Every now and then I'll read a post out here about VIN tags...suspect or phony looking VIN tags (I was reading one today), and I've commented about a VIN tag "situation" that came to light in my area last year.

I thought I'd give that "situation" its own thread, so as to make as many people aware of it as possible.

Last year in the area of North Carolina that I live in, it came to light that a "team" of guys had been taking pre '69 136 VIN Chevelles and swapping out the 136 VIN tags for 138 VIN tags.
The cars were then titled with the North Carolina DMV as 138 VIN Chevelles (which was VERY easy to do here before North Carolina tightened up the way old cars were inspected and titled starting in 2008).

I'm not sure if these guys were using re-stamped fake 138 VIN tags or if they were getting them off of "basket case" Chevelles in salvage yards, although two of the guys in this "team" worked at salvage yards, actually one of them owns a salvage yard, so I'm assuming they were 138 tags off of junked Chevelles.

Anyway, these newly titled Chevelles were then sent out to wherever and sold as 138 VIN Chevelles...either in North Carolina, or else taken to other states and retitled there and then sold.

It's not known exactly how many Chevelles this was done to...but these guys had apparently been working this moonlighting "job" for quite a while.

What's really surprising though is that when this caper came to light with the N.C. DMV, these guys only got a slap on the wrist.
Apparently the N.C. DMV is concerned with VIN swapping inasmuch as it applies to concealing or selling stolen cars. Once the DMV ascertained that this had nothing to do with stolen cars, they handled the guys with kid gloves.
I heard that the two guys were even still at their salvage yards.

Apparently, if it has nothing to do with attempting to conceal stolen cars, the DMV has more important things to do than to be overly concerned with the difference vetween a 136 prefix and a 138 prefix on a 40 year old car (as some Chevelle afficiondos are).

This makes me wonder though, how many of these "138 VIN" cars are sitting in guys garages...guys who are content in the knowledge that they have a 138 VIN Chevelle???

In light of deceit such as this (and I'm sure there are many more similar instances that have gone on, and are going on, in other areas), how can a guy be sure...beyond a shadow of a doubt...what he has, unless he personally knows the history of the car?

Regards,
-Greg

Greg,

NC DMV is not concerned about Fraud because there is no money in it for them!!! LOL

I'm glad I own a 136 car!!!!

In a way I can see the DMV's point, Thats a very small, niche portion of the overall car market, and even though its fraud, like MrBill said, theres no money involved so they could really care less.

In a way I can see the DMV's point...even though its fraud...theres no money involved so they could really care less.

Oh, I agree.
The DMV has a lot more to concern itself with than a 136 prefix versus a 138 prefix on a 40 year old car.

The question or point of my post is as I stated above...

In light of deceit such as this (and I'm sure there are many more similar instances that have gone on, and are going on, in other areas), how can a guy be sure...beyond a shadow of a doubt...what he has, unless he personally knows the history of the car?

Regards,
-Greg

Without pulling the heater box and checking the body stampings, you really don't know what you have. Even there, people have been known to cut out whole cowl sections from junker cars and weld them into the fake cars. If you can't find a good original car to restore, you might just as well buy a good clone in the first place. At least you know what you have.
You could always get the seller to give a written verification that the car you are buying is the real deal. Then you would have a leg to stand on in court.

how would you know its a "real" clone????:D:D

unless he personally knows the history of the car?
^:yes:^ You can't change history :noway:, only Superman can do that.;):D

I disagree that there is no money involved in it, maybe not for the DMV but how about the poor person who bought the car for an inflated price. I had a buddy of mine that was contacted by Arizona DMV regarding a car that he cloned. He did not clone it to make money he disclosed that to the buyer, however it changed hands a few times and was sold as a legit car. Some lady purchased it for her husband as a Bday present and thought it was real, well her husband knew better and was not happy with the amount that she laid out for the car. I guess the moral of the story is you really have to do your homework before dropping the coin on the car.

I disagree that there is no money involved in it, maybe not for the DMV but how about the poor person who bought the car for an inflated price...I guess the moral of the story is you really have to do your homework before dropping the coin on the car.

Yeah, well these guys definately made some money.
But, I guess when most people see a legitimate title and a 138 VIN tag in place, it doesn't occur to them that it has been swapped for a 136 tag.

Something else that happened around here earlier this year...at the DMV driver's license office in my very town.
Three employees of the DMV driver's license office were implicated in a scheme of selling N.C. driver's licenses and ID cards to illegal Mexican aliens.
These people are in some serious trouble though because the FBI became involved.
One lady was fired from her job and two others were suspended while an investigation is taking place.
The lady who was fired was caught on video (by an FBI installed camera) selling N.C. driver's licenses for $200.

The scheme went like this...
In North Carolina, drivers licenses are made on site, at the local DMV office, by a machine.
An "associate" would bring an illegal Mexican alien into the driver's license office and the lady (and or her accomplices) would have him sit for a picture and then issue him an official N.C. driver's license...after collecting a payment of $200.

It's really disgusting how many crooked people are around nowadays.

Regards,
-Greg