Striker69Z10

Hi Guys,

I just bought this car and need help finding VIN locations other than on the drivers side frame rail or door post.

I have paper work going back to 1974 in Louisiana but its all wrong.

Somehow it was sold several times with a CE engine # then a block casting # and a title# but no true vin.

The guy I bought it from just gave up on it.

I have the body and rolling frame with misc parts but no motor or trans.

see pictures

any help will be appreciated.

all the paper work says it's blue / white. it's primer now was red, blue, maroon, black with glitter, violet or lavender, yellow like daytona not buttercup, primer then fiberglass / gel coat whitish

Railroadman

Yup - that's where they were!

I think you're about out of options.

scopeli

if I were to get rid of numbers on a frame I would cut out the vin number and reweld the frame. if this is the case you are out of luck. But, if the numbers are ground down, a person can retrieve the numbers using acid. you have to know what your doing cause the numbers will disappear as quickly as they appear with too much acid. if you like to see how this concept works, purchase some old buffalo nickels with the date worn off. apply acid to where the date was and you will see the date reappear.

Striker69Z10

it looks like they were ground down. I have a buddy that said I could try using magnaflux or maybe some imaging machine like is used in the pipeline industry to do inspections x-ray / ultra sound. I forgot what he called it.

other folks have said heat the metal slowly from underneath until the number reappear?

There has to be a way

Striker69Z10

After more digging the car was registered in Alabama in 1975
License plate # 7-6319 but with a block # CE885835 for the VIN

Railroadman

That's the trouble, the farther back you go, the slimmer the odds of someone actually having anything helpful. You don't even know for sure that's the original frame that went with that body.

I very much understand the lure of trying to track down a car's history. In your case, all the more reason just to find out what year the thing is. Unfortunately, sometimes it's just not possible.

I've said this before but I'll say it again. There needs to be some discretion on the privacy laws, which would allow the release of info for legitimate purposes. I know hackers can do amazing stuff, but does anybody really think you are going to go back to 1975 and steal somebody's identity? They SHOULD allow something like the 1975 license plate to be matched to a VIN even if you can't get the owners name.

Canuck62

Its a long shot,,, but you could try a photographer with a very good macro setting on his camera
i have used macro settings on a cheaper camera and it is amazing what it picks up,,,, pictures the naked eye cant even see

128racecar

Maybe you should be careful what you wish for. What if the numbers turn up as a stolen vehicle years ago?😞
Marc in Indy

Railroadman

Macro?.... or micro?

Plasticman

I agree!

Those numbers were not ground off for cosmetic purposes. They were ground off to remove the VIN, most likely for criminal reasons, and may be illegal just as it sits.

Frankly, the vehicle does not look like it is a candidate for a concourse style restoration, but certainly can be the start for a resto-rod.

Get yourself a custom frame (and dump that "original" & probably illegal frame), and register it as a kit car, or whatever your state allows for home built vehicles.

Plasticman

roju1985

That would be my suspicion... Either that or the Vin is already registered on another car elsewhere.

csherman

CE blocks started in 1968
CE stands for Chevrolet Engine
the engine is a replacement
Many times the car was register using the engine stamp vs the VIN - happened ALOT
I do see the front end is a replacement. The scoops on the fenders are not cut out.
Prob led a hard life as most of these did.
The rear "custom" lis plate recess is a neat add
You want to research if your state will grant you a state VIN and title or "homemade" VIN and title. Varies from state to state.

OC-1

could be a stolen recovery and the bad guys ground off the numbers before the car was recovered and returned to its original owner.

could be a guy bought a used frame and ground off the numbers to avoid any conflict with the vin and title. what do people do now when they buy frames for sale from restomod projects????

Could be stolen????

Does the body have telltale signs of a big crash which necessitated the need for a new frame??

Railroadman

We're not talking about firearms here, as far as I know there is no law against removing the numbers from a car frame. I've seen it done on some of the chassis in the Parts For Sale section here - somebody puts a new frame under their car and wants to be sure down the road somebody does not try to title THEIR car based in his VIN. AS roju1985 says above - "Either that or the Vin is already registered on another car elsewhere."

Fraud is ONE possible reason the numbers were removed but there are legitimate reasons as well.

Striker69Z10

the frame look good everywhere except the rear cross member is notched out maybe for exhaust?

the body front end is reproduction but the firewall back looks undamaged except for the damage in the pics.

agreed good restro rod etc.

OldKarz

Wonder why it was ground off? Silence may be golden here....