I was working in the front trunk today and decided to scrape the paint off the fender VIN. It does not match my registration or my windshield tag. I had previously removed the door jam sticker to repaint the jams.

The car was a race car so it is conceivable the inner fender was changed at some point. I need to further investigate the welds now.

Strangely, Steve Malmz (PO) found the car in a field 10+ years ago. He sold the car to a guy in Kentucky. The guy in Kentucky sold it to a guy in Los Angeles. It seems strange the car could have gone from state to state without this being noticed. There was a thick textured paint sprayed in the front trunk area.

3 build threads and all this work... I might be looking for a clean title roller very soon...

*EDIT* I have edited the VIN until I get this sorted out.
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Might be a front end graft. Go into the wheel well and wipe the undercoating away and see if it says the same number (backwards) from underneath...

I have a vin swap car. If it's already registered, who cares. Especially if your going to let the next owner know before a purchase. It might be illegal to do a vin swap but I don't think it's iilegal to own one. These a 40 year old cars. Who know who did what.

Except in my case, I do know who swapped the vin

If it was a race car then changing the front clip or part of it is very likely. No one would have taken the time to swap the VIN from the trunk in that case. People sell cars like that all the time. As mepstein said, it's already registered. All good man. Worry about that if you ever sell it. Even then you just have to disclose what the situation is. Former race car, likely front end clip change, etc, etc, .

You need another project.

BTW "Porsche" is also spelled wrong on your registration. That's not good. Not good at all. What will Magnus say ?

Now there's an eye for detail.

Regarding that VIN stamp, (or the spelling for that matter), what DMV worker would ever catch this? None I've ever met. Psshh. Let it go bro.

I'm thinking this could potentially be more serious than we all believe it should be.
I would seek counsel from someone familiar with the laws. Worse case is the VIN that is uncovered is stolen. The police could impound the vehicle. Possibly after their investigation they will authorize the removal of one of the Vin numbers and allow re-title or current title to stand? Best to take the high road IMHO.

Happened 30 years ago before I purchased the car. I've owned it since 1984.

It would not matter to me unless one of the VIN's, the newly discovered one, was reported stolen…. The easiest solution would be to contact a DMV investigator and ask them "hypothetically" how they handle such things. If neither is reported stolen and it was an accident repair, no big deal.

If you have a valid title and registration for 47329011844...it's not stolen. It'd be worth pulling the windshield to see if that tag was a replacement. Should be easy to tell.

Also, what does the VIN plate riveted to the passenger side headlight bucket say? On both a 1973 (titled car) and 74' (suspect VIN) there should be a plate riveted.

You don't have to pull the windshield to see if the vin is riveted on. Just remove the screws on the vertical trim on the left side. Typically if they swapped the vin, it will just be screwed on. Also see if there is a body stamp in the rear trunk.

Yeah it wouldn't hurt to run the '74 VIN...just for peace of mind.....wasn't thinking it was stolen. Steve Malmz had a good reputation when he was on the BBS IIRC...so buying it from him is a good sign.

BTW Mike that MIGHT be the car Steve swapped a Nissan Z engine into. That was the car that got me started thinking about modern engine swaps. I was stuck on swapping a VQ for the longest time! Still have a link to the build website, but I think the content is gone now. Small world.

Easiest way is to check the rear trunk for a stamp, right rear corner floor panel. If that's a match to your title then you're ok and the front end has been repaired at some point....

I'm sure Steve had nothing to do with the vin tags. He was a very stand up guy here. Very likely it is a replaced inner panel due to a race car crash that didn't get the stamping changed. IMO So much about nothing.

If this was a stock concourse car I could see it being a huge issue. As it is a hugely modified and custom street race car I say who cares as long as it tracks straight. Keep doing anything you want to it and drive the hell out of it.

Love watching your threads on all the changes you have done. You have a great skill set.

Bringing this to the DMV could cause a clear title to change to a salvage one.
I would let it go....unless it will bug the sh#t out of you...then find a new roller.

Actually I think Mike is just looking for an excuse to build another car.............but look honey...I have to.


Jeff

Mike, as modified as your car is, I would run the suspect VIN for my own good but definitely stay away from any CA DMV...that could be a can of worms. At least the suspect VIN is not a 76 in CA.

Not a VIN, it's the Karman internal build date. Should match the crayoned number on the rubber pad behind the back pad and on the dash frame. You've got to get upside down under the dash to see it. The VIN is stamped on the tag riveted to the aluminum data tag on the right headlight bucket, tag on the windshield and right inner fender.

