Integrity of a VIN – The Key to Identifying a Vehicle & Preserving Your Investment
If the VIN or serial number on your vehicle, or the vehicle which you are buying or selling, has been removed and reinstalled on the car or has been tampered with or altered in any way you could face some serious consequences. These consequences could include criminal prosecution, fines and jail time. On the civil side of the law the monetary damages could be staggering.
Do you know what you are looking for when you look at VIN?
Many individuals, car dealers and collector car auctions have offered vehicles for sale that have VINs that have been tampered with in some fashion. Surprisingly, it is really not that uncommon! Knowledge, on your part, is the key to avoiding such a situation.
For the purpose of this article I am going to refer to all vehicle indemnification numbers as VINs. I recognize that the older vehicles referred to these numbers as serial numbers and some vehicles are registered by engine numbers, body numbers or chassis numbers but for the purpose of this article I will collectively refer to all of these numbers as VINs.
When the manufacturer assigns a VIN to a car or truck it is affixed in a specific fashion and by law (both state and federal) cannot be removed, altered, tampered with or obliterated except for very specific times when it is necessary for the repair of the vehicle.
When you are looking to buy a classic car, vintage or antique car or truck check the VIN tag to ensure that it is present and matches the make and model year of the vehicle you are looking to purchase. Just this past week I ran across two GMC pickup trucks offered for sale with Chevrolet VIN tags! In other words if you are looking at a GMC and the VIN says Chevrolet, that is a major clue something is amiss.
Also this past month I found a Chevrolet pickup truck for sale which purports to be a 1966 with a 1963 VIN tag! There are many sources to decode VIN numbers easily availible through your favorite search engine. These sources are your friend.
Once you have confirmed that the VIN is of the proper type for the year and model that is only the first step. Next look at the patina on the tag, is it consistent with the condition and age of the vehicle that you are looking at? Is the VIN tag affixed to the vehicle with the proper rivet, screws, spot welds, etc.?
I don’t recall knowing of any instances were metal VIN tags were glued on from the factory. There should be something visibly affixing the tag to the vehicle.
If you spot a vehicle with a VIN tag affixed in a non-authentic or questionable manner, stop immediately and contact Bryan W. Shook and Vintage Car Law® for assistance. Likewise, if the font, aspect ratio or the characters themselves do not look proper contact Bryan Shook for a quick opinion.
If you bought a vehicle that has a VIN that has been tampered with or removed at one point you should contact Bryan W. Shook for an opinion and to assess your options. The last thing you want to do is be stuck with a hot potato or worse yet the subject of a criminal investigation for possession (or offering for sale) of a vehicle with a tampered/altered VIN. Even if the seller did not know of the VIN issue this may not be an excuse or defense. Contact Bryan W. Shook for more information.
For popular American cars and trucks through 1972 here is a listing of how the VIN should be affixed. This list is not meant to be comprehensive or complete just illustrative and helpful.
Chevrolet (not including trucks)
1953 – 1959 Corvette – Pan Head Phillips Screws
Early-1960 Corvette – Pan Head Phillips Screws
Late-1960 – 1964 Corvette – Spot Welds
1965 (Very EARLY) Corvette – Pop Rivets
1965 Corvette -1972 Corvette – Rosette Rivets
1951-1964 Chevrolet (not Corvette) – Spot Welded (never RIVETS OR SCREWS)
1965 (Very EARLY) Chevrolet – Pop Rivets
1965 – 1972 Chevrolet – Rosette Rivets
Ford (not including trucks)
Model A through 1967 Ford – Stamped directly into Frame or Body of Vehicle (starting in 1940s there is a body plate affixed to the body or door of the vehicle that bears the VIN but this number must always be checked against the frame stamping/body stamping). Look for a star at the beginning and end of the stamped number.
1968 Ford (earliest production 1968 model year Fords may not have had publicly viewable VINs in the windshield) – (screws – very rare), small diameter head pop rivets or rosette rivets depending upon the assembly plant
1969 Ford – Standard pop rivets or rosette rivets depending upon the assembly plant and time of production
1970-ON – Rosette Rivets (note for 1968-1970 VINs the rivets are not usually visible)
Chrysler, Dodge Plymouth (MOPAR) (not including trucks)
1931 – 1940s – Flat Head rivet
1950s – 1965 – Spot Welded
1966-1972 – Rosette Rivets
Trucks
Chevrolet/GMC Trucks (NOT El Camino)
1940 – early 1950s – Clutch head screws
Early 1950s – 1953 – Expanding Rivets (very large center hole)
1954-1964 – Spot Welds
1965 (Very EARLY) – Standard Pop Rivets
1965 (late) – ON – Rosette Rivets (NEVER standard rivets)
Ford, Mercury Trucks (NOT Ranchero)
Late 1940s – ON – Warranty Plate riveted (usually with expanding rivets (very large center hole)) to Body – Serial Number/VIN stamped into frame rail as found on other Ford products.
