over. If you are old, white, and drive a domestic, this will never happen to you. If you are young, non-white, drive an import, or any combo of the three, it will happen.

Of course I do not wish to go to jail, that is why I want to make sure this engine is not stolen before rolling my car into the state ref with a possibly stolen engine in it.... that would be stupid.

I let the CHP tip slip right by me ( DOHHHHH )and wasn't thinking you were from Californication, it's not posted in your info in the top corner where I always look. You have the most anti bull headed politicians of all there and you will have a moment in time soon to get rid of them. I wish all of Cali goodluck in doing it and if you don't it will make me wonder what you guys have in the drinking water.

The big question to me is, do they check the engines to make sure that they are emissions legal or stolen, or both? I can see them checking for those crazy emissions laws but when the DMV doesn't care about the serial numbers it just comes back to the emissions doesn't it? It would seem that they might not let you license it for the road because of the engine emissions but wouldn't they let you keep the car? It has always seemed to me that it is mostly based on the year for emissions and your car is old enough to out of that picture isn't it?

I truly wish you all the luck you need and may it all be good.

[Damn True]

How is my question silly?
I want to get this engine into a car that will have to be verified by a state referee. If it is stolen, they will take it from me. Get it?
Since I am so stupid, and you all know everything, how would you handle this if you were in my shoes?
Say **** it, put it in, take it to the ref, find out its stolen, and lose the whole thing? That would be brilliant.

Thanks for the positive reply, very mature, especially from a moderator.

Untwist your shorts son.

The silly bit is all the superfluous mess in your post. All you want to know is "How can I determine if an engine I purchased might be stolen?"

The rest of the claptrap clouds the issue and as you can see by the chain of responses causes difficulty in figuring out exactly what your question really is.

That is what is silly.

Any more questions?

....and honestly, if you are asking that question at this point, you probably already know the answer. I fact, the question I kinda think you may be asking is this, "I'm pretty sure engine is probably stolen. If I put it in this Miata am I going to get busted when I try to smog it?" But being a positive and mature individual :bsjerk: you didn't want to just come out and say that you were pretty sure you'd received stolen goods.

If I'm wrong about that last bit I apologize in advance for misreading your original post as a bit of intentional obfuscation.

[TnBlkC230WZ]

If the kid hasn't reported the car stolen, then the engine isn't stolen. If he reports it stolen after he parts it, I believe it is a clear case of insurance fraud. You didn't buy a stolen engine; he committed insurance fraud. I'd ask a lawyer, not CHP. The crime hasn't been committed yet.

[Jim Nilsen]

What year and make of engine would really help. A brand new LS motor out of a Vette would be a smog legal motor, an old sbc with a carb would be a big back flag anywhere they do emissions testing and the year of the car has a standard to meet.

I am not worried because I am old ,white , my Camaro is a domestic and it's old enough to be exempt even in California.LOL.

Follow examples that are the same as yours and not twisted import stories that may or may not. It seems to me a lot of folks have done what your doing and you need to see if they have done it in California? I know V-8 Archie here in good/bad old corrupt Illinois put an LS motor in his Solstice with no problem from anyone but the radiator guys and a bad cap.

Pleas also take into account the ,LOL. We are very bored for a laugh sometimes and when we see the word Honda here it turns into hunting season for them.

Remember that anyone who would cut up a perfectly good car is a cut-up for humor too. LOL

Sorry if I have riled you.

[TNH]

The big question to me is, do they check the engines to make sure that they are emissions legal or stolen, or both?

At first I was told they check them just for emissions, but the guys that put the LS engines into RX7's told me that the referee did check to make sure that the engine and transmission were not stolen.
I know it doesn't make sense based on what DMV says, but the state ref is a completely different organization, and I guess they are checking them despite the DMV not caring.

I truly wish you all the luck you need and may it all be good.

Thank you.

Untwist your shorts son.

The silly bit is all the superfluous mess in your post. All you want to know is "How can I determine if an engine I purchased might be stolen?"

The rest of the claptrap clouds the issue and as you can see by the chain of responses causes difficulty in figuring out exactly what your question really is.

That is what is silly.

Any more questions?

I come to internet forums to learn, not to stir things up and cause problems. To be honest, I came to this forum because I thought it would be the last place where I would be given bad info.

