?????
Cover up vin?
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
Hmmmm. 
I suppose that someone could 'borrow' the VIN off your car and find out your name and address. Maybe that info could be used to pull off some scam....i.e., borrow money against your car, etc. That's a new one on me, but I'd be interested to know what the 'risk' is with showing your VIN.
I suppose that someone could 'borrow' the VIN off your car and find out your name and address. Maybe that info could be used to pull off some scam....i.e., borrow money against your car, etc. That's a new one on me, but I'd be interested to know what the 'risk' is with showing your VIN.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 7,353
Likes: 72
From: Graceland in a Not Correctly Restored Stingray
Yes, I've covered VIN's on every vehicle I've had for several years now with a small, thin piece of easily removed flat black plastic. FWIU, this keeps would be thieves from taking VIN, make and model info to dealer under the guise of having lost their keys to have a duplicate set cut. Of course, on older cars this may not be a problem, but it's a habit I'm sticking with, law or no.
TSW
TSW
Last edited by TheSkunkWorks; Jul 21, 2009 at 02:35 AM.
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Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 38,923
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From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 12,710
Likes: 329
From: Scottsdale Arizona
I doubt it's an issue for C3s though.
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 3,729
Likes: 267
From: Austin Texas
Corvette of the Year Winner 2017
2016 C3 of Year Finalist
they would get way more info. coping your license plate than a 40 year old vin #
I don't think your gonna get away with covering your license plate, ... for very long !
69VETT
I don't think your gonna get away with covering your license plate, ... for very long !
69VETT
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
The 'key code' information is not in the VIN...it is in the cross-reference info that the factory has which yields the key code. Years ago, I lost keys and called the dealer where I bought the car. They used the VIN to get key codes from GM. As with any "information" these days, maybe it's best to keep it to ourselves. Interesting...
Intermediate
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 41
Likes: 3
From: Palm Springs CA
This is typical identity theft paranoia. The only number you should keep sacred is your social security number. Everything else about you is available via the internet. Google your name, you will probably be surprised.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 38,923
Likes: 1,482
From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
C3 key blank codes are fairly well known and are listed in several reference works. Knowing the blank code gets you close per model year. You'd still need a lock or ignition cylinder to cut a key.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 23,419
Likes: 22
From: In limbo
St. Jude Donor '13-'15, '17 thru '22
I'm sure I would make a terrible criminal, but with a few basic tools, I could break into my car and take out the ignition switch in a fairly short amount of time. That would allow me to unlock the steering wheel and hot wire the starter. I am sure I wouldn't be "gone in 60 seconds", but it wouldn't take me all afternoon either. That's a lot less work than taking down someone's VIN, contacting a dealer, convincing them to give me a set of keys FINDING THAT SAME CAR AGAIN, and driving it away with the keys. I am not sure GM has the cross-reference for the key information on 40 year old cars anyway, and even if they did, how many of these cars have been re-keyed over the decades?
The only reason I can think of for covering your VIN is that you suspect (or know) your car has a dubious past. If I thought my car was stolen sometime in its past, I might want to cover the VIN before showing up to something like Carlisle so that if the owner from whom it was stolen sees the car, he can't verify that it is the one he owned.
Administrator
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 54,000
Likes: 6,214
From: About 1100 miles from where I call home.
Yes, I've covered VIN's on every vehicle I've had for several years now with a small, thin piece of easily removed flat black plastic. FWIU, this keeps would be thieves from taking VIN, make and model info to dealer under the guise of having lost their keys to have a duplicate set cut. Of course, on older cars this may not be a problem, but it's a habit I'm sticking with, law or no.
TSW
TSW
I was in line at the Post Office recently and a woman tried to pay with a credit card and the clerk wouldnt take it because the card wasnt signed. The woman insisted credit cards shouldnt be signed, because they could then be stolen and the signature copied. The clerk said no signature, no sale. Lady just left. Nuts.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,458
Likes: 331
From: Indy Indiana
there are 'bill of sale' only states where a scammer that has your vin can fake a bill of sale, sign it and subsequently get a title in his name of your car without ever seeing it.
now all sorts of havoc is created where he can claim that you have his car, or he can sell it fraudulently.. and you have a mess to clean up...
now all sorts of havoc is created where he can claim that you have his car, or he can sell it fraudulently.. and you have a mess to clean up...