T confiscated because of engine number?

I took my Model T Coupe to get inspected by the cops so I can get my bonded title. I had my Model T block with me with a bill of sale, the motor in my car is a 1956 Chevy 265. The guy said the block wasn't original to the car so he would put the number from the 265 on the form. I never paid any attention to the number on my motor, but it has dings over the top of it like someone hit it with a hammer. The cop tells me that its a stolen motor and he is confiscating my car and I am going to have to give him the engine. He goes on to say that when I have my court date he will tell the judge that he recommends that the court seize my engine and release the rest of the car to me.
The engine was out of a guys 57 Chevy Nomad that was built in the early 80s from a junkyard car in Colorado and assigned a vin. It underwent an inspection by CO cops. He has all the documentation from when the car was built, who has owned the car, receipts from when the engine was rebuilt etc.
When the cops did the inspection to assign a vin would they have hit the serial number on the motor? Would there be some reason that they would do this.
Pic shows the dings

 

I can't imagine any Law Dog doing this. Don't know why it was done, BUT if the numbers are still legible than it shouldn't be an issue.

 

Holy f*ck does that suck! I'm sorry, I can't help you out with your situation... But how in the world could they figure out the motor was stolen off of those numbers?!

 

I think they will have a hard time proving it's stolen (if it is).

 

Cars sitting outside in the impound lot. I don't have glass in my doors and just put interior in it. They said they would put a tarp over it but who knows.

 

the numbers dont lie, either it is or it isnt stolen.
If you have documentation otherwise, you best be getting it ready to show.

 

Ew. Never seen them obliterate an old number when they assign a new one, at least in Ca..

 

Baffling.

 

He said that there was no way I was going to get my engine, he said I had to option to go ahead and pull it in the impound lot before my court date.

 

Got a call into DPS in CO.

 

I think you should be calling the head guy down at the station. Then a lawyer.

 

thats a bunch of bullshit.cops are fuckin assholes. your car sits outside in some shitty lot un guarded and to top it they STEAL your motor. thats theft as far as im concerned. crooked ass government

 

My friend is a lawyer he said he would make some calls for me

 

Sure looks like someone tried to hide the originall number by doing that damage. The cop involved would think thats suspisious heck its pretty obvious since theres no other damage on the block that can be seen in the picture. Why is it only where the ID number is located?

 

Call a lawyer NOW.

 

I think the law enforcement officer would have to prove it's stolen.

I THINK that Chevrolets quit using the engine number for VIN in Texas in 1954. Chevrolet didn't start putting the partial VIN on blocks until 1963. I don't see a way of putting that engine in a specific car, stolen or not. But I'm not a LEO or lawyer.

 

I would take them up on the offer to pull the engine. At least you would have the car at home where it's safe.

 

yeah lawyer up.dont let them take this hobby from us. its all we got.

 

Wow!! And in Texas even, where they are usually pretty easy in hotrodders, or so I thought. It's a shame that in hotrodding, we are often considered guilty until we can prove innocence. That's just not the way it's supposed to be in the USA.

 

According to this tech article here on the HAMB, Chevy didn't put partial VIN's on small blocks until the 1960's: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=184304&showall=1

... So wouldn't those numbers just indicate where it was made, etc. ?

Maybe there's some freak coincidence where an un-related car with that serial number was stolen...

Hard to beleive an engine casting number would be in a police database... Especially that old!

 

OK, would you buy that engine, if it was for sale, with those numbers?
Hint, here are the answers
1. NO
2. HELL NO

 

A little something I learned years ago from a Cop. If you grind off a stamped serial number such as the one on the Chevy pad it seems to disappear but if you use a dye penetrate swab on it the numbers magically appear. It has to do with the molecules in the metal being compressed by the pressure of the stamp. The only way to permanently obliterate the original number is to go over the entire area with a center punch then grind it smooth. The dye will appear as a blob without showing what the original was.

 

I'd lawyer up but if you don't have documentation as to exactly where that engine came from you may be out of luck.

I'll say one thing, if it does get pulled in the wrecking yard make sure that the wrecking yard smashes the block or you smash the block so it can't be used again. Tell the cop that if the engine comes out of the car the engine gets destroyed in one way or another. either by taking a sledge hammer to it or running the stuff they ran through the cash for clunkers engines through it and watch the look on his face. In other if you can't use that engine no one is using that engine.

 

I asked if I could take the crank and pistons out he said it had to stay sealed. I can take the carb, started, water pump etc. He said it would get sold for scrap.

 

Sure looks like someone tried to had the numbers by beating them up,,like it or not you are going to have to prove it's not stolen,,lawyer up and get all the documents in order. HRP

 

he hasnt posted pics of the numbers. he said like its been smacked with a hammer,that doesnt mean they are destroyed.do you think a motor that old couldnt have got some type of marks on it like that? ive seen plenty of intakes with numbers grinded off to fool smog,no i dont think his motor should be tooken out of his car,the police cant prove its stolen,can anyone? NO like posted previously,hard to imagine theres engine id numbers in the database of stolen crap...

that stuff is from the kids stealing honda motors for their stupid swaps.i have a little more faith in hotrodding than others i guess.

 

I would like to know how he knows it is stolen. Did he run the numbers? Just because he is suspicious doesn't mean he is right and I believe you are innocent until proven guilty. If you have a DA that will take this to court, fire his ass.

 

fucking pull it and save the car, but honestly, either they can read the numbers and they come up stolen or you keep it, there is no gray area whether he likes the looks of them or not, either they prove it is a stolen block or else.
If they have shown you that proof already, I would pull it and get the car and fight your battle over a motor rather than a whole car.
and when you pull it do they let you have the insides? and they keep the block?
critical point is: is it stolen as proven by the number trace?

 

I would think THEY would have to prove it IS stolen. just because it looks like it was a cover up doesnt mean it was unless THEY can prove it.
Otherwise what stops them from saying your car is green and a green car was stolen yesterday a county over so I'm taking your car see you in court. fuck that

 

Those are not hammer marks, they are rust pits.