Thoughts on a 440 'Cuda

[njsteve]

Amazing. And I thought I was the King of Useless Trivia. I guess I am only the Duke of Useless Trivia. You Sir, are the King.

[69LM1]

[ QUOTE ]
Having a law enforcement/DMV person present is something I haven't run into. Anyone have any info on this?

I can only imagine the bureaucracy involved of scheduling someone to be present at a body shop when you cut a dash top off a Camaro...or having to wait days or weeks til they show up, just so you can do the work. It's hard enough getting the cable TV guy to show up between 8 and 5, let alone a government official.

I would recommend that anyone doing any type of major work near any VIN-related parts, take lots of photos of the progress, before, during, and after, just to CYA in case someone later claims you rebodied the car or moved numbers around.

[/ QUOTE ]

bureaucracy or not, if it is a state where this is required, then that would be "breaking the law" as much as any of the other points made.....

[PeteLeathersac]

Sorry it's from a Rustang site but here's some thoughts to consider if contemplating some of the previously mentioned scenarios...for one it sounds like our eBay Cuda guy would fry for what he's doing?!.

http://www.boss302.com/legal.htm

~ Pete

[mrhp]

After looking at those comments, I'm wondering about this: What is the 'spirit' behind these examples. It seems that these laws were written to prevent fraud, so the question comes up to me, is the intent to commit fraud, or is the intent to preserve a rare car by 'grafting' the heart onto a willing donor? I would think that if someone does the latter, they should get a state document or title identifying what has been done to prevent any problems. Perhaps this would be a salvage type title. IMHO, sadly many laws are written to blanket these areas because many times cars are redone to fraudulently deceive. I remember years ago visiting the Oriental Institute Museum on the U of Chicago campus, & seeing the loaded dice from ancient Egypt. As is being revealed every day in the news, cheating & fraud seems to be the chosen course for a good number. Thankfully most of the automotive hobby is filled with great people.

[njsteve]

[ QUOTE ]
Sorry it's from a Rustang site but here's some thoughts to consider if contemplating some of the previously mentioned scenarios...for one it sounds like our eBay Cuda guy would fry for what he's doing?!.

http://www.boss302.com/legal.htm

~ Pete


[/ QUOTE ]

Very good assortment of statutory examples of the criminal aspects of VIN-play. As you can see, you don't have to be intending to commit the crime (i.e. operating a chop shop and swapping VINs from one car to another to hide a stolen car) to be guilty of a violation of these statutes. Swapping a VIN to another body during a restoration is more than enough the be guilty of the crime. The appeals courts dont seem to care what your motive was when they agreed that the various examples were violations of the law.

As for the ebay cuda guy, Yup, even selling a VIN altered car falls under the statutes. Very scary indeed!

[PeteLeathersac]

Here's some interesting reading on Vin location viewpoints State by State...more great info borrowed from the girls over at the Mustang site!.

Surprising some of it!.

When you read this stuff, try and always think of how anything applys to any Vin location of a car besides the Vin tag itself...engines, trannys, hidden Vins locations and even documents?!. Also keep in mind where there's no info shown for some States, the rules there just weren't available for listing..

California's statements could sure be taken a few different ways...especially if you're known as a manufacturer!?.
Arkansa & Georgia's boys seem on the ball w/ whatever's been going on there?!.

And Idaho's!.

I've read some Canadian stuff too and it seems like pretty heavy Criminal offences here now since clamp downs of recent years on the Montreal hot-wheels groups and those sending altered Vin recent model units and parts out of the country?.


~ Pete


State & Contact Information

Alabama Motor Vehicle Division

www.ador.state.al.us/motorvehicle/index.html
334/242-9000
No changes to the VIN or manufacturer's plate without the approval of the Motor Vehicle Division.

Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles

www.state.ak.us/dmv
907/269-5572
No changes to VIN or manufacturer's plate permitted.

Arizona Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division

www.azdot.gov/mvd/index.asp
602/255-0072 Phoenix
520/629-9808 Tuscon
800/251-5866 Toll-free in Arizona
Vehicle must be inspected by the state Motor Vehicle Division when any changes are made. Three levels of inspection are required depending on the changes made. Contact the MVD before making any changes to vehicle identity.

