Johnny
Well-known member
I know I saw these on Ebay, but I cannot locate them again. Anyone know where I can get these blank tags so I can stamp my vin number on them?
Thanks
Thanks
Blank VIN Tags
- Thread starter Johnny
- Start date
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42chevy
Rustier Rat Rodder
Those scare me. I would be afraid of spending some hard time in a denim worksuit.
RPM
The Rat Master!
Blue Eyed Devil
Devil's Advocate
Haha. I love how this guys says "These plates were in a box of car stuff I purchased at a swap meet in Georgia" for every ad he does. That had to be one BIG box eh?
Truth is, these plates are new reproductions. Their quality is sub-par, and they are far from legit-looking. They are also available at most any swap meet for WAY cheaper. The legality is questionable, and goes hand in hand with the guys selling "collectible" titles. Surprised he didn't also describe them as "for collecting or display use only - suitable for framing".
There are some surprising laws when it comes to VIN's, and if you are thinking about stamping your own you better read up on them. You are talking about something that is illegal and damaging to the rest of us that enjoy this hobby. A public forum isn't the place to discuss it.
Willowbilly3
A *real* tin magnet
I would think there is a legal use for them if you built the car and it doesn't have a VIN tag. Of course you would want to check your local laws.
donsrods
Well-known member
I agree that that guy is using the "box he bought" as a way to get away from Ford coming down on him for not registering with them and paying their royalities. I bought one and took it to the local trophy shop and had them engrave it with vin numbers. I'm just making it easier for the authorities to read the numbers than having to look at my frame. I used the legitimate numbers so I don't see any problem. 
Don
Don
Johnny
Well-known member
I agree that that guy is using the "box he bought" as a way to get away from Ford coming down on him for not registering with them and paying their royalities. I bought one and took it to the local trophy shop and had them engrave it with vin numbers. I'm just making it easier for the authorities to read the numbers than having to look at my frame. I used the legitimate numbers so I don't see any problem.
Don
That's what I thought too. My car does not have a vin showing anywhere, so how should I display my vin number off my title??
Blue Eyed Devil
Devil's Advocate
That is why you need to check your local laws regarding such a situation. To just go ahead and do it could possibly cause you more trouble than not having one at all. What type of vehicle do you have? Where was the number originally located? Is the title correct? These things all play a factor...
VonHyde
Well-known member
in washington old vin tags really do you no good if you dont have paper work, when you build a car with no title you have to take it to WSP and get it inpected then from there you'll get a new Washington Vin Tag.
Willowbilly3
A *real* tin magnet
Yup, just slapping one of those on might get you arrested for felonious tampering with motor vehicle numbers.
On a model A there might be a good reason for one, since the engine carried the VIN, and also the frame but it was hidden under the cowl. I still wouldn't do it unless the authorities OKed it first, with documentation.
If there is question..
They will check the frame and motor numbers anyway.. I had this issue several years ago. I had built a Ford Model A. It had a ID plate on the firewall as it should, AND it was the original to the car. It also matched the frame and motor #s, but I ran into a small legal issue, because when I built that car, I had removed the vin plate from the firewall as I did everything else (it was an off frame build). One of the last things I did was rivit the plate back on the firewall in it's original spot, using it's original rivit holes. Thought nothing else about it until I was pulled over one day. The cop that pulled me over was VERY knowlegeable about hot rods, classic cars and their laws. He noticed the rivits were not original Ford rivits from the factory, hence indicating the plate could have been changed. He gave me a ticket that I could have removed upon DOT inspection. I had to take my car in, and have law enforcement pro on the matter of hand built cars, classics, etc fine tooth my Ford. We even had to pull body mounts so the body could be jacked up enough to get a mirror over the frame so he could look and compare the frame number (that was a horror story in itself). Took 4 hours to complete the inspection to clear that ticket. It wasn't the ticket I was worried about. It was the fact that if I did not do this, I was inelegible to get my registration renewed when it came due for the next year. The cars title was flagged as "questionable" until that inspection was done, and only then was the flag cleared from my title.
It was all legal, and turned out, BUT was a horrible PITA ordeal to have to go through, just over an impropper VIN plate rivit.. Heaven forbid if it was a home stamped number on it..
Just sayin..
