jim lockwood

Hmmmmmm...... well, that would eliminate from consideration every Corvette from '53 through early '60.

AZDoug

I guess you will never be buying a '59 or earlier Corvette, they were ALL attached with phillips screws.

Doug

ifitgoesfast

I wouldn't avoid buying those years, but I'd be more cautious, check the title to see if it ever recorded rebuilt even if the current does not, check the frame VIN, and assume if the engine's been re-stamped, then I'd search for another car entirely.

AZDoug

You slay me!

The chance of finding an original motor in a pre '62 car is about 5%.

If they didn't get blown up, they were changed out in the later '60s and early '70s for a larger 327 or 350 motor so the car would get out of its own way, once the original motor started smoking and rebuild time came around..

Doug

emccomas

So some additional info for everyone...

I now understand that there are at least three different formats for the configuration of these replacement VIN tags.

One is like the red Chevrolet tag pictured earlier in this thread.

One is basically a tag that matches the format of the "current" VIN tag in material and font style, but has the original VIN on it.

One has GM stamped diagonally across the tag in 3 or 4 rows and the VIN was over stamped on it.

I guess the bottom line is that the layout and configuration of the replacement VIN tag may change depending on when the replacement tag was requested.

John BX NY

After reading the book I'm almost sure the guy who owned the auto parts store in the Bronx where I bought parts years ago had that car when the cops repossessed it to return it to the owner. The store is long gone...

MOXIE62

GM never issued a replacement tag that looks like the original, on any year.

rfn026

If you've got a replacement VIN tag you better have a lot of documentation to go along with it. I mean a LOT.

Richard Newton
Protecting Your Collection

emccomas

OK, how do you know that? Do you have some sort of documentation to that effect? I am not doubting your statement, just wondering what the authoritative source of that statement is?

Also, how far from original could we get in this area.

I have been told, but don't have confirmation, that getting a replacement VIN tag for lets say a 1957 Corvette, and the request is made perhaps in 1959 or so, then the tag material itself would be just a blank tag, exactly like those that were in use on 1959 Corvettes.

Now why would you need a replacement tag on a two year old car?

Lots of valid reasons.:

Tag was removed when the car was being repainted, and tag got lost.

Car was significantly damaged in the VIN tag area, and tag was destroyed.

I remember a 1960 Corvette (early 1960 car, with VIN tag in the door jam area) that had about 10 inches of the entire left side of the car sheared off when the car hit a bridge guard rail. The entire side of the car, from headlight to taillight was gone. That included the driver's door jam area, and the VIN tag.

The question is not whether this could happen, because we know for a fact that VIN tags got lost or destroyed.

It is also not about how much documentation you would need today to get the car "accepted".

It is simply about what an official GM replacement VIN tag would look like. And clearly the "look" of the replacement Vin tags changed across the life of the program.

MOXIE62

I'm like the democrats, I do not have to prove statements I make, It's your responsibly to disproved them. But joking aside, I tried to get a tag long ago from a chevy dealer and he said GM is not in the business of selling vintage vin tags. And he was right. The only way to get a hassle free vin tag is go to your DMV, file the paper work and your state will send you a replacement. I've had to do it one time on a 58 where the tag was lost. And the vin number they used was a completely different looking number then the car vin on the frame. They had their own numbering system. Show me one picture of a original looking vin tag that was purchased from GM.

jimgessner

All 53-59 Corvettes had their ''ORIGINAL'' vin tags held to the B piller with phillips head screws. It was a different world then. The ignition even had a ''OFF'' position where the key could be removed for valet parking or.....joy ride use. Weren't we all so trusting after WW2.

AZDoug

I posted one earlier, though I doubt it was "purchased from GM". Original looking, means original, not necessarily the same style as came on the car. That tag I ahve looks a whole lot like , VIN tags I have seen on early Chev passenger cars.

A dealer could request one from GM, with a valid reason,and perhaps surrendering the old tag if it existed in a damaged state.

Like HD motorcycles will provide a new frame with the same VIN number if the head of the damaged frame (which has the VIN number) is cut off and sent to Harley. And voila, a new frame with the original VIN number arrives in a box.

That VIN tag in my pic dates from the early-mid 1960s, I am aware of the owner ship of the car back to 1969, and it was there, then.

Nobody repoped VIN tags back then.

My VIN has been verify as correct to the frame by CA, who issued me a CA tag, using my original VIN, as they didn't like the screws, They also let me keep the replacement VIN tag, as they knew damn well is was genuine.

Doug

kenba

You are so right JIM. Even after that I had a 53 Mercury when I was a senior & I drove my brother & me to High school. He got out before me & in the winter when I got to my car the engine was running. My 16 year old brother had learned how to hot wire the ignition.

MOXIE62

I would walk away from any vette that has a replacement tag, whether from GM or a state, even if it was a split window. It just takes to much of the value away from the car not having it's original tag.

navysooner

I don't believe that is a true statement. 1. My Dad worked for a Pontiac Dealer in the 60 and 70s and says they carried blanks just like originals in the parts department. 2. Not that many years ago I saw a close out auction of an old small town chevy dealer and there were blank old style aluminum VIN plates with the screw holes. With the correct C and R in the Chevrolet, no reason what so ever to believe it was anything but new old stock that hadn't been stamped.

AZDoug

Hmmm, I guess that LeMans race car must only be worth $30,000 or $40,000, or so. I will see if i can pick it up for that.

OTOH, you can buy a guaranteed original VIN tag car WITH Bloomington, etc "genuine Original 270 HP 2X4 motor", and lose your shirt.

See post 1 and post 7, and some of the immediately following posts.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ts-for-it.html

Doug