I know I'm probably not the first dummy to get a bad car so I was hoping you guys can tell me what to do with this. I bought "73" earlier this year, tuned it up and it ran like crap....so I took it to a shop and after $1,000 in parts and $850 in labor the car runs like new....so no problem there

I took the car home after being in the shop for two months and popped the front open and the VIN numbers have been filed off the car. I made the mistake of buying the car first and getting educated later now I find out my '73 has '70 or '71 interior (even the dash is a '70 0r '71) so I'm thinking maybe my car is a hack job with somebody making two cars out of one somewhere down the line. I'm thinking now that car is probably worthless and can't even be scrapped because the VIN numbers on the fenderwell are gone..the numbers on the headlight housing and the windshield state is a '73 but the evidence points that the car obviously is not.

My guess is that I may have to take all the new parts off and put them on my '72 and sue the guy who sold it to me in small claims for the difference (labor and purchase price for the car) as what was supposed to a valuable year model has been misrepresnted whether intentional or not. Have any of you guys ever had to go through this and maybe can give me some advice on what to do/not do ?

Thanks,

Larry

a couple of questions, what did you pay for it. and taking him to small claims court might work. but i think he broke a fed law on the vin stuff

Let's say it was hit or hit something on the pass side front. A donor car was used to replace the right side, including the wheelhouse....is that so wrong?

look for weld seams on the front end and see how much was replaced.

It would be real nice to have the sales receipt for piece replaced.

Might make you feel better about your purchase.

From your statement, you do not have a moveable pass seat and retractable seat belts. Do you have a center defrost vent in the dash?

The front vin in the trunk is compleatly gone? Sometimes it can look like it is, but being painted over (poorly) the numbers get filled in. A wire wheel can sometimes remove enough paint so they can be see again.

If it is gone, I'd remove every part off the car that you can before you call the police. If the vin number has been played with they will seize the car to investigate.

If the car has been hacked together there will be some evidence of where it was welded together (welding lines, colour change of the panels, ect)

There are a few other things to check.
Chassis # on the Karmann badge drivers door hinge post should match # in rear trunk floor.
VIN is found in grease pencil on the under side of the dash above ashtray.
Let us know what you find.

QUOTE (SLITS @ Aug 20 2005, 09:19 AM)

look for weld seams on the front end and see how much was replaced.

look for unusual welds. if the complete front clip was welded on, there's usually a weld-seam going across the car which can be seen from the underside.
normally, they cut either right in front of the rear firewall or in front of the windshield ...

shoot some pictures of the front trunk and interior, that'll help us to determine what year the car actually might be ...
Andy

Clip jobs are very common on 356s. AFIK there is no mechanism to alert the DMV of the add on. The habit continued on in the 914 models. It's not required to disclose such a repair but it would be honest....however once a car has changed hands a few times the fact may be lost to the ages....

Doesn't mean it's stolen...........

Okay...gotta update hear...I attached some pics hope they come through. I wire wheeled the fenderwell...the numbers are totally gone. I'm pretty sure it's a chop job but also pretty sure it's a '70 or '71. I grew up in Hayward and I remeber a guy with a body shop that was always making one 914 out of two wrecked by putting the good front half to the good rear half from and vice versa.

Pink Slip Says '73 VIN 4732910561
Headlight Bucket Says: 4732910561
Door Jamb Tag Says: 123531
Trunk Stamp Says: 123531
Fenderwell: Ground beyond smooth, concave in fact

Particulars:

Wiper Control and Washers on Dash not on steering column
Long Glove Box
No Retractable Belts
Passenger is stationary
All emblums/lettering are gold not silver like a '73
I bought a muffler for a '73 and now the valance won't fit (it's the big valance)

On the bright side the dealer who took the car in on trade (and gave it to the guy I bought it from) asked me how much I have in the car so far...so it sounds like he may make it right. He asked to pull all the stuff (#'s above) after I told him about you guys and your recommendations and get back to him. So I may be able to get rid of the car and get most of my money back and put the money it into my '72 instead (I hope).

Okay...gotta update hear...I attached some pics hope they come through. I wire wheeled the fenderwell...the numbers are totally gone. I'm pretty sure it's a chop job but also pretty sure it's a '70 or '71. I grew up in Hayward and I remeber a guy with a body shop that was always making one 914 out of two wrecked by putting the good front half to the good rear half from and vice versa.

Pink Slip Says '73 VIN 4732910561
Headlight Bucket Says: 4732910561
Door Jamb Tag Says: 123531
Trunk Stamp Says: 123531
Fenderwell: Ground beyond smooth, concave in fact

Particulars:

Wiper Control and Washers on Dash not on steering column
Long Glove Box
No Retractable Belts
Passenger is stationary
All emblums/lettering are gold not silver like a '73
I bought a muffler for a '73 and now the valance won't fit (it's the big valance)

On the bright side the dealer who took the car in on trade (and gave it to the guy I bought it from) asked me how much I have in the car so far...so it sounds like he may make it right. He asked to pull all the stuff (#'s above) after I told him about you guys and your recommendations and get back to him. So I may be able to get rid of the car and get most of my money back and put the money it into my '72 instead (I hope).

Pic 4

Sorry guys for soem reason it won't let me send the pics

Re-size the pics smaller. They're too big.

waaayyyy too big ...

upload a shot of the whole front trunk area, i need to see both headlight buckets and the area under the spare tire in one shot ...

800x600 is more than enough, picture size wise ...
Andy