They will check the frame and motor numbers anyway.. I had this issue several years ago. I had built a Ford Model A. It had a ID plate on the firewall as it should, AND it was the original to the car. It also matched the frame and motor #s, but I ran into a small legal issue, because when I built that car, I had removed the vin plate from the firewall as I did everything else (it was an off frame build). One of the last things I did was rivit the plate back on the firewall in it's original spot, using it's original rivit holes. Thought nothing else about it until I was pulled over one day. The cop that pulled me over was VERY knowlegeable about hot rods, classic cars and their laws. He noticed the rivits were not original Ford rivits from the factory, hence indicating the plate could have been changed. He gave me a ticket that I could have removed upon DOT inspection. I had to take my car in, and have law enforcement pro on the matter of hand built cars, classics, etc fine tooth my Ford. We even had to pull body mounts so the body could be jacked up enough to get a mirror over the frame so he could look and compare the frame number (that was a horror story in itself). Took 4 hours to complete the inspection to clear that ticket. It wasn't the ticket I was worried about. It was the fact that if I did not do this, I was inelegible to get my registration renewed when it came due for the next year. The cars title was flagged as "questionable" until that inspection was done, and only then was the flag cleared from my title.
It was all legal, and turned out, BUT was a horrible PITA ordeal to have to go through, just over an impropper VIN plate rivit.. Heaven forbid if it was a home stamped number on it..
Just sayin..
dmw56
Busted and Rusted on Route 66
That cop didn't know anything! You are correct about the engine number and frame numbers but Ford never put a vin tag on Model A's. Someone before you may have added something before you got it but it wasn't Ford.
They did have Data Plates on the firewall.
Mine also had a body number plate, which I remember wasn't "original" to my body and may have been added years after date of manufacture, but was there for many, many years before I bought the body. Only Briggs, and Murray bodied Model A's had an actual body number plate, and it was rivited on the firewall. Here is how mine was. But, the cop noticed that they did not have factory installed rivits, which raised suspetions with him. Granted, he was a hot shot cop that was trying to act like he knew more than he did, and toss his badge around. but, he did know enough that the rivits weren't right. Just sayin..
Mine also had a body number plate, which I remember wasn't "original" to my body and may have been added years after date of manufacture, but was there for many, many years before I bought the body. Only Briggs, and Murray bodied Model A's had an actual body number plate, and it was rivited on the firewall. Here is how mine was. But, the cop noticed that they did not have factory installed rivits, which raised suspetions with him. Granted, he was a hot shot cop that was trying to act like he knew more than he did, and toss his badge around. but, he did know enough that the rivits weren't right. Just sayin..
Earlier legal scare
the Ford data plate fiasco was about 10 years ago, but about 5 years before that, I had another scare concerning changing parts etc on my 49 GMC Hot Rod. I built that truck in my garage with the exception of finish welding in the MII rack and suspention grafted into my existing frame. It was in a Hot Rod fabrication shop I used to talk to allot back then.
I called up "Corky" to see how the welds were coming only to be interupted by some commotion. After a couple minutes of not know what the heck was going on, another guy came to the phone. I asked "whats going on over there..?" He just told me that the police just busted in and was looking around. To call back in 30 minutes..
30 minutes pass, and I call back to get a woman on the line now. She informs me "Corky" was taken away by the cops, and she wasn't sure what was going on. I didn't have a clue. A couple days later, I get a call from the Sherrif's dept asking me if I owned a 1949 GMC truck. I told him "uh, yuh..". He asked where it was, and I told him at the Hot Rod shop, He informed me that it was at the county impound and was part of an "investigation" of said Hot Rod shop and gave me a case number I could check on it from time to time.. A week later, "Corky" calls me up saying he just got my truck back from the county lock up, and that it was done..