DO NOT. DO NOT take it to the DMV. EVER! If you have a question about VIN numbers, ask at a CHP office. DMV is nothing but a money collection agency.

Just run it through the FREE NICB VIN Check. It will tell you if there are any concerns.

https://www.nicb.org/theft_and_fraud_awareness/vincheck

Easy enough....

I do need another project...

My big concern was if the questioned VIN was stolen. It appears not to be. I will double check the VIN in the trunk (what's left of my stock trunk).

I would never bring this to DMV. The best case scenario they would issue a new VIN "CA********". I had a 911 with a CA VIN and it did effect resale. Worse case is the VIN is stolen and legally owned by an insurance company. I would loose everything.

I need to do some careful forensic investigating to see if it is a simple panel swap.

I'm more surprised it took me 5 years to look at the VIN. Considering a flew to LA and drove the car 400 miles home. Maybe I should have checked when I bought it. I could have got it cheaper!

Well that's done then. BTW I looked in the waybackmachine (internet archive)... Mikey's car is NOT the 914zx...it's the Sasquatch V8 conversion.

Here's an old pic of it:

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If it only knew what Mike was going to do to it... (insert evil laugh...)

That's awesome! I've never been able to find an early pic of the car. I still have the wheels. I cut the flares off recently. I sold the trunk lid with spoiler (AIR) a couple years ago. I still have the flared rockers in my side yard.

Actually, it's not misspelled. That's how CA abbreviates Porsche, they all have it written that way here.

Hey I might have just the flared roller for you my friend

The plot thickens...

Rear VIN 4559077

There is evidence the car was hit on the right rear quarter panel. So this could be a replacement panel.

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Windshield VIN 4732901844

Rivets look less than 40 years old?

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Inner fender VIN 474290****

No good evidence of welding near the VIN. Front bumper hole does not align, cannot get bolt through. Evidence of a hit?

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Except, that's not a VIN. That is the chassis number and is *not* related to your VIN at all ..

Yes, Look at the buckle in the flat strap that goes from the fender to the body at the bottom corner of the fender.

Do you still have the paint code tag on your door frame? The chassis number there should match the one in the rear trunk.

It's all cool, Mike, it's insured, right? I'm hitching up the trailer now on my way up to take that thing off your hands. No charge, and can almost guarantee that you won't spend much, if any, time in jail. In fact I'd suggest getting clear of the thing, right now. Make sure the neighbors see you leaving for lunch or something, leave the keys in the ignition and the pink on the seat and I'll "disappear" it for you. No need to thank me now, leave that for later.

The plot doesn't thicken, at least not here, xxxxxxx is not VIN ***xxxxxxx; it's the Karman chassis number. It has NOTHING to do with the VIN. This number should be on the plate riveted to the drivers front door post, crayoned on the inner dash frame and the rubber mat under the backpad.

The VIN is located on the windshield, right headlight bucket data plate and inner fender. We know the fender and windshield don't match, is the data plate still there?

Data plate was removed by me and misplaced when I built the radiator shroud.

What are we gonna do

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Did you contact Steve Malmz? Maybe he knows something about the two VINs ...

Poser!

I have his contact info somewhere. He once told me tha story of finding it in a field next to a shop. He got the V8 from craigs list. Never a mention about a VIN problem.

Just forget it man. If anything probably a front clip swap. Your vin is still intact I'd say. No need to look any further. Don't sweat it Move along. Nothing to see here folks

So, what will be your prisoner number?
Tom

Don't know what number yet, but different on the front than on the back.



I'm tellin' you Mike, I can take care of that problem for you... really!

delete

Mike
Your giving the powers that be way too much credit here. Unless the car was singled out by someone as possibly being stolen, NO official would look past the vin tag in the window. I once had a 1957 BMW 700, (2 cylinder, air cooled). When I was trying to get a verification of vin to register it the CHP sent out some 30 something woman to verify the vin. She refused to verify the vin because it didn't have the little aluminum plate in the corner of the windshield, and that's where "HER book said the vin on a BMW should be"! I showed her the vin number,....but nope. Besides the "old timer" cops walking around,I bet most cops couldn't even tell you IF a car had another vin number, not to mention WHERE it could be found. Spray on bed liner and on with the build...........

BTW Thanks for the tangerine passenger door I picked up a while back.
Bub

THIS is what happens when Mike doesn't have an exotic engine swap to keep him busy!

I found out some info on the car. It is not a stolen VIN. That's all I can say.

Tease...

I heard it started out with a VW engine in it. Yeah right.

Those rivets look exactly like mine...a 1975 car. (With matching VINs.)

So...all clear? You're good to go?