If the car has no VIN tag on the windshield pillar and it has not been titled in any state for many years, don't touch that car with a 10 foot pole....unless you have someone working at the BMV who can straighten out all the paperwork. If you are able to find the frame VIN and the engine block S/N and the two of them match, then you can call the State Police and have them check that S/N for a stolen or scrapped vehicle reference. You need to clear up all the details with your state's BMV before you even think about buying this car. You may not be able to 'make it legal' and would end up buying a bunch of parts that you can't get registered.

 

Well, I looked for the other ones anyway and I couldn't really find them, all I found was a lot of dust and really tight spaces that I couldn't see even with a mirror. I couldn't find the cross member VIN either I checked all the way up and down the cross member, this is the one that the tranny sits on right? I couldn't find it there.

I don't know why I didn't see the first post to check on the engine, especially since just yesterday I confirmed through a few numbers that it is the original 350.

I'm going to check the A-Pillar tomorrow as its getting rather dark and I don't have any lighting where its at.

And to all of you that are posing obvious buyer questions, I'll give you a simple answer.

Some deals like this one are so sweet, you buy now and ask questions later. Yeah it seemed to good to be true, and even if it is, 500 for a complete car is worth the risk.

It may have been stolen a long long time ago. I have to see if i can find the VIN and I'll let it go if it was stolen, but like I said I couldn't have missed on this deal. Besides it came with about 300 in extra parts that I'm selling off anyway.

I'll let you guys know tomorrow about the results if I find it, and hopefully if its good, I'll need some info on how to get a 350 going again, and a good place to get a Q-jet rebuild kit.

Also if that VIN is also missing, the one on the A-pillar, can the dmv identify it? Say it is stolen, can they tell? Perhaps they just give me a state one. Can I do that? I don't want to start get attached and have it ripped from my hands.

Thanks again all you guys have been a great help!

 

I hate to rain on your parade but think about it. Any car sold for $500, especially a chrome bumper C3 (avg sales price >$10k) is a HUGE red flag. I'd be surprised if it isn't stolen or at the very least un-registerable. Smudged Vin sticker, missing Vin tag and $500...If it walks and sounds like a duck...

 

The trans has the 5xxxxx portion of the vin number stamped on the passenger side vertially about 6" to 8" back from the bell housing . Try looking there it may need to be cleaned to see the number. the first of the vin munber should read

1Z37k2S5xxxxx for a 72 vette coupe and 6xxxxx for a convertible
Good Luck.

 

I knew it was a major risk, I purchased expecting the worst but hoping for the best.

I'll check the trans also. It may in my opinion be a scenario where this was the car that they took a VIN from to cover up another car. After all it was labeled a parts car, and had a few things like seats and interior missing.

All possibilities, and I'll check the trans tomorrow assuming of coarse that it's the original.

And last option perhaps remove evidence of VIN and get a state issued one?

Not sure yet, again will check tomorrow.

 

I knew a guy one time that owned a boneyard that had a lot of desireable cars in it, and some of them unfortunately were not in restorable condition.
One of these cars was a 69 camaro convertible. It could not have been restored, but someone paid him 5k just to be able to get the clear title on it, took the cowl/dash with the vin tag on it, and put it on one of those dynacorn bodies.
Or so he said, he probably bought some of the GM NOS VIN rivets and just put it on the new body. Which is VIN tampering. But I really don't think the DMV is going to investigate it in the least.

But anyway, sounds like you have a stolen car. Right now this places you as being in possesion of/receiving stolen property. Even though you don't honestly know, the law wont care. Every car thief alive would use the same excuse if they could get away with it. Which is why if you are found with it you will be charged. I would go try to get my money back and stay faaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrr away from that car.

 

I plan on finding out the smart way.

To keep myself clear of coarse. They cant find it now, and if it comes down to it, ill push it out into the street and say so long. But as of now, I am still hoping for the best.

Do you know of any extra 72 vette VINs!?

Hah im just kidding, hopefully it turns out alright.

 

You can't take into account the law of averages. Someday the right person could spot the wrong car on your property.
Do what you will. But if you wanna be smart about it, then start by doing the smart thing, taking it back.

