Missing VIN's????

[charlieb]

Hello All,I am working on my 68 ,but I cannot locate any VIN's.I do however have the door plate.Is the door plate alone sufficent to verifying a cars authenticity.Thanks

 

[somethingspecial]

NO, the door data plate will not authenticate a car, as a matter of fact, most DMVs will not even consider the door data plate as a POWER #. Look on the right side of the dash, Passenger side at the windshield. There should be a VIN plate mounted there. If not, the VIN should be stamped on either inner fender apron underneath the fenders. Check the drivers side first where the notch in the fender is, is should be in that area under the fender. Good Luck. Mike

 

[franklinair]

Do you have/is the VIN tag in place on the right side of the dash at the windshield? The VIN tag is the LEGAL identification of your car.VERY IMPORTANT. As Mike said, the VIN is also stamped into the left inner fender panel at/or near the notched cutout. Sometimes you must loosen the fender bolts and slide the fender outward to uncover the stamping, being very careful not to nick or mar the painted fender. This stamping is only considered a secondary (verification) I.D. by most DMV"s. The VIN tag is the Holy Grail for legal I.D., as the stampings are relatively easy to forge, and door data plates can be custom ordered to conform to restoration changes (color, interior,etc.). Hope this helps, and I hope you have the VIN tag.
Neil Hoppe

 

[charlieb]

Found it............

Thanks guys, I located the vin on the passenger side of the dash.For some reason I thought it was on the driver side.Well I found it,and as I took off the dash cover I also noticed some areas that had its original color , (Highland Green).

 

[franklinair]

Great! Good luck with your resto.
Neil Hoppe

 

[Midnight Special]

Thanks guys, I located the vin on the passenger side of the dash.For some reason I thought it was on the driver side.Well I found it,and as I took off the dash cover I also noticed some areas that had its original color , (Highland Green).

I had to go through the VIN verification process when I registered my last CS because the tag was on the passenger side instead of drivers side. I called Mike "somethingspecial" who brought in proof that '68 was the only year they did that, plus photos of all my other '68s w/ tags on the passenger side. Our DMV (and probably others) believe the VIN is always on the drivers side. They may indeed give you grief unless you have documented proof...

 

[Doug]

I had to go through the VIN verification process when I registered my last CS because the tag was on the passenger side instead of drivers side. I called Mike "somethingspecial" who brought in proof that '68 was the only year they did that, plus photos of all my other '68s w/ tags on the passenger side. Our DMV (and probably others) believe the VIN is always on the drivers side. They may indeed give you grief unless you have documented proof...

I am about to register an out of state CS into California. I have a signed title (from Texas). How do I go about obtaining some proof that the VIN belongs on the right side. Thanks - Doug

 

[Midnight Special]

I am about to register an out of state CS into California. I have a signed title (from Texas). How do I go about obtaining some proof that the VIN belongs on the right side. Thanks - Doug

If you have the door tag and the VIN tag, you're probably okay just to go in & have them look as they will. If they flag it for inspection - then return with the proof. Mike had some original CHP manuals and I had photos of numerous other 1968s showing the tag on the right side.

My car doesn't have a door tag, plus it gave the appearance of a restomod (shiny Big Block, 4-spd, new chrome, paint, etc...) even tho everything was stock. Alot of the inspectors don't know about the old cars anymore...

PM or post what you find out and I'm sure someone here can help if necessary. Avoid having them assign a new VIN at all costs, however.

The CS I brought in from Colorado had both tags and was registered in CA w/ no problems

 

[joedls]

Something else you might try is to take it to AAA, if you are a member. They seem to want to help. I've transfered titles there. Much easier than dealing with the DMV.

 

[Doug]

Thanks - it has both the door tag and passenger window tag that match. I also belong to AAA. -- Doug

 

[joedls]

Thanks - it has both the door tag and passenger window tag that match. I also belong to AAA. -- Doug

Then I'd definitely take it to AAA. On my 70, they asked me for the location of a second VIN. I pointed them to the buck tag on the radiator support and they signed off on it. Like I said, very easy to deal with. It probably helped that they guy was lusting after the car.

 

[CougarCJ]

I second the AAA for California registration.
I have never had a problem.
I have found that if I lead the clerk to the VIN stamp and point it out, they are in an instant good mood.
Most are ladies in office attire, and they don't like walking out into the parking lot to climb on a trailer and search for a VIN stamp on an old car.

 

[BroadwayBlue]

Just curious about the process in other states.
I've seen a number of threads over the last few months where people are talking about getting their cars "inspected" by DMV and other state officials.