When I went in, "corky" fessed up with what was going on. Apparently, a friend of his a week prior to the bust brings in a new Vette to the shop and asked him to store it for him for awhile. He put it at the rear of the shop and covered it up. Well, guess what, the Vette was stolen, and a stolen Vette in a Hot Rod shop smells like "Chop" to most any law enforcement, lol.. "Corky" claims he had no idea, but even though he really wasn't envolved, I would put money that he at least "suspected" because it just didn't make sense. He was held responsible because the car was in his shop, and every car in that shop in various states of completion were impounded to check numbers on all parts being used to be sure nothing was from stolen cars, or stolen themselves.. That was another legal nightmare, and a total PITA to deal with. Our hobby in swapping parts, and building cars we need to be real careful about changing stuff and making it legal.. Again, just sayin..
the Ford data plate fiasco was about 10 years ago, but about 5 years before that, I had another scare concerning changing parts etc on my 49 GMC Hot Rod. I built that truck in my garage with the exception of finish welding in the MII rack and suspention grafted into my existing frame. It was in a Hot Rod fabrication shop I used to talk to allot back then.
I called up "Corky" to see how the welds were coming only to be interupted by some commotion. After a couple minutes of not know what the heck was going on, another guy came to the phone. I asked "whats going on over there..?" He just told me that the police just busted in and was looking around. To call back in 30 minutes..
30 minutes pass, and I call back to get a woman on the line now. She informs me "Corky" was taken away by the cops, and she wasn't sure what was going on. I didn't have a clue. A couple days later, I get a call from the Sherrif's dept asking me if I owned a 1949 GMC truck. I told him "uh, yuh..". He asked where it was, and I told him at the Hot Rod shop, He informed me that it was at the county impound and was part of an "investigation" of said Hot Rod shop and gave me a case number I could check on it from time to time.. A week later, "Corky" calls me up saying he just got my truck back from the county lock up, and that it was done..
When I went in, "corky" fessed up with what was going on. Apparently, a friend of his a week prior to the bust brings in a new Vette to the shop and asked him to store it for him for awhile. He put it at the rear of the shop and covered it up. Well, guess what, the Vette was stolen, and a stolen Vette in a Hot Rod shop smells like "Chop" to most any law enforcement, lol.. "Corky" claims he had no idea, but even though he really wasn't envolved, I would put money that he at least "suspected" because it just didn't make sense. He was held responsible because the car was in his shop, and every car in that shop in various states of completion were impounded to check numbers on all parts being used to be sure nothing was from stolen cars, or stolen themselves.. That was another legal nightmare, and a total PITA to deal with. Our hobby in swapping parts, and building cars we need to be real careful about changing stuff and making it legal.. Again, just sayin..
41Panel
Active member
- Joined
- Jun 1, 2010
- Messages
- 33
When I went to the tag office here in Alabama, I told them that the vin tag on my 41 was corroded beyond all hope and showed it to them. The lady told me to make up a vin # and have a tag engraved and screw it to the firewall. I did that and have been pulled over several times (not doing anything wrong, they just wanted to look at it) and pointed the tag out to the officers (little bit of butt kiss there, not calling them the cops) and they were fine with it. Whether or not the law in other states will be ok with it remains to be seen. Oh and my vin is FPT19413904SPD for Ford Panel Truck 1941, 390 engine and 4 speed tranny, gotta love it. Later Whit
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darkk
Well-known member
Lighten up....I would expect this over on the HAMB but here? you're taking all the fun out of old cars.
donsrods
Well-known member
Do you guys really think 50% (or more) of the hot rods and old cars running around are 100% legit if someone took a fine tooth comb to their history? You have to remember most of us are playing with cars that either were pulled out of some field or put together with parts from 10 different cars. We aren't car thieves here, just honest, tax paying guys who simply want to get something on the road we created with our own two hands.
I think some of you have been scared by the high profile cases like the Coddington fiasco. That was a totally different deal altogether. Believe me when I say half the rods on the road wouldn't be there if the builder didn't get creative.
Don
You have to remember most of us are playing with cars that either were pulled out of some field or put together with parts from 10 different cars. We aren't car thieves here, just honest, tax paying guys who simply want to get something on the road we created with our own two hands.I think some of you have been scared by the high profile cases like the Coddington fiasco. That was a totally different deal altogether. Believe me when I say half the rods on the road wouldn't be there if the builder didn't get creative.
Don
papabil
New member
I agree
Willowbilly3
A *real* tin magnet
I totally agree with Don.
On the other side of the coin, those same laws do offer you some protection against someone stealing your rod and making it their own.
On the other side of the coin, those same laws do offer you some protection against someone stealing your rod and making it their own.