Arkansas Office Of Motor Vehicles

www.arkansas.gov/dfa/motor_vehicle/mv_index.html
501/682-4692
State law mandates VIN verification by a law enforcement officer for salvage or restored vehicles. Have the VIN verified before making any changes or alterations.

California Department of Motor Vehicles

www.dmv.ca.gov
916/657-7971
800/777-0133
No person shall intentionally deface, destroy, or alter the motor number, other distinguishing number, or identification mark of a vehicle required or employed for registration purposes without written authorization from the department, nor shall any person place or stamp any serial, motor, or other number or mark upon a vehicle, except one assigned thereto by the department.
This section does not prohibit the restoration by an owner of the original vehicle identification number when the department authorizes the restoration, nor prevent any manufacturer from placing in the ordinary course of business numbers or marks upon new motor vehicles or new parts thereof.

Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles

www.revenue.state.co.us/mv_dir/home.asp
303/205-5600
Contact the Department of Motor Vehicles for more information.

Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles

www.ct.gov/dmv
800/842-8222 Toll-free in Connecticut
860/263-2700 Hartford area/out-of-state
Vehicle must go through a Composite Motor Vehicle inspection at a state inspection facility if any significant changes have been made. State may assign a new VIN. Salvage vehicles must go through a state inspection.

District of Columbia Dept. of Motor Vehicles

www.dmv.washingtondc.gov
202/727-5000
Contact the Department of Motor Vehicle for more information.

Florida Department of Motor Vehicles

www.hsmv.state.fl.us
800/922-9000
Contact DMV or Department of Highway Safety for information.

Georgia Department of Motor Vehicle Safety

www.dmvs.ga.gov/motor
404/362-6500
DMVS wants to see salvaged and rebuilt vehicles both before and after they're painted.

Hawaii

www.co.honolulu.hi.us/csd/vehicle
www.co.maui.hi.us/departments/Motor
Vehicles/index.htm
www.kauai.gov
808/873-3546 State DMV
808/532-4324 Honolulu
808/270-7363 Maui
808/241-6577 Kauai
Hawaii motor vehicle licensing and registration is done county-by-county. Contact each county for specific information.

Idaho Transportation Department

www.itd.idaho.gov/dmv
208/334-8660
Not permissible to change or alter a vehicle or engine number. See Idaho motor vehicle statutes for more information.

Illinois Vehicle Services Department

www.cyberdriveillinois.com/services/services_motorists.html
800/252-3000
217/78-6992
Contact the Vehicle Services Department for specific information.

Indiana Bureau Of Motor Vehicles

www.ai.org/bmv/index.html
317/233-6000
All vehicles must have VIN inspected whenever they are titled in the state for the first time.

Iowa Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division

www.dot.state.ia.us/mvd/index.htm
800/532-1121 Toll-free in Iowa
515/244-9124 Des Moines
Contact the Motor Vehicle Division for more specific information.

Kansas Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles

www.ksrevenue.org/dmv.htm
785/296-3621
Vehicles registered on a county-by-county basis. Contact the Division of Motor Vehicles with specific questions.

Kentucky Division of Motor Vehicle Licensing

www.mvlky.gov
www.kentucky.gov
502/564-5301
Contact the Division of Motor Vehicle Licensing for more specific information.

Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles

omv.dps.state.la.us
877/368-5463
Contact the Office of Motor Vehicles for specific information. Another option is www.legis.state.la.us.

Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles

www.state.me.us/sos/bmv
207/624-9000
Contact BMV for specific information, included on the state Web site.

Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration

http://mva.state.md.us
800/638-8347 24-hour information
800/248-4160 Vehicle services
Contact the Motor Vehicle Administration for specific information.

Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles

www.mass.gov/rmv
800/858-3926 Toll-free in Massachusetts
617/351-4500
Contact the RMV for specific information related to your restoration effort.

Michigan Secretary of State

www.michigan.gov/sos
517/322-1460
Go to the Web site and search for vehicle restoration.

Minnesota Department of Public Safety

www.dps.state.mn.us/dvs
651/296-6911
For more information on Minnesota's vehicle codes, e-mail [email protected].

