So, I saw a question on FB a while ago and it got me to thinking. This guy was having trouble registering his low mile Fairmont in Indiana, I think it was. I believe the problem was that the car had not been registered in too long a time or something. So, I said, why not buy a parts car and slap its VIN in the good car and go! Well, that's a felony.
So, here's my question. I mean, I understand why swapping VINs is wrong, if we're talking about two bone-stock cars. You can make it seem like you're selling something you're not. BUT, if you look at today's world where there are cars like mine where the VIN actually tells you practically nothing about what you're getting. It's barely even a Mercury Zephyr at this point. And what if you have a guy who has a rusted out hulk of a '67 Mustang notchback who wants to build it, but the body is not worth saving. So, he buys a Dynacorn '67 fastback body (might as well go for the gusto), and builds that. He puts all new suspension, interior and drivetrain in it. Brand new stuff, not a VIN to be found on any of it. Barely uses a single bolt from his notchback. Can he use that VIN? If not, what does he do?
And if he CAN use the VIN, how is that different from taking an easily registered VIN and putting it into a different car that ISN'T easily registered? Say he then builds the Fairmont such that the VIN means very little anyway? What's the protocol? Here in Minnesota, it must be easier than Indiana, my brother once had to have a VIN assigned to his race car he built because it had been apart, bought & sold so many times no one knew what the VIN was, and it was nowhere to be found on the car.
Just a thought that's going through my head. I have no plans to do anything like this, but it IS my dream to build myself a brand new '69 Mach 1 some day.
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