Collecting VIN numbers, why some like it :), Not sure why those that don't, don't .... Options

[Mueller]

Just wanted to start a separate thread on this subject.


A car pops up for sale or is seen at a show and many times in the thread the subject comes up about whether or not the person grabbed* the VIN?

Many posters will be like the idea of seeing if the VIN is in the database, others get bent about it as if it is a violation of ones personal space.


Being these cars are getting more rare everyday I think it's a good thing to document these numbers.

Sooner or later we are going to see duplicate VINs or a rare car pop up for sale that is a known totaled or destroyed car.

*as if stealing a soul, hahaha

If you think this is odd, I have a Curta calculator that is in a database that I have no problem with my calculator being a part of.

http://www.curtamania.com/curta/code/type_..._your_curta.php

No. 516139 if you want to see it.


Back to the VIN, I cannot find a single thing where someone was injured, killed or robbed due to someone having access to a VIN number. There is way more information to get found from a license plate.

^edit, did something on snopes which has some credibility

http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/vin.asp

Still for a 40 year old car I don't see getting a copy of someones key that easy at the Porsche dealership.

[Catorse]

I will provide another angle, but it is just my angle.

Some of us have more than one Porsche. I have 6 (all kinds of models, not just 914s). I like my privacy, and even if you do swipe my VIN, I will not enter all my contact info on some database or any other ownership details.

The 914 is not a rare car, and my particular 914 isn't rare at all, so I am not sure why adding its info to a database of a hundred thousand cars really matters to someone. I am not driving around in a 1949 Gmund Coupe after all....

License plates, VINs, and exterior home addresses are public because anyone can see them. However, you can successfully be prosecuted for misusing ANY of those for nefarious purposes.

I just don't want people to start logging the VINs of my personal property any more than I want people to photograph my kids. You may be able to legally do it, but that doesn't make it right.

For those that want to participate, great. But if I catch you snapping pics of my VIN, my long military career and paranoia will kick in and we'll probably be having a chat about what it is that you are up to exactly.