VIN sales

[06Daytona]

I stopped by a guy's place yesterday because he was supposed to have the lock bars for a Cuda and said I could have them if I drove out to pick them up. We started talking Cuda and I mentioned that I was cloning mine into a 71 and explained that it was partly because a 71 is my dream car and part of it was because there were 71 body panels available in Puerto Rico that would cut down shipping costs for me. He walked over to his filing cabinet and started pulling out envelopes with VIN and fender tags. He put four envelopes on the desk that said 71 Cuda and started going through them asking if I wanted to buy any of them. He had the tags for a 440, 383, and 2 340s and a couple of others that I didn't pay attention to.

It really annoys me when people pull that crap. I have no intention of trying to pass my 72 off as a 71 other than visually. If anyone asks they'll either get the short story if they're in a hurry, or the full story if they're interested. The thing that really gets me about this guy is that he's rebuilding 2 Cudas to sell and he has a 70 RT Charger for sale too. It makes me wonder how many cars are rolling around out there that started life as bare bones non performance cars but were sold as RTs or GTs or SSs.
The 440 Challenger I was looking at a while back with a questionable VIN tag is owned by a friend of the guy with the VIN collection so it wouldn't surprise me if that car was a 318 out of the factory being sold as a 440 RT

[kissalien]

If you can remember any of the VINs post them so that if they ever show up on a car it will be known that the car is not legit.

[Street_Challenged73]

That's truly sad there are people like that sullying the muscle car market with stuff like this!!

[06Daytona]

I'll see if I can get a list of the VINs. I didn't even think of that when I was there

[ChallengerHK]

I think this practice is a lot more common than most people believe.

[dutch]

  
re-vinning /6 or 318 cars is one thing,  but doing the same trick with stolen car is a different game.... 

[ChallengerHK]

On the one hand, it doesn't bother me, because all it does is affect the cost of the cars in question, and cars have more value to me than their costs alone. On the other hand, many people I know, like and respect (such as people here) can and do buy cars in those price ranges, and rebodying is a problem for them, so that makes me take it somewhat more seriously.

[Cooter]

As long as there's people willing to buy sight unseen, NO background work done, these types of Vulchers will be in the hobby...You can bend over naked in public and 12 people will walk right by you, it's that 13th muthaf**ker that will screw you simply because He can....

[ChallengerHK]

.You can bend over naked in public and 12 people will walk right by you, it's that 13th muthaf**ker that will screw you simply because He can....

Based on my experiences, in life and in this hobby, those numbers are backwards. that's why, when I find the 13th person who won't screw me, I cherish him or her.

[priderocks]

They never expected the cars to be valuable when they produced them, or they may have taken more thorough steps to prevent counterfitting, or whatever you want to call it.

I know an engine builder whose machinist has a program on his mill to cut off the s/n on the engine pan rail. He will then stamp whatever # you need on the block.

This vin thing has been discussed a hundred times. To me, anyone willing to pay top $ for a numbers car had better know the total history of the vehicle. If you can't tell a diamond from cubic zirconia, don't go shopping for diamonds.

[GranCuda1970]

LOL!!

['Cuda Hunter]

Are there alot of mopars running around in Puerto Rico?

[06Daytona]

There aren't a lot running around, but there seems to be quite a few here. A few weeks ago there were 2 70 Super Bees for sale and I know of a couple of 70 Challengers. I have a friend down here with a 70 AAR and he's got half a dozen gen 2 Chargers sitting in his back yard. They're all pretty trashed, but they're there none the less. Another guy I know has half a dozen 72+ Cudas in pieces and I've heard of a 71 Cuda hiding in a barn down here, but nobody seems to know where the barn is. I think quite a few people down here with Mopars are keeping them off the road because they think they're sitting on millions of dollars.
They have a Mopar show down here in May and there are shows every weekend, but I haven't been to the Mopar show yet, and I haven't been to any other show for a few months.

[71GTX]

IMO, the guy needs to be turned in to the FEDS for VIN fraud....totally restamping cars to make them something that they are not, is fraud and not good for our hobby nor for the original cars still out there....Hang em....Hang em high!

[ChallengerHK]

IMO, the guy needs to be turned in to the FEDS for VIN fraud....totally restamping cars to make them something that they are not, is fraud and not good for our hobby nor for the original cars still out there....Hang em....Hang em high!

Do the Feds have jurisdiction in Puerto Rico?