Help... Vin #'s dont match

Ok, Im the OP

I did buy it as a numbers matching car.. I have 9k into it as of now. I realize that its my own fault for not doing my due diligence, but it doesn't change where Im at now.

The woman call me back this morning and said her husband bought the car basically in the condition its in now. The only work he had done to the car was maintenance type work to keep it drivable... She is supposed to call me back this afternoon with the info of the shop that they bought it from (Local restoration shop).

I explained the issue and told her i preferred to just give her the car back for purchase price and she stated she wasn't in a position to buy it back.

I dont want to get anyone in trouble, nor do i want any trouble for myself. I can't keep the car knowing that there is a possibility that it isnt legal. I also can't really afford to take a 9000 loss.

I will attempt to speak with the shop they bought it from and maybe they have a reasonable explanation for the inconsistencies

If not i have no choice but to do the legally and morally right thing.

View attachment 1714939423
Looks like a nice car to me. 9 grand, for the numbers to match, well how much less is it worth because of the numbers. Even a clone car is worth something if it is done right.
What you tried to do is bully an honest guy who wants to do the right thing into possibly doing something illegal just because you think there's a decent chance he could "get away with it". Not getting caught doesn't mean it's right. And what does he do if he wants to sell the car? I sure as hell wouldn't buy that car without the proper documentation explaining why the VIN plate and title don't match ANY of the body numbers. One? Sure, repairs have to happen, these cars are nearing 50 years old and no one is likely to jam you up over a single body VIN stamping. But all of them?

The whole issue was started by someone like you, ignoring the law and misrepresenting the car during a sale. Maybe the last owner was the victim and sold the car not knowing any better, but at some point there was a dirtbag that took some kind of shortcut and lied about the car. There are far too many people in this hobby/business that don't give a second thought to what the right thing is. That's why there are car flippers that will slap chicken wire and bondo over a rust hole and sell the car as "rust free with new paint". Or take 30 pictures that show everything but the hole in the floor. Or swap the VIN's from a desirable car that's unrepairable onto a clean /6 car shell. Is it dumb that people will pay thousands and thousands of dollars more for a car because of a few letters on a VIN? Yup, it sure is. But it's sleazy at best and criminal at worst to take advantage of that.
I'm glad I bought my car a long time ago and my restoration is the first restoration. People got greedy with MOPARs, chevy guys started trying to flip them, and I'm sorry, Chevy guys shouldn't be allowed no where near a MOPAR. Yes, over the last twenty or so years a lot of shady things went on, but the Duster is nice regardless of the numbers issue. I think it isn't what the OP wants, a cobbled up clone car. If the car was misrepresented at sale he should be able to get a refund.