This is intended for those who are considering doing a full restoration, and
who want to take the serial number plate off the cowl.
Obviously I was unclear yesterday. In an effort to determine the accuracy of
my statements I spoke to: a civilian inspector from the Washigton State
Vehicle Inspection Center, a local Auto Theft Detective who previously worked
for a large southern California police agency as an auto theft detective, the
FBI and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
In 1968 there was a Federal Standards Act, which codified the placement and
attachment method of vin tags. This resulted in the familiar windshield
placement of the vin, so that it became 'public', and open to inspection by
law enforcement without court order or permission. This was not the first
time that vins were mandated under Federal Law. Remember though, that
vehicles are 'real property', and have titles issued which use the serial
number/vin to identify the vehicle.
Prior to 1958 the engine block number of each vehicle was the identification
number used for the vehicle-remember the Harley example? This also applied
to cars, and when you exchanged the motor in your pre-1958 auto, you were
supposed to notify the State Dept. of Motor Vehicles to have them record the
serial number change. This was obviously cumbersome, and was changed.
AFTER 1958, Federal law amended the rules, assigning a vehicle I.D.
number/serial number to the CHASSIS of each car. This puts ALL of the 1960s
Tigers within the rules regarding serial/vin numbers. There is no federal
law which allows these numbers to removed for restoration.
Regarding Due Process-since the Federal Law was instituted in '58, this
arguement does not apply. Since the engine number was used as the I.D. by
the states prior to '58, this arguement still does not apply. Sorry.
Further, vehicle registrations are not governed by the Feds...we have
individual state plates, not a Federal License plate. In an instance where
the Feds are absent, the States are allowed to exercise their taxing
authority (remember State's Rights?). In all 50 states of the Union, vehicle
licenses are handled under state authority.
The civilian inspector for WSP stated that a sure fire way to get a car
flagged as a problem vin, was to show up with glistening paint under the 32
year old vin or serial number plate. They will flag the car, inspect the
rivets, determine if they've been tampered with, require documentation, and
affix their own tag-often next to the original, using the same numbers.
Remember, that if you move to a different state (like to WA. for the big
Microsoft/Boeing bucks), you will usually have to get your car inspected
before they will issue plates.
According to the detective who had worked in southern Ca., California Highway
Patrol inspectors see it the same way, and act in the same manner. In fact,
just about all of the states follow a similar program.
Per the FBI Agent, there is no Federal Law allowing vin tags to be removed
for restoration, and all of the vehicle registration issues are handled on
the STATE level.
On the state level, cars without tags can get crushed-3 Tigers which were
stolen and had the vins popped were crushed in Santa Ana in about 1975...the
parts had all been swapped around, and the Judge ordered them destroyed
because they could not determine real identity of any of the cars, and a 1964
Corvette was crushed when the owner popped the tag for restoration, and had
no supporting documentation...a fact firsthand from a detective involved in
the cases.
So, again I repeat. Do not remove your vin tags. Until someone can show me
specific Title and Section of the Federal code which refutes all of these
people-many who are certified as experts in a Federal Court of law, then the
truth is your vin tags are there to stay.
I thought that citing California Motor Vehicle Code would be enough,
hopefully you all will find this more rational, and we can put this long
abused practice to rest.
Von Levandowski
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