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[Healeys] RE vin plates on ebay

Subject: [Healeys] RE vin plates on ebay
From: tomfelts at windstream.net (Tom Felts)
Date: Tue, 27 Jun 2017 15:27:37 -0400
And with a screw on VIN plate, how can one ever be sure?

to 
---- BJ8Healeys <sbyers at ec.rr.com> wrote: 

=============
>From the point of view of someone who is interested in identifying the current 
>status (existing or not) of all the BJ8s originally built, I have no basic 
>problem with anyone returning a car to use that would otherwise be just a 
>rusted-out yard sculpture.  However, using the plates from one car on another 
>car can mask the status of both of them.  As long as the buyer of the car is 
>made aware of what was done, that's fine with me.  

However, I know that one of the "professional restorers" sold a car that made 
its way to a buyer who was very upset when he learned from the registry that 
the VIN plate, while it appeared to be a valid number actually wasn't (it said 
HBJ8U/42505G, which is a number for an American-spec car, whereas the original 
42505 was German-spec and was HBJ8L/42505G).  The body plate was from 
HBJ8L/34404, the engine from HBJ8L/38063, and the number found on the shock 
tower was from another car.  The buyer was so upset that he had that car up for 
sale a few days later (not mentioning any of the discrepancies, of course).

Another well-known restorer, when the owner learned from the registry that the 
numbers weren't compatible and complained to him, removed the original VIN from 
the shock tower without any direction from the owner to do so.  Fortunately, it 
was recorded in the registry before he removed it.

 

When it comes to reusing plates and changing identities, a lot of things have 
been done in the past and are still going on that new owners don't know up 
front.  Prospective owners would best be served by checking with the BJ8 
Registry before deciding to buy a BJ8.  There are simply an incredible number 
of cars that no longer have the identities that they left the factory with.

 

Steve Byers

HBJ8L/36666

BJ8 Registry

AHCA Delegate at Large

Havelock, NC  

 

 

From: Healeys [mailto:healeys-bounces at autox.team.net] On Behalf Of Larry 
Varley
Sent: Sunday, June 25, 2017 7:41 AM
To: healeys at autox.team.net
Subject: Re: [Healeys] RE vin plates on ebay

 

Absolutely agree with you Mike, this string of carrying on about ID plates is 
probably one of the most stupid performances I have seen on the list for quite 
some time. For goodness sake get over it. Apparently most of the Professional 
Healey restorers should be in jail for their misdemeanors. As Patrick Quinn put 
it quite correctly, if no one is attempting to misrepresent the car for gain 
there is no problem. What you are doing is saving a car that would be lost. Go 
for it Mike!

Cheers

Larry Varley

 

On 25/06/2017 8:41 AM, Michael MacLean wrote:

What I am doing is taking a chassis ID plate from a car that was cut up, 
cannibalized and no longer exists due to rust and other damage and just 
replacing everything behind that plate.  I am in effect, restoring the car with 
the number on the chassis ID plate I acquired.  Otherwise maybe you think the 
chassis ID plate should have been destroyed with the rusted out car.  The parts 
are coming from many BN1s and BN2s.  The donor, almost rolling bare chassis  
(the rear end was held in with a come-a-long) had virtually no chassis ID 
plate, (see picture below) body numbers anywhere on the car.  We were only sure 
it was a BN2 body due to the rear trans mount.  So what is wrong with using 
this ID plate to restore a car with a new frame and sheet metal, a new drive 
train, a new rebuilt suspension, etc.?  Don't some people buy Jule frames for 
their restoration when rust or accident damage destroys the old frame?  Maybe 
the sheet metal had to be replaced along with a new inner frame too.  Is that 
now fraud because the original owner replaced most of the car behind the 
chassis ID plate?   These days when you can replace almost any part of a Healey 
with a reproduction or original part and just about build a car from parts 
available I don't see what is wrong with what I am doing.  When I sell the car, 
I will be happy to tell the prospective buyer exactly how the car was built.  I 
am sure the new buyer would rather have an original Healey chassis ID plate on 
the firewall rather than some digits stamped into the frame by the state.

Mike MacLean

 

 

 

 


 
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