Again??

[DocJr]

http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2...hony-vins.html

I have a suggestion. If you want to mass produce Eleanor..just let it go, because your probably gonna end up in jail.

First Unique, now Classic Recreations, who's next?

Asside from Eleanors, how do you guys handle your VINS? When you build a ridler, or SMOY, do you relocate the original, what if it's not there? Oh wait, obviously you wouldn't discuss that...

[Clean Cut Creations]

Classic Recreations declared free of wrong doing

Story below:
http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/10/c...npage_autoblog

[parsonsj]

Classic is back in business, but they weren't cleared of wrongdoing:

The OSBI determined that Classic Recreations couldn't replace rusty metal around the VIN tag without completely retitling the vehicle – something that should concern anyone with an interest in putting an old car back on the road. Engel said that the OSBI's findings will only serve to drive up costs for both his shop and his customers as instead of being able to start with a rusty shell, he will now have to start with higher quality donors.

[Clean Cut Creations]

Here we go again.....Is it up to each individual state to consider what is a "restoration" or just replaced shetmetal? What about a complete body replacement? I thought it was that an entire body shell was considered a "replacement part" and you can swap a VIN from a donor car to a "replacement body shell" and it's ok. Just not from a VINed car to another VINed car. Now the feds are telling us that we can't even replace the sheetmetal area near the VIN on a VINed car?

Every time this comes up, I seem to get 5 different answers from 3 different people. We just went through this wih a completely aftermarket '69 camaro we just finished. I know Frank will chime in on this shortly......

[dropit69]

in IL you cannot remove the vin for any reason if you do its breaking the law..as far as i know they dont allow rebodies in Il either..but not sure about other states..

[DocJr]

I didn't even realize you guys were responding, it's been a while since I posted this.

I just think it's funny that anybody creating Eleanor gets busted...leave her alone!!! haha

I honestly don't know much about this subject. When I do my Olds, sure the dash is getting redesigned, but I'm putting the vin back into the redesigned dash in it's proper location...It looks like the insert pops out, does it? and would this be legal?

[Clean Cut Creations]

"Legal" is quickly becoming a sticky term with this subject. If you call the local state DMV you get some shmuck that will tell you from a recited line "tampering/R&I of a VIN at all is illegal". Ask the local johnny law to come by and look at your project can open a huge can of worms for you as well. (having to show reciepts for everything on the car used parts or not) Johnny law may even want you to get a specialty built retitle or at least take it to the local sherriff to inspect for an IDOD. I would suggest calling your local state representative about this to get a good answer. The answer may take awhile, but you may actually get somewhere. Each state has different laws and each person upholding the laws have different views on how they interpret it.

VIN removal and reinstallation is VERY common in the insurance collision industry. If you have to replace sheetmetal with a new unused factory piece because of collision damage, you just do it. Even if you install a used section that has hidden VINs. Oh my god, if the feds ever tried to get their noses in that mess ALOT of collision shops EVERYWHERE would be shut down. No one that I ever worked for kept records of any section work or VIN R&I when it came to installation of new/used parts. I have swapped many truck cabs and frames (new and used) in my 20+ yr career in this industry, both in union dealerships and independant repair shops, and no one ever cared about VIN R&I/swapping until this rebody fiasco with UNIQUE. I guess they screwed th e wrong millionaire with ties to the feds. Now we are all under the microscope.

[parsonsj]

Is it up to each individual state to consider what is a "restoration" or just replaced shetmetal? What about a complete body replacement? I thought it was that an entire body shell was considered a "replacement part" and you can swap a VIN from a donor car to a "replacement body shell" and it's ok. Just not from a VINed car to another VINed car. Now the feds are telling us that we can't even replace the sheetmetal area near the VIN on a VINed car?

The Feds aren't involved... at least as far as the link above goes. OSBI is a law enforcement agency associated with the state of Oklahoma.

And, yes, it is true that each state has its own laws about the proper handling of VINs.

jp