Thoughts on rebodied GTS

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glenn340

glenn340

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Came across this ad for a rebodied GTS. I give him credit for not trying to pass it off as all original. Is this more of a clone than a real car with a new body? He is asking $$$ like it is an original. I have not seen any rebodied a-bodies for sale in my area so I find this one interesting. Not interested in purchasing, just curious if there is a market for rebodied a-bodies...

1969 Dodge Dart GTS. H code 383. Financing/Shipping available | Classic Cars | Kitchener / Waterloo | Kijiji

Factory original 1969 Dart GTS. H code 383 engine. Automatic. Was a numbers matching vehicle but has been rebodied with a rust free shell. Original dash, fender tag, interior and drivetrain all retained. Very clean and well detailed car. All chrome and bright work in excellent condition. Interior is in very nice condition with no rips or splits or tears. Rare original factory mag wheel covers. Stainless steel dual exhaust. Power brakes. 8 3/4 Suregrip rear end with 3:23 gears. Runs and drives excellent. Needs nothing. Turn the key and go.

View attachment 1715236763

G_T_S.JPG
 
He says "Factory original", which it's not. I agree he at least says so, but it's misleading to the average person. Factory original would, in my mind, mean the original body, fixed as needed. I'm not going to nit-pic with anyone and define how much needs to remain, you make up your own mind on that. Depending on the state, that amounts to taking a vin tag from one car and installing it on another, which as far as I know is illegal in most.
 
Moving VIN numbers from one vehicle to another is a felony.

Run away.
 
And it's stupid. If he just said "I used the equipment from a wrecked/rusty GTS to make a clone using a rust-free body" and sold it using the body's VIN, it would be perfectly legit. And he'd probably get the same money or more, since most buyers will be scared off by this "rebody" talk.
 
It is very stupid.

If the 'donor' car was rust free, it died too - killed when its numbers were removed.
 
What about a car that has been repowered where the engine block vin doesn't match the title? Is that not illegal?
 
The VIN & body numbers are legal identifiers.

The engine VIN can be a legal identifier - in a case where the engine is reported stolen.
 
So did you see the phantom works show where he cut a large part of metal out, which just happened to contain the VIN, and welded that part of metal back into the car. He did not remove the VIN, just the metal. Worked in NC and VA DMV according to him. It was some 55 or 57 chevy not a Mopar.
 
Like Max said if he left the donor VIN on the donor shell and sells it as that car with that VIN with all the other parts then it is simply a clone.

If he transferred the VIN and other ID to the donor shell and sells it that way then it is a no-no anyway you look at it.

I bet he transferred the VIN tag and data plate but left the body stampings alone just as big a mistake selling it as either VIN.


Too many red flags.


Alan
 
I'm not sure about Ontario where the car is but in British Columbia you can do it legally. It's how lots of hot rod guys do it here. Here its called an Amalgamated car. You submit the VINs and what portions of the cars were used from each VIN to our ICBC (our provincial registration and insurance company ) along with a provincial safety inspection (done by a certified shop and tech). If approved they will send you a new BC assigned VIN to the shop that did the inspection and they will install it for you (usually on the body part of the door jam). The old VINs are tied to the new VIN.

I had to do this for a customer a few years ago as he bought a Chevelle from the USA and the two VIN's didn't match up (dash and body), as we are required to sight at least two matching VIN's for our inspection.

Any car that has been brought in from out of the province requires our provincial inspection as well as any rebuilt from salvage vehicle and many commercial vehicles and such.

PS. One quick way to tell if a car is real or not is to see if it has any torque boxes (this car does not). Most BB or 4 speed cars as well as convertibles got two or 4 torque boxed welded in. My 340 car has all 4, but as usual in the weird world of Mopars some performance cars didn't get any at all apparently.

Garth
 
ok I'm not advocating any thing positive about this because I agree it's wrong
BUT
for all you guys screaming how illegal this is and how it is such a felony ,
WHY
is this person not in jail ? where are the VIN police?
why hasn't this guy been arrested? all these years I've been reading about people swapping VIN's and seeing cars with different dashes carrying different numbers, but I have not seen nor heard of not one individual actually being prosecuted for any crime of this nature.... why?
 
RAT ROD AL said:
What about a car that has been repowered where the engine block vin doesn't match the title? Is that not illegal?
Click to expand...

Not in the least, the engine can be replaced at any time. The only reason the engine is stamped for warranty issues. Warranty blocks are not stamped.
 
RAT ROD AL said:
By the way, the car is in Canada. maybe legal up there . ????
Click to expand...

I was thinking the same thing and as someone posted below, it's apparently legal up there. Good to know for people who by cars from there.
 
Cuda416 said:
Not in the least, the engine can be replaced at any time. The only reason the engine is stamped for warranty issues. Warranty blocks are not stamped.
Click to expand...


I was just wondering , along time ago I was told that to keep your car legal ,If you swapped in a diff engine or trans for that matter , you needed to go to the D M V and change the title or something along those lines. Not that I ever have .
 
RAT ROD AL said:
I was just wondering , along time ago I was told that to keep your car legal ,If you swapped in a diff engine or trans for that matter , you needed to go to the D M V and change the title or something along those lines. Not that I ever have .
Click to expand...

Never heard of that.
 
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