My car has been violated!

L78M22Rag · #1 10-01-2008, 09:50 AM

I've seen guys listing tags for sale on ebay and sure didn't think it was right... but I didn't think someone would stoop to this level to get those tags! I just discovered that my trusty garnet red on red parts car got violated. This car faithfully gave and gave parts that helped in a huge way to restore my red on red L78 convert... and now some a$$ decided to help himself to the VIN plate and the desirable X44 trim tag! This just about made me sick when I discovered it because I've thought about one day resurrecting this car if I could find out more about its origin. See for yourself...

The VIN was 124379N661654 as shown below... very close in sequence to a lot of COPO Camaros

Fortunately I kept a photo of the trim tag... here's what it used to look like (or still does but probably on another car by now)...

Heres my car that this car gave its parts for...

Is there any way to make note of this VIN and trim tag as stolen for future reference? Any idea of what the police would say or do if I were to report it??

**Steve Shauger** · #2 10-01-2008, 02:02 PM

I will forward this info to CRG. They maintain a database on bogus and stolen cars.

**njsteve** · #3 10-01-2008, 03:40 PM

IMMEDIATELY REPORT IT TO THE POLICE. I don't know about Canada but it's a felony in the States and that is probably where it's going. As part of their investigatory process they will be asking for the value of the car. Make sure you know what the value of a fully restored example is, since that is what you were going to do with it in the future.

As part of their procedure the VIN and the tags will be entered into the national crime database and when the tags show up on ebay, they have criminal charges they can get the guy on. Or when the a-hole restores it and goes to register it, the car gets siezed, the guy gets arrested and you get the car.

**Woj** · #4 10-01-2008, 03:41 PM

Since they left the rivets in for the cowl tag, I'm sure they mangled it getting it out. That doesn't help, but their method of removal probably rendered it useless. Unless they get it duplicated.

Very unfortunate.

Phil Woj.

jannes_z-28 · #5 10-01-2008, 05:13 PM

I would report it to the police. Since they have stolen the identity of your car, they stole your car.

If you report it it will go in to the system and eventually someone will find it.

Remember the story about that Corvette that had been gone for 35 years and was found in the customs when it was due for export to Sweden.

If you are lucky you might get a fully restored COPO-clone back.

Jan

hep1966 · #6 10-01-2008, 05:33 PM

[ QUOTE ]
If you are lucky you might get a fully restored COPO-clone back.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't think so. He could get his tags back, but the rightful owner of the other body would get the body.

**Charley Lillard** · #7 10-01-2008, 05:44 PM

Do you have a title for that body to prove it was yours and to show the police ?

Donutblue · #8 10-01-2008, 06:07 PM

Charley is 100 percent correct, you need to prove ownership of that (vin) car with documentation --- remember - no victim = no crime.

L78M22Rag · #9 10-01-2008, 09:24 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Do you have a title for that body to prove it was yours and to show the police ?

[/ QUOTE ]

I have a hand written bill of sale, but I've never registered the car. Think I should go through the effort and expense of insuring and registering the car, as is, before I report it?

**njsteve** · #10 10-02-2008, 12:08 AM

Don't over-think this thing.

Just call the police now.

You have enough information to establish your ownership rights, i.e. the bill of sale, photos of the vin and data plate, and the confidential vin stamping on the cowl.

If you tried to go and register it and insure it, you would probably get charged with insurance fraud for trying to insure a car that was already "stolen."