Dodge, Plymouth, Fargo Trucks
1940s – 1950s – Straight head screws
1960s – ON – Rivets (Must confirm Frame VIN matches)
If you think there is something fishy with your vehicle’s serial or VIN number contact Bryan W. Shook for an opinion. Also, if you come across a vehicle with a known tampered VIN please let us know so that we can be aware of it for the future and to prevent future acts of misrepresentation and fraud.
As I wrote in prior article concerning fake and fraudulently made certificates of title; these types of problems concerning VINS and titles are very concerning because you may have purchased a car with a nefarious title history. Worse yet, you may not even “own” the car you think you purchased. I have even been involved in cases where multiple cars/trucks share the same VIN in different states/countries!!!
How can you help to protect yourself and have confidence in what you are already own or are buying? Order a Motor Study®! Vintage Car Law® is proud to offer this one of a kind forensic vehicle title abstract and provenance confirmation service. For more than a decade Bryan W. Shook, Esquire and Vintage Car Law® have established themselves as the leader in vehicle research. This experience is now available to the public in the form of Motor Study®. Call now – 717-884-9010.
Forensic Vehicle Fraud Investigations Available by Bryan W. Shook, Esquire
Forensic Vehicle Fraud Investigations conducted by Bryan W. Shook, Esquire
- VIN Research (Numbers Matching, Rebodies, VIN swap, etc.)
- Fraud/Misrepresentation
- Breach of Contract
- Auction Misrepresentation
- Prior Owner Research
- Title History
- Acid Etching (macro-etching) to raise obliterated stampings
- Engine Numbers
- Confidential Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN)
- VIN derivatives
- Serial Numbers
- Chassis Numbers
- Body Panel Date Codes/Run Numbers
- Data Plate and Trim Tag/Cowl Tag Decoding
- Pedigree/Provenance
- Race History
- Restoration Quality
- Production Characteristics
Often times the true identity, authenticity, original options, RPO, VIN, production date, or assembly manner of a vehicle is unknown or perhaps it is called into question. Bryan W. Shook’s methodology and extensive network of resources assists with the accurate identification and authentication of vehicles. This same approach also aids in the identification of questionable vehicles and vehicle’s attributes, provenance, pedigree, options or characteristics.
To find the fakes and answer the questions raised by the vehicle takes time, diligence and most of all an extensive exploration of the vehicle itself and the supporting documentation, if any. Bryan Shook painstakingly researches the pedigree and provenance of the vehicles for which he is contracted to investigate or authenticate. If something is amiss, he will likely find it. Bryan Shook is available on short notice to forensically investigate or document your single car or entire collection. Many times Mr. Shook insists upon an in-person evaluation of the vehicle so that the nuances of the vehicle can be studied and recorded.
Authentication is proving (or disproving) what that the classic car is what the owner or seller says it is. To a layperson, the car’s body and presentation is what makes it recognizable. To successfully authenticate a vehicle the minutia must be evaluated such as aberrations in the font used to stamp vehicle identification numbers.
As a practicing licensed trial attorney and award winning vehicle restorer, Bryan W. Shook, relies upon his unique training in evaluating and weighing evidence when scrutinizing and interviewing locatable past owners. The final product and opinion of Bryan W. Shook is presented to the owner with all supporting documentation which can be merged into the vehicle’s dossier. If necessary and requested all communications and discoveries will be held with the strictest confidence.
Bryan W. Shook has also assembled what is believed to be the most complete database of information surrounding Pennsylvania Certificates of Title and historical title information. This knowledge base has proven invaluable in the research of historically important Pennsylvania vehicles.
Selected Projects to Date:
- 1905 Thomas Model 27 60-horsepower (1st known U.S. produced 6cyl automobile)
- 1912 Packard
- 1913 Alco
- 1913 Pierce Arrow
- 1924 Rolls-Royce
- 1929 Packard
- 1930 duPont Model G (only known duPont with the optional aluminum cylinder head)
- 1931 Chrysler
- 1953 Corvette (sold for near world record price after research was completed)
- 1961 Corvette
- 1967 Camaro Z28 (proved early ownership history by Pennsylvania Title records)
- 1967 Chevelle SS L78
- 1967 Jaguar E-Type
- 1967 Shelby GT500
- 1969 Corvette L88
- 1970 Chevelle LS6 convertible
- 1972 El Camino
- 1976 Corvette Stingray
For more information on how Bryan W. Shook, Esquire can assist you with your vehicle or collection, please call him at 717-884-9010 or email him bshook@shooklegal.com for more information on Bryan W. Shook’s collector car practice, please visit http://www.vintagecarlaw.com.