And yes, you are right about my question, it is.... "How can I determine if an engine I purchased might be stolen". My 'claptrap' was an effort on my part to give a little background info in order to avoid responses such as "Call DMV", "Call CHP", etc.

I may have left some info out of my original post. Just in case, I wanted to clarify that I didn't call CHP and say something stupid like "Hey, I bought an engine, can I give you a serial number and have you tell me if I am in possession of stolen property?".
I just told them I was interested in buying an engine from Craigslist, and I'd like to run some numbers by them to make sure I am not about to purchase stolen goods.

....and honestly, if you are asking that question at this point, you probably already know the answer. I fact, the question I kinda think you may be asking is this, "I'm pretty sure engine is probably stolen. If I put it in this Miata am I going to get busted when I try to smog it?" But being a positive and mature individual :bsjerk: you didn't want to just come out and say that you were pretty sure you'd received stolen goods.

If I'm wrong about that last bit I apologize in advance for misreading your original post as a bit of intentional obfuscation.

No, I am not pretty sure my engine is stolen. I have a feeling it might be, that is all. I know that if it is stolen, I will be busted when I smog it, so there is no need for me to come to a forum and ask such a question.

Did I personally offend you or something? What's with the 'son' comment and the jackoff smiley?

What year and make of engine would really help. A brand new LS motor out of a Vette would be a smog legal motor, an old sbc with a carb would be a big back flag anywhere they do emissions testing and the year of the car has a standard to meet.

The engine came out of an '06 GTO. California engine swaps are legal as long as the donor drivetrain is the same model year or newer as the chassis it is going in, as long as all factory emissions components remain intact.

Pleas also take into account the ,LOL. We are very bored for a laugh sometimes and when we see the word Honda here it turns into hunting season for them.

Remember that anyone who would cut up a perfectly good car is a cut-up for humor too. LOL

Sorry if I have riled you.

It's ok, I don't have a problem with anyone over here. I guess I should have worded my original post better.

[GetMore]

I don't know how it works there, but if you do buy something that was stolen, but you bought it honestly and you have proof and can tell the authorities who you bought it from then you are unlikely to get in trouble. Of course unless you may wind up out the money, unless you gen get it back from the person that sold the item somehow.

[Hellontwowheels]

LOL!

Also, why would there be a VIN on an engine? Do you know what VIN stands for?

Laughing so hard at this right now. Take a closer look at your engine cases. They have a VIN too. In California if you build any sort of “Special Construction” project they require you to go directly to CHP and have the whole thing inspected. When I went in to have my custom ‘71 Shovelhead chopper inspected, I was informed that (via the engine’s VIN) the engine came back reported stolen in 1976 they seized my whole bike!!! My entire project, gone! It took two weeks to get the bike back and I had to tear the bike apart and surrender the engine to them as it was considered “stolen property”. If a bike gets pulled over and your frame and engine VIN don’t match what your paperwork says, you can say bye bye to your ride that easily. They don’t mess around here. And I’m a young female. They really got a kick out of taking a beautifully made custom Harley from a pretty, young, tearful lady. They even had the nerve to tell me they were going to destroy my engine as I sat there sobbing in their office. After I told them I got it from my deceased uncle who had it since the 70s (which is true). So yeah, engines have a VIN, you can bet your ass they do. Ask any biker.

[raustinss]

you do realize this is a long dead thread .... 8 yrs old lol...... if not don't feel bad ive done it before

[badazz81z28]

Good back from the dead read. It’s so funny.....”hey cops I bought this engine and I think it’s stolen” . Freakin stupid...I agree you buy something from someone and they report it stolen after the fact then that fraud on them. Rule #1, get a bill of sale...

If this guy was that worried about it, he shouldn’t have bought it.

[nokones]

In California, the DMV stopped recording engine serial numbers on cars a long time ago however, they (DMV) did continue to record engine serial numbers on Motorcycles. Not sure if they still do today. Since, DMV stopped recording serial numbers on engines in cars, unless you have a serial number for your engine and give it to the officer taken the theft report, the engine serial number will not be entered in the stolen vehicle or automated property data base systems thus, if an Officer runs the engine serial number it will not come back stolen.