I really could use some help. Trying to purchase a 75 Stingray. The owner of it died a while back and it's been sitting. We found the family and are trying to go through the process of getting it transferred over. There is a power of attorney handling it with us. Well, we can't find the title. So we're trying to use the vin number on the insurance card because the plates are still good, but the vin number doesn't match what I have pulled up in the decoders that I have found. It's only 13 numbers long. The other problem is that we can't find the vin number any where on the car itself. The owner had a great deal of work done on it a while back and we're wondering if he moved it to a different un obvious location or is it possible that he had so much work done on it to where he maybe switched the body and got a new vin number? Does any one know of any other areas some one might put the vin number?? Checked the engine and the dash, and trim, and a panels and doors and of course glove box in the back.... haven't checked the trunk because I don't even know if there is one and it it would even open... this poor car has been sitting way too long...

 

Did you check the driver side windshield post?

Through 1980 the VIN was only 13 characters.

75 should be something like
1Z37J5S4xxxxx coupe or
1Z67J5S4xxxxx convertible
The 'J' might be a 'T' depending on motor.

 

I looked all around the windshield and didn't see anything at all.
I thought that the number was something like that, but the thing that we don't understand is that I have a copy of the owners insurance card and the vin number on there starts with a 1 which would be right then it goes to a 2. Then the 6th digit is also incorrect. We have to get a title for the car because they have no idea where the original one is, but the plates and vin don't match the bmv records. It has valid plates and they actually expire tomorrow.

 

If memory serves, I think there is a VIN stamped on top of the side
frame rail about where the driver's seat is and another on top of the frame rail over the left rear wheel. Both will be a bear to get at.
These are in addition to the tag on the driver's side windshield post, visible thru the windshield from the outside.
Good luck...
Larry

 

like this.....

Are you sure it's a 75? Sixth digit is the year.
Are you sure the second digit is a 2 and not a Z? Probably pretty easy to write it down wrong.

 

Have the power of attorney go through the DMV with the plate number. The VIN will almost certainly be on the plate paperwork.

Don't waste your time with the generic decoders.

Driver's windshield post visible from outside the car. If it isn't there, pass on this one.

Don't.

 

Thanks everyone for you help. We found it finally. It was embedded in the plastic on the windshield post. You can barely see it. But it still doesn't match the vin on file with the bmv... it's close but it'll work for now I guess... the second letter was a z which is what we thought but the 6th digit which should be a 5 for the year according to bmv is a letter. On the car though it's a 5. But I was able to have them pull it up with the plate number and then give them the vins and they told me the correct one plus they gave me the title number so we can get it transferred over. In the picture up above it's nice and clear but on this car it's not lol.

But thanks again for all your help.

Easy Mike-there is no way I'm looking in that trunk.... I don't want to know... with as bad shape as this car is in who knows what is in there.. Plus I don't even know how to get into the trunk...

 

I gotta ask- if this car has serious registration problems due to come customization issues and has been sitting ignored for years (meaning a lot of work and money to get it going), why on earth do you want it so bad?

Have a look at what decent with no issue '75s sell for. Is yours worth the hassle?

 

It at once was a beautiful car. We're only paying like a hundred bucks for it. But it's a project that my boyfriend wants to work on over a period of time and get our daughter involved with him on it and he would like to turn it around and give it to her as a graduation gift. The owner apparently had a bunch of work done on it a while back and then became sick and his mother also sick and it then just sat. The frame itself looks good, thank goodness for no rust. The interior will have to be redone. We would like to get it back to as close to original as possible. I don't think the seats are the original. The driver side door doesn't seal so because of the moisture it would have to be replaced anyways. My boyfriend loves restoring things back to what they used to be and what they should be, it's a beautiful car even with the work that needs to be done. Some kids vandalized it a while back too which I think is so sad to do something like that to any ones property but especially an older car like this... so as soon as we have permission and paperwork it's getting hauled out of the parking lot to a safe place. It's been sitting for so long I guess people think it's been abandoned. Heck that's what I thought at first. But the complex where we live wants it gone. So it's going to be a long process. Hopefully a fun one. It does run from what I've been told. It went from one parking spot across the parking lot to another spot lol.

 

so it has been sitting outside for years? Watch out... I guess a hundred bucks is OK, but even if free, if the mechanicals are so bad you will ultimately be upside down on the car.

 

It won't be driven for awhile. It will be hauled out and put some place safe where we can start the process of working on it. It was driven up to a few years ago from what I've been told. They had about 8-10 grand put into it under the hood and mechanically speaking but not the outside .

 

After dumping about 12 grand into my '76, and still having a car that needs work, I get sick when I see low mileage 70's C-3 in great shape sell at auction for 10 grand all the time. Makes you wonder if all the work is worth the effort!!

 

We aren't in this for money at all. It is going to take a while and that's ok. It is for our daughter when it's all done. It's something that we can do together and just have fun. We looked under the hood a little more carefully finally and it's got a new engine and a lot of other new stuff. The previous owner just never got around to the outside.

 

Good luck with getting this vette back on the road. You'll spend more money on it than it's worth monitarily but knowing you saved one from the scrap yard is worth it .
Don't go crazy looking for a trunk, it doesn't have one.

Any photos?

 

Well, we talked to some one who can do fiber glass repair, and my boyfriend can too and we might not have to replace that much of the exterior like we thought. It does run now, but we're refusing to run it until we get some liquids inside and the oil changed. We do have to buy a new rear bumper though because of the vandalism. Some kids ripped it off a while back. The engine looks great though. It shifts nicely even though it's a very close shift, it is not the car for me to learn how to drive a manual though.

 

Not to be negative, but before you start spending lots of money on this, consider that there's lots of project cars sitting around that got abandoned part way through restoration. People get tired of working on them, tired of spending money, overwhelmed by the total commitment, life priorities change, job situation etc etc.

The car you're thinking about has already been abandoned at least once.......

 

It was abandoned because the owners mom got really sick. She'll be 105 this year, and then he died early this year. I guess she got sick right after he spent all this money on the car and had to start paying some medical bills....

 

If you cannot verify the story behind this sale via another source (neighbor, etc.) and the title still can't be found, just be aware that this may not be a legal sale. I say "may not", because all of this could be true...but it may also be bogus. If the title can't be located, take that VIN number to the local Motor Vehicles Bureau and ask them to check it out. They should be able to tell you if it has been legally registered in your state in the past [and how long ago] and to whom it was registered. Also ask them the procedure for obtaining a 'replacement' title for it, since the title has not yet been found.

You just don't want to buy this car, spend money and time fixing it up, then find you can't get a valid title for it in your state. Check out those issues at the BMV first.

 

We found the vin number, and I called and got the title number. It is registered to the person who died. Every direction the neighbor led me has led me to find out more and I've been able to verify everything so far. His mom is in a nursing home I called and the director got in touch with family who then got in touch with me. So far it seems accurate. We won't move the car though until we have proof, and it's in our name though.

 

Since you can buy it for a 100 bucks, I would get a notorized bill of sale from the power of attorney, move it to safe covered storage (which I assume would be your plan anyway) and sort out the title details as soon as you can. Sounds like you have that under control anyway.

Worst case, this is a great parts car for another car you can find, especially with what has recently been invested.
If you are shy on this, let me know, I'll come over tommorrow with a trailer.