 

It's to late for that, its nicely covered, and out of site.

I will find out tomorrow the results and its over 100 miles from purchased place, in a culdasac-ish (sorry for spelling don't know how its spelled) neighborhood. For now its out of the way, and if it needs to be turned in perhaps I shall, maybe no one will claim it, I'll just take it back.

RESULTS TOMORROW!!!!!!

 

Dude -- HUGE RED FLAG here! Listen to those who have chimed in….

1. Don't make this "good deal" your nightmare. Step back, take a minute and assess the situation.

2. As said above, hold the owner accountable, make them figure it out.

3. Don’t let emotion cloud your judgment...

Cheers,

Crunch

 

Cut the guy a little slack.
A lot of conclusions with too little info.
Sounds a little suspicious, but he said he would check the pillar for the plate, even though most people would have done this first.
And if he has known a defective vin all along, then your warnings probably won't sway him anyway, just on to plan B.

 

Maybe he is just trying to at a idea of where all the numbers are to try and alter them...

 

do you really think someone would post on an open forum with those intentions?? he's 17 yrs old. can you imagine how excited he is to have a vette at 17? if all else fails and he has to get a reissued vin, he's got himself a chrome bumper car with an r-title for $500. works for me

 

There is no way you could confirm that it is the original engine if you don't know the VIN.

 

Hi Z,
Here's the rub.... IF it's stolen, the police take the car, you don't get anything back from what you paid for it or what ever $ you've put in it.
So, I think you need to find out what you have before you venture any more money.
I don't think anyone sells a Corvette for $500 if it has a chance of ever being a registered car again. They could make more than that even if they just sold a few parts off it. I'll bet they're glad you've taken it a hundred miles away from them.
Good Luck with all this!
Regards,
Alan

 

I agree with the good advice some of the other posters have given. Make sure you can get the car legally registered before you sink any money into it. Its too big to use a paperweight and not decorative enough to use as a planter.

I wouldn't let the possibility of having to get a state issued VIN be a big negative. I get the impression that you bought this to learn on and have fun fixing it up. The experience you will get from doing that will be worth more to you than any monetary difference the car may be worth.

I think it is great to see someone your age showing an interest and desire to learn about these old cars. If it doesn't work out this time, you can always find another one to work on. Don't get discouraged.

You can get a lot of very useful advice on this forum. Like any forum some of it is good and some not so good. Just take what you need and leave the rest.

Best of luck to you.

 

Well since you already have it here are some options.

File off all the vins you can find on the frame, transmission and engine vins dont matter they get swapped all the time.

Go to the DMV and tell them you are BUILDING a car/hotrod and see about registering it, you will probably get a title for a 2009 something something. You can basicly say it is a c3 corvette clone.

try to find a C3 body that still has a VIN on it for dirt cheep, buy it and take the vin plate off it or try to get another vin plate.

I hope that your pockets are lined with money because if you want to get that car running again its goin to take some cash, its not like fixing up a third or fourth gen camaro or 90s mustang.

I hope this is not planned to be your only car at the age of 17 because you are going to have hurdles to go threw getting it registered.

i was that age once and purchased several different cars for dirth cheep prices on the basis of fixing them up and having a bad *** ride. wasnt until I got a solid career that I got my first vette and am now doing a LS1 T56 swap on it. 10 years later I am finally able to build the car I always wanted.

Good luck I but plan on this car sitting for a few years befor you make it a reliable driver.

 

Wouldn't that be funny - forum members telling someone how to steal a car...

 

Not so funny after reading the post just before yours.

 

You are kidding me right? $500? 1972? No VIN tag? So where is the original title? How did you take possession of the car without gettting the title signed over to you? If you have a vehicle and there is no title then how do you prove you didn't steal it? Someone is being duped here and I hope you are not serious about this one. Police agency personnel own Corvettes too and are forum members as well... so I suspect your secret isn't so secret now.
When you chase counterfeiters for a living you tend to be a little skeptical so forgive me on this one, but really now, you think this car is clean?
No price for a car is worth a felony.
My two cents.
David