( NOT a HAMB associated car deal or HAMB member )Hey guys just checking to see if any of you have been through this if so a little input to what you had to do. I bought a car from a guy and after owning the car for about 5 or 6 weeks realized that the vin plate had been changed, got in contact with him and told him what had been done. He said he wanted to do the rite thing, so I told the rite thing to do would be me bring the car back to you and get my money back and you to go back to the guy you bought it from and get your money back. He did not want to do that or even give me my money back on the car. He wanted to bring a sled agent to check numbers and I told him he did not want to get sled involved the best thing to do was get this car back to where ever it started from. Well he has put me in a situation now of getting a lawyer and just so happens I have a cousin that is a Judge so I have turned to him for some help too. After talking with the cousin three or four different times, now it looks like the sled agent will be coming out to my place now to inspect the car for the original vin# which I have already located. As bad as I hate to looks like I am going to have to bring a law suite against him in order to get my money. In short have any of you had to go through this if so what happen.
Unless this is a very early car, it should have a VIN/serial in a second location, unless that was on a component that was long ago removed. That number will verify if you are in possession of stolen property. You need to find that, and confirm this. If the vehicle is on the hot sheet, you need to resolve this immediately, and that includes turning in the seller. If it is on the hot sheet, don't turn yourself from a crime victim, to a criminal, by trying to protect the seller. By the say, for all of the folks that say "Just buy a repro tag, stamp it, and drive! What could possibly go wrong?!" This. This is exactly what could go wrong.
Has the vin been changed with new rivets, or was the car re-bodied with a different body welded to an original firwall with the original rivets?
Yup. The last thing you need is an aggressive PD and DA coming after YOU for this problem. I have done work for The Innocence Project, and they can clearly show you that the police and district attorneys do often go after the easiest target, instead of the actual perpetrator. Don't become the easy target.
More info guys only the vin plate has been changed what got my attention was the rivets that holds the vin plate were not original, then I went on to decode the vin plate this is a 2 coupe car and the vin plate is for a 4 door car. I have already found the original vin #'s stamped on the cowl of the car.
Which number does the title match? Not trying to be a dick but Google is your friend, before you buy a car always do your homework, know what to look for.
Do not hesitate to use all the weapons in your arsenal. Lawyer up and be aggressive. The lawyer can inform the police or whatever agency deals with this in your state. Do not back down or agree to anything without consulting your lawyer.
There are a lot of guys with 2 door cars with a four door vin plate. If the car was misrepresented, the only thing you can do is a lawsuit as nothing illegal would have been done. Just noting a possibility. Does the vin plate match the title?
A 2-door car with a 4-door VIN is an example of VIN tampering, which is a violation of Federal law, and do doubt state law (unless you have a detailed, photographed build of converting it). There are lots of folks breaking the law out there. Their commonality does not change the fact that they are breaking the law. Having a VIN plate that does not match the permanently embossed VIN is not simple misrepresentation. Just noting an impossibility.
Best to be very forthcoming about your purchase....... You might loose out on a purchase, but- spending the time in the brink, or having anything on your record wouldn't be cool. You can always apply for a title.... But- if it's on the hot sheet- put a fork in yourself...you'de be done..... Clear yourself of being in possession of "stolen"/"altered" things first and foremost....... Second- and not to be an ass to you- ask yourself this- If you bought a car with a non matching/altered vin, and the seller gave you the story you posted, do you think your going to get anything back from him? I highly doubt it. Good luck with this one.....
Does the car have a separate frame? Maybe the 2 door body got put on a 4 door frame. The Vin and title could match the frame. In which case the car is probably legal. Sent from my SM-G935F using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I do not know what state you live in but here in S.C. changing a vin # or to my knowledge is a Federal Crime in any state, on this particular car the first 6 numbers on the vin plate tells you what the car is from the factory. By what you said ( There are a lot of guys with 2 door cars with a four door vin plate ) if that is legal what is the difference in going out and stealing a 2 door car and taking a vin plate from a 4 door and putting on the car, it still does not match the original vin # to the car.
This is a possibility, but one that needed to be resolved, by proper state procedure, by the person who did it, when it was done, well prior to it being sold. Now, it appears suspicious.
You are correct. To give you the weight of my perspective and opinion, I am a professional VIN inspector, although I did not stay in a Holiday Inn last night.
Do not accept any sob story or explanation from the guy that sold it to you. You are stuck with a big problem and you got it from him. Where he got it from (if in fact he did) is not your concern. You have an illegal vehicle and he has your money. Burn his ass.
66L, what year is the car? Bones Never mind , just read the last post, kinda tells me that your car is not that old. Bones
If you convert a 4 door car into a 2 door, it will have a 4 door vin and nothing illegal will have been done.
You all don't check out the threads here where people convert 4 doors into 2 doors do you? Nothing illegal. That is why I asked about the title. If the title matches the vin...........
Back in 1980, I bought an old farm truck to haul some gravel and other items for a house I was building. It was a 1/2 ton pickup with different colored, cab, doors and fenders and bed. When I went to the Wash. State patrol to get it inspected, I was told that the vin number didn't match the body. The State Patrol officer shook his head and said that no one in their right mind would steal this truck and proceeded to take a 4# hammer and put the title vin number in the door jamb and off I went.
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