VIN and Fender Tag question

[71_340Challenger]

A couple of years ago I bought a 71 Challenger with what appeared to be a numbers matching engine and transmission. My questions are:
1) How is the fender tag attached to the inner fender? Mine is screwed into the inner fender. I would have thought they would be rivited, but I have seen
      many magazine articles showing them screwed in.
2) My car in in WA state, but has anyone else had the VIN relocated from the dash to the door jam? The title was clear and I have talked to the state 
      patrol and they cannot find records as to why this was done, but they say that since the title is clear, there are no issues.

I paid a fair price for the car considering it was a driver at the time with decent paint and a pretty good interior. Now, as values escalate on E-bodies, I am curious if there are any other ways to verify that the car is numbers matching. The VIN on the car motor and trans all match. Part of what makes me suspicous is that in the glove box was the orignal bill of sale for a 71 Challenger the same color, but with a 318 and not all of the options match the car as it stands now. With the VIN moved and the fact that you can remove the entire dash assembly from the car, I am now curious if the car has been rebodied somewhere along the way, since all of the things considered perminatly attached aren't.  Thanks for any help or thoughts.

[MEK-Dangerfield]

Besides the engine and tranny, the last digits of the VIN were stamped into the radiator support, and the cowl panel, by the driver's side. To answer your questions...

#1- It should be rivited, but many are screwed on. Fenders might need to be changed because of rust, or someone is just scared their fender tag will be stolen at a show(it happens), and they remove it each time.

#2- The VIN should be on the dashpad, but maybe the dashpad has been changed?? There is a sticker that should be on the driver's door with the VIN on it. The actual VIN plate from the dash should NOT be on the driver's door, if that's what you are asking.


  Mike

[Alaskan_TA]

The fender tag should be screwed in, the exceptions are some C-Bodies, a couple of the plants used rivets, but all Hamtramck built cars used screws.

Is the VIN in your door jamb the original dash VIN plate or a state issued VIN? If it was a theft recovery or rebuilt totaled car the door jamb area is the normal place to attach a state issued VIN.

You need to check the body numbers to verify that they match, you can see photos of where they are at this link;

http://www.aarta.com/numbers_matching/numbers_matching.html - just ignore the T/A specific comments.

Can you let us know what the VIN is on the paperwork you have as well? Maybe someone here owns the car it matches.

Barry

[MEK-Dangerfield]

Well,
  I stand corrected.  I just went back and looked at some fender tags pics I took for Cody for L.A. built cars at Carlisle this year. They were all E, and B-body cars. Each and everyone was screwed to the inner fender.


  Mike

[71_340Challenger]

Thanks for all the information. I will check the body numbers when I get a chance to see if they match or not. There are enough scammers out ther that you just never know. I bought it from a local guy that I worked with, so I would hope he would not intentionally lie to me or anything, but some people have no ethics.

As for the VIN tag, it was issued by the state with the "original" VIN #, but on a new WA state plate and it was rivited to the door jam by the state patrol. It also had a sticker where the VIN should have been stating that it had been moved. I checked with state patrol and had them check it out before I bought the car. Apparently it had been done quite a while ago and they have either lost or misplace the records as to why it was moved, but everything was apparently completed correctly, so the title was clear. They also verified that it was not  a salvage title either. So, as far as I can tell, it looks OK. I am just not sure how hard they checked. Like I said, the VIN, the fender tag, the motor and tranny all match up.

The VIN on the acutal car is: JH23H1B304713
The VIN on the window sticker is: JH23G1B345847  originally sold to Dependable Motors in Virginia, Minn
The window sticker VIN car is the same color and trim code as mine was originally, but not all the other options are consistant. Things like hood pins, vinyl top, V7X paint stripe are all no longer present. The main thing that makes me think that is not the same car is that the window sticker indicate a floor shift automatic (mine is column shift), and bucket seats (mine has an extra seat belt indicative of a front bench seat which, from what I am told, is about the only time a car had the column shift). Maybe someone can shed a little light on either of these VINs as well. I have additional information on the original sale if anyone wants to know any more.


I was going to take a picture of the VIN and fender tags, but my digital camera seems to be on the fritz for some reason tonight. I will try again later.

Thanks again for the help and insight. I will check out the other place for the VIN number and let you know what I  find out.

Chad

[bb71challenger]

Yikes, sounds scary. I bet the vin numbers stamped inside the engine bay are gonna tell the story. I hope it is just odd circumstances and the car is real but the things you say point the other way.

[71_340Challenger]

Every time I look at my car in more detail, I find things that concern me or make me think it is not as original as I once thought. I guess it really only matters if I ever sell it. Part of the reason for my question is that I recently replaced the "original" 340/tf727 tranny with a 440/tf727 from a 76 New Yorker (after adding some nice performance pieces). If the 340 is truely original, I was going to keep it for the sake of originality. But, it is not original to the car, I have a friend that wants to buy it to put in a 70 duster, so I would be more inclined to sell it to him. At this point, I am more inclined to just go on keeping what appears to be the original drivetrain and not worry about it. Thanks for the information all. I will let you know when I check out the other body numbers to see if they match or not.
Chad

[chevyconvert]

, 

  The main thing that makes me think that is not the same car is that the window sticker indicate a floor shift automatic (mine is column shift), and bucket seats (mine has an extra seat belt indicative of a front bench seat which, from what I am told, is about the only time a car had the column shift). Maybe someone can shed a little light on either of these 
 
Chad

When I first got my car and seen the "extra seat belts" I thought SH!T !!! It was a former bench seat car !!!

Then I realized "oh" those are for the shoulder belts