VIN # red flag
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 641
Likes: 184
From: Uniontown Alabama
VIN # red flag
I am looking at buying a 2007 vert for sale in Montgomery Al by a lender who has repo-ed it with 154k miles. The pictures all look nice but really short on details. I asked for a photo of the option code plate but it has been removed so they sent me a picture of the VIN plate on the dash. Plugging it into the VIN decoder area on this site it comes back as not a valid VIN number. Using the free carfax site it says it was a Ca. car until 2014 when it showed 7500 miles, then it ghosts until 2018 when it shows up at an Alabama dealer with 135k miles where it stays for 2 years and now a lender has it back to re-sell. Can anyone help if i post the VIN number here? Do I need to PM to do this or is ok to post a VIN number here? I posted this in the WTB section but thought maybe be better here! Thanks, Courtney
thing knower
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 3,404
Likes: 942
From: wpb
I am looking at buying a 2007 vert for sale in Montgomery Al by a lender who has repo-ed it with 154k miles. The pictures all look nice but really short on details. I asked for a photo of the option code plate but it has been removed so they sent me a picture of the VIN plate on the dash. Plugging it into the VIN decoder area on this site it comes back as not a valid VIN number. Using the free carfax site it says it was a Ca. car until 2014 when it showed 7500 miles, then it ghosts until 2018 when it shows up at an Alabama dealer with 135k miles where it stays for 2 years and now a lender has it back to re-sell. Can anyone help if i post the VIN number here? Do I need to PM to do this or is ok to post a VIN number here? I posted this in the WTB section but thought maybe be better here! Thanks, Courtney
edit, also i'm pretty sure its safe to post a vin here... thats private information so not a whole lot you can do regarding the information behind the vin...
Last edited by drewz06; Aug 27, 2021 at 09:46 AM.
Racer
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 363
Likes: 121
From: Beautiful Florida
I would go look a the car since it is located less than 1 1/2 hours away. Could be a salvage job or really a good find. Hard to tell. Have you checked with a Chevrolet service department? Might get some info there. The dealer really helped me out once. You might also call these guys and see if they will examine the car in their shop before you commit to purchase: Corvette - Performance Auto Repair | Montgomery, AL (performance4me.com)
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 641
Likes: 184
From: Uniontown Alabama
yup, definitely a road trip needed but usually if it's too good to be true, is actually is. The only reason I can think of to remove the option code plate is to hide the vin #... which leads me to believe it is either stolen or salvage. I am going to ask the lender to provide me with the real carfax report which should give me much more info.... before I invest any more time i need to know the true beans about this vette! Thanks fine05 and drewz06!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,294
Likes: 482
From: Brea CA
The option code label is on the glove box door. On the C5's these doors had an issue with the hinges, have not heard too much about that on a C6 though. The door could have been replaced due to damage and the prior owner removed the option code label. Also some guys have swapped them out to do an interior color change.
I would check to make sure the VIN on the dash, drivers door and front frame rail on the passenger side all match.
Gary
I would check to make sure the VIN on the dash, drivers door and front frame rail on the passenger side all match.
Gary
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 5,187
Likes: 1,216
From: Las Vegas Nevada
The VIN is public info, visible from outside the car, so anyone can see it, same as a license plate. You can take that VIN to any large GM dealer and ask them to print out a VIS report. If the car was ever serviced/repaired by a GM dealer, it will show up on the VIS report.
A VIN can drop off of some records if it was manually entered. I have come across a few "not found" VIN's in my searches. The RPO label seldom falls off, though I have seen one C6 that did not have one...it had glue residue where the label formerly was.
I'm going to take a wild guess that this is a salvage vehicle that was re-titled in a non-restrictive state. Perhaps the entire dash/instruments had to be replaced, resulting in much higher mileage indicated. I don't always believe the "too good to be true" cliche, as a gem sometimes shows up in unexpected places.
Finally, with the mileage, the repo, the questionable title history, unknown damage history, it should be dirt cheap, like maybe $14K. If the seller cannot show proof of all status and claims, I would not even consider it at more than $16K, and only then if the seller guarantees legal title conveyance and security in your home state, in writing. If he is asking over $20K, forget it, and keep looking. Just my own opine.
A VIN can drop off of some records if it was manually entered. I have come across a few "not found" VIN's in my searches. The RPO label seldom falls off, though I have seen one C6 that did not have one...it had glue residue where the label formerly was.
I'm going to take a wild guess that this is a salvage vehicle that was re-titled in a non-restrictive state. Perhaps the entire dash/instruments had to be replaced, resulting in much higher mileage indicated. I don't always believe the "too good to be true" cliche, as a gem sometimes shows up in unexpected places.
Finally, with the mileage, the repo, the questionable title history, unknown damage history, it should be dirt cheap, like maybe $14K. If the seller cannot show proof of all status and claims, I would not even consider it at more than $16K, and only then if the seller guarantees legal title conveyance and security in your home state, in writing. If he is asking over $20K, forget it, and keep looking. Just my own opine.
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Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 641
Likes: 184
From: Uniontown Alabama
Thanks to all that responded.... yup I am not biting on this one... it looks nice but my gut is telling me RUN! i am 77 years old now and don't really need another vette....want one sure but it's time to get rid of some toys.... I am still crying that I sold my 2014 Z51 vert last August... only had 10,007 miles on it. I might buy another but time and the wife not in favor! lol.... thanks again! Courtney
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 3,937
Likes: 336
Glad to see you are passing. I spent over a year trying to get my title back as a result of my VIN being cloned. The suspect car moved from Tennessee, Arkansas and finely Mississippi. Sounds like there is quite a bit of issues with VINs being cloned in these States. I am still trying to get the carfax info cleaned up. The investigators who inspected both Vette's just called me a few days ago and let me know that they finely tracked down the origins of the cloned vehicle after another year of research. Turns out is was stolen in 2010. The guy that bought the car had to surrender it. He bought a stolen vette from a dealership unwittingly. The cloned VIN was on the dash and in the computer. It was missing from the frame. I've learned quite a bit over the last few years on what a legitimate VIN number and plate looks like. There's quite a bit more to the story but what a mess.
Last edited by 1rusty1; Aug 29, 2021 at 12:49 AM.