Mississippi Motor Vehicle Commission

www.mmvc.state.ms.us
601/987-3995
For more information about state motor vehicle laws and policies, e-mail [email protected].

Missouri Department of Revenue

www.dor.state.mo.us
573/751-4450
Missouri has a new salvage definition law. See the Missouri DOR Web site for details.

Montana Department of Justice

www.doj.state.mt.us/driving
406/444-2026
See DOJ Web site for policy on proper handling of motor vehicle restoration and licensing under the law.

Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles

www.dmv.state.ne.us
402/471-3918
For specifics, e-mail the state from Web page www.dmv.state.ne.us/admin/email.

Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles

www.dmvnv.com
702/486-4368 Las Vegas area
775/684-4368 Sparks/Carson City
877-368-7828 Toll-free in rural Nevada
For more information, e-mail the Nevada DMV at [email protected]

New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles

www.nh.gov/safety/dmv/
603/271-3111
Salvage vehicles must have a salvage inspection before registration. Once inspected, a DSMV 547 will be issued. Contact the DMV for more details.

New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission

www.state.nj.us/mvc
609/292-6500
888/486-3339 toll free in New Jersey
Contact the New Jersey MVC for more information.

New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division

www.state.nm.us/tax/mvd
888/683-4636
For more information, e-mail the NMVD at [email protected].

New York Department of Motor Vehicles

www.nydmv.state.ny.us
No telephone information available.
Visit the New York DMV Web site for detailed information.

North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles

www.ncdot.org/dmv
919/715-7000
North Carolina has a Title Registration Manual, as well as other booklets, for restorers with specific questions about state vehicle laws.

North Dakota Department of Transportation

www.state.nd.us/dot
701/328-2725
For specific information on Mustang restoration, e-mail the DOT at [email protected].

Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles

http://bmv.ohio.gov
614/752-7500
800/589-8247 Toll-free in Ohio
E-mail the BMV from Web page bmv.ohio.gov/registar_email.html.

Oklahoma Motor Vehicle Division

www.oktax.state.ok.us/mvhome.html
800/522-8165 Toll-free
405/521-2913
See the MVD Web site for detailed information.

Oregon Driver & Motor Vehicle Services

www.oregon.gov/ODOT/DMV
503/945-5000
See Web site for details on salvage/rebuilt vehicles.

Pennsylvania Driver & Vehicle Services

www.dmv.state.pa.us
800/932-4600
717/391-6190
Strict regarding salvage/rebuilt motor vehicles. All vehicles are subject to a state inspection. See Web site for more specifics.

Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles

www.dmv.state.ri.us
401/588-3020
Vehicles that have been rebuilt from salvage must be inspected by the state. For more details, see the Web site.

South Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles

www.scdmvonline.com
Telephone numbers available online, county by county.
Help is available via [email protected].

South Dakota Department of Public Safety

www.state.sd.us/dps
605/773-3178
Little information on the state Web site. Call for more detailed information.

Tennessee Department of Safety

www.tennessee.gov/safety
615/741-3954

Texas Department of Transportation

www.dot.state.tx.us
No telephone number available.
Safety inspection required when you put a vehicle on the road. More information available on the Web site.

Utah Division of Motor Vehicles

http://dmv.utah.gov
800/368-8824 Toll-free in Utah
801/297-7780
Go to Reconstructed Vehicles on the Web site for more details.

Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles

www.aot.state.vt.us/dmv
802/828-2000
Little information available on the Web site. Call for more information.

Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles

www.dmv.state.va.us
866/368-5463
800/435-5137
Antique and classic cars eligible for special license tags. See Web site for specifics.

Washington Department of Licensing

www.dol.wa.gov
360/902-3770
See Web site for e-mail address for questions.

West Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles

www.wvdot.com
304/558-3900
No information available on the Web site for restorers.

Wisconsin Division of Motor Vehicles

www.dot.state.wi.us/drivers
414/266-1148
608/261-2583
For more information visit Web site.

Wyoming Department of Transportation

http://dot.state.wy.us
307/777-4714
Specific policies addressing salvage and rebuilt vehicles. See Web site for more information.