My car will look more like a 73 than a 78. Would it be wrong to change the VIN tag on the dash to a 73 VIN?? Would yall ride me out on a rail, tarred and feathered???
just dont get cought by the dmv
http://www.fordpinto.com/Smileys/default/police.gif (http://www.fordpinto.com/Smileys/default/police.gif)
Yep, I would say the only bad thing is, your vin on dash will not match the one on door or the hidden vin. Cops may not like that!
If you do go for it, make sure you keep all reciepts for parts with different vin!
Where is the "Hidden" vin at?
The legal side of things is your doing. :police: You do have a moral obligation to inform any potential buyer.
On the Sunbeam Tiger side of my life swapping VIN's will get you hung! :'( Tigers have no stamped VIN, only a removable plate. People buy basket case Tigers and convert the parts to a much cheaper Alpine (called Algers). Under close scrutiny the intricacies of the Tiger are not recreated and the fraud is called out publicly.
I had given to me a '73 Datsun 510 that was an "autocross car on the street." My buddy pulled the dash in favor of an aluminum block with gauges. Calif. DMV refused to register the car without the dash mounted VIN (even though it was stamped on the firewall and had a matching riveted plate on the door). Thankfully he had the VIN on the key ring, but it took me 4 years to find a dash to mount it on!!!
So, maybe you let it look like a '73, but leave it a '78 and sleep well at night.
Tom
I would have to agree with Tom on this one.
Where is the "Hidden" vin at?
There are partial VIN's stamped in engine bay area on top of the inner fenders under where the front exterior fenders bolt down. The number is about a foot back from the radiator core support. To see this, you have to remove a fender and scrap away the putty from the top of the inner fender (a wire brush helps). The number is stamped on top of both inner fenders. The number stamped there is missing three digits, i.e. VIN=9T11Y123456, stamp=9T123456. The stamped numbers will also have small stars at the start and at the end of the number for some reason.
There may be others on the car. I seem to remember seeing some numbers stamped under the rear seat near the fender but did not investigate.
If it is not too inconvenient, I would stay with the 78 VIN to avoid possible future hassles.
You could be ashamed CB , but since I've thought this for years:
Don't ask . & I'll never tell :tgif: Thank God It's FORD!
Pintosopher
I have been shamed and won't do it. Honest!!!! :police:
On my car there is a hidden vin on the top edge of the left inner fender (only visible when you remove the fender). Leave that tag on the dash alone, man. If you're going from looking like a 78 to looking like a 73, just buy a 12 pack and drink 'til that 8 looks like a 3 :)
no shame in thinking, my friend. We're defined by our actions, not our thoughts.
Chuck
Right on Chuck..
If I drink enough "spirits" , My '72 magically transforms into a Pinto version of the Roush Trans AM tube frame Mustang. I imagine having Jack sign the car as it rolls out of his race shop.
350 N/A Hp and all the goodies to chase Porsche with!
Pintosopher, Beyond Belief is just enough "vision"
8)