So....What is YOUR opinion on VIN swaps ?

jos51700 said

So I'm curious.

Let's say GM Guy buys a GM something or other with body on frame construction. It's toast, but the title is clean.
Said person buys a clean parts vehicle, and replaces the hood. No harm, no foul, right?
What if he replaces the frame? To my knowledge, this isn't an issue. The VIN lives elsewhere on the vehicle, so if I'm wrong, please tell me.

As he progresses, he replaces everything BUT THE VIN PLATE. Does the law specify a certain percentage of the vehicle that must remain original? As mentioned, some vehicles require removing the VIN plate for restoration.

On our Mopars, it's a little different.... unibody cars aren't so cut n dry.

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GM full frame cars have the full vin number stamped in at least 2 locations on the frame. That may be a problem. Or maybe not. My brother restored an 87 monte SS. Frame was toast, body was good, we welded in a rust free floorpan from a different year monte. He used a rust free frame from another monte SS he bought for parts. State went by the vin tag on the body. They could care less about frame numbers.

I think the guys here are talking about decieving a potential buyer of a rare optioned muscle car. So for y'all, how much metal under the vin plate needs to be replaced before its called a rebody? The laws do not state a percentage, so that must mean that 100% can be concidered for replacement. What if the only thing salvagable was the roof, some inner structure. Brackets, rad support, and trunk weatherstrip rails? What if you bought all the dynacorn pieces seperate and jigged it together and welded it up in your garage and added in some of the not rusty parts from the original body? Is it still a rebody, i mean there is a percentage of original pieces welded back in. Again the laws do not state a percentage on replacing anything under the vin number, only that you cannot transfer those pieces to another car. A repop body is not concidered a car until its assembled into one.

Again wheres our resident lawyer jim harvard on this one.