Does the DMV in other states actually look at ("inspect") the actual car?

In NY, for registration purposes, whatever I put on the form is what they take. I don't even need the car with me. At the safety inspections the service station enters the VIN into a computer that is linked to the DMV system.

NY doesn't have state run inspection stations, here you can go to pretty much any repair shop, quick change oil lube type place, tire center, etc ... as long as they have a license to do state inspections.

 

[Midnight Special]

Just curious about the process in other states.
I've seen a number of threads over the last few months where people are talking about getting their cars "inspected" by DMV and other state officials.

Does the DMV in other states actually look at ("inspect") the actual car?

In NY, for registration purposes, whatever I put on the form is what they take. I don't even need the car with me. At the safety inspections the service station enters the VIN into a computer that is linked to the DMV system.

NY doesn't have state run inspection stations, here you can go to pretty much any repair shop, quick change oil lube type place, tire center, etc ... as long as they have a license to do state inspections.

The inspections we're refering to have only to do with proper VIN ID when bringing a car in from out of state. There are no safety inspections that I'm aware of re; DMV. If the car already has a California plate, then they do as you say here too Rich

 

[BroadwayBlue]

The inspections we're refering to have only to do with proper VIN ID when bringing a car in from out of state. There are no safety inspections that I'm aware of re; DMV. If the car already has a California plate, then they do as you say here too Rich

That's interesting. Here for out of state cars just a document from the other state is needed such as a title or other doc. They don't look at the actual car itself.

 

[Eyewood]

data missing on 2 GT/CS's

I am looking at 2 CS's and on both there no data on the driver side inner fender area? Was it common for Cali Specials to not have the apron stamped with the VIN?

 

[Mosesatm]

I am looking at 2 CS's and on both there no data on the driver side inner fender area? Was it common for Cali Specials to not have the apron stamped with the VIN?

It's under the fender. If it's not there then the inner fender has been replaced, or the VIN has been ground off for some reason.

 

[nfrntau]

Here is a photo of where to look under your fender for the VIN.
In Texas we also have a state required annual inspection on all vehicles (2 years first time for brand new cars) to make sure emissions are correct, tires, brakes, lights etc. I think it's a good thing, it keeps the real junkers off the road. I believe it's anything 25 years and older is exempt from the emissions requirement.

 

[hookedtrout]

Just curious about the process in other states.
I've seen a number of threads over the last few months where people are talking about getting their cars "inspected" by DMV and other state officials.

Does the DMV in other states actually look at ("inspect") the actual car?

In NY, for registration purposes, whatever I put on the form is what they take. I don't even need the car with me. At the safety inspections the service station enters the VIN into a computer that is linked to the DMV system.

NY doesn't have state run inspection stations, here you can go to pretty much any repair shop, quick change oil lube type place, tire center, etc ... as long as they have a license to do state inspections.

In the rural little piece of Idaho that I live in they don't inspect the car on purchase, you don't need the car with you unless the price you purchased it for seems unbelievable, and they don't have state auto inspections of any kind. You can drive a car with a busted windshield, no exhaust, what ever, my little Festiva has cracks all over the place, they don't obstruct my vision and the car was purchased cheap to save gas so I have no intention of putting in a new windshield that would probably cost more than I paid for the car, the exhaust was gone when I bought it (fell off I guess) and I drove it that way for a year or so until the noise drove me nuts and I finally broke down and told the local tire shop to put on a new muffler but don't replace the Cat Convert and pipe it out the back, $100.

Total investment $400 purchase price, $100 for shocks and brakes, $100 for muffler for a total of $600. 40 mpg, been driving it back and forth to work now for 3 years. 40 miles a day not having to put the miles on my Expedition, F250, CS or Jeep and all the funny looks as the manager of the facility I work at...Priceless. Paid for itself time and time again in gas savings!

Remember parking next to a kid that works for one of my Superintendents at work one day, he was getting out of Caddy Escalade with the big huge wheels all shiny and new. I think he was embarrassed for me, I was wondering what his after hours job was?

Cory

 

[Diesel Donna]

I drove my ambulance from New York to California and registered it at AAA. I had no trouble at all....the DMV would have flagged me on the lights and sirens and made me present the car to the CHP...who might have uh.... insisted that they be inoperable. and lights covered in transit.
Inside the AAA office I told the lady that it was a station wagon. When we walked outside for her to visually inspect the VIN number, she barely batted an eyelash!
I didn't lie!! The rear "passenger compartment" has seat belts for three people....okay so one has to be lying down.

~~~~Donna