Police, mixed up VIN and a lot of trouble...

[KcImperial]

Lucky you were in a 1970 instead of an older Imperial like one of my 1958's. I've been accused of having a stolen vehicle/tampered VIN because it wasn't mounted on the dash. Had to wait for "back up" to arrive to convince the cop it was ok. I've also been accused of tampered VIN because the VIN plates are spot welded on to the A pillar and don't have rivets. I bought one from CA and it was missing the last digit of the VIN on the title. It took an entire day for the Highway Patrol to get that corrected. They kept insisting to see the stamped number on the frame. For 1958, the frame is only stamped in one place. It's on the top side of the frame above the right rear wheel well which means the body has to come off the frame to see it. Fortunately, 1958 was the first year for the serial number to be stamped on the trim plate. The only way to prove the engine number is to order a copy of the IBM punch card from Chrysler Historical Society (no guarantee if it's available or if it's even legible!)

 

[fury fan]

Wow, the police in EU must have a lot of time on their hands to dig deep on something like this.
What do they say for a65-older VIN tag where it has rivet holes yet is spotwelded on, and the 1st 2 digits are hand-stamped?

What's your secret for keeping criminals off the street? We need to implement your methods here.

 

[commando1]

and I thought California sucked...

And I'm all for Brexit.

 

[Carmine]

The crazy think is that they are doing it here but cal them "DUI Checkpoints and Licence Checks". Whenever they announce that they will be having one I say the Gestapo is out. I don't care how much good comes out of them they are just wrong, I don't even see how they are legal.

The VIN on my registration/title had a typo, it was all cleared up when I had it transferred to my name. I did have multiple Factory pieces of literature to support the correction. There was an "L" that should have been a 7.


Alan

They tried that garbage in MI and lost in our Supreme Court. It was challenged at the Fed level and upheld (unfortunately). So MI (and 10 other states) passed laws against them.

The Feds usual M.O. Is to withhold Fed transport bribes, err, uh, "funds", but for whatever reason they haven't done that (yet).

That, and many other Nazi laws are why I wouldn't consider Ohio in the running for my "summer" state one day. That's also called competition among states, a principle I NEVER hear discussed in mass media, and something that makes the US "sorta different" in a good way. In fact, my Finnish friends understand it and appreciate it more than most Americans! Good and bad at the same time, sigh.

 

[fc7_plumcrazy]

Hi Julian,

I just read this thread.
What a pain.

A few things:
In Europe the original Mopar stampings are offcially not enough in most european countries. So before the first registration the full VIN is usually stamped into the car.
In germany it has to be on the front framerail passenger side. It is usually required before the first full TÜV (§21).

In the netherlands it is often stamped into the enginebay or the trunkfloor before the RDW checks the car initially.

You had the problem that you -being a german living in germany- drove a car registered&liscensed in the netherlands on the roads in germany.
So they thought you might have a stolen car. Despite from the fact that you are hardly allowed to drive it here because there is the risk of being defendant for tax fraud .

Carsten

 

[vdk2010]

A few things:
In Europe the original Mopar stampings are offcially not enough in most european countries. So before the first registration the full VIN is usually stamped into the car.
In germany it has to be on the front framerail passenger side. It is usually required before the first full TÜV (§21).

In the netherlands it is often stamped into the enginebay or the trunkfloor before the RDW checks the car initially.

On every car or just the earlier ones? I'm pretty sure this car don't have a new VIN stamped anywhere?!

You had the problem that you -being a german living in germany- drove a car registered&liscensed in the netherlands on the roads in germany.
So they thought you might have a stolen car. Despite from the fact that you are hardly allowed to drive it here because there is the risk of being defendant for tax fraud.

I'm sure they were sceptical after talking to me, but they didn't know until they stood next to me in the parking lot they pulled me in. Interesting you mention that tax fraud think. One of the first questions they asked me was if the car is in germany all the time.

 

[fc7_plumcrazy]

Julian,

AFAIK the VIN needs to be stamped into every classic car which doesn't have it in the frame in germany.

All my old "dutch" cars have a full VIN stamped in, too.
Have you checked the trunk floor?
Common place for it

Carsten

 

[330dTA]

...In Europe the original Mopar stampings are offcially not enough in most european countries. So before the first registration the full VIN is usually stamped into the car.
In germany it has to be on the front framerail passenger side. It is usually required before the first full TÜV (§21)...

Exactly the same thing in Finland. Full VIN stamped on the pass side frame rail, so placed that it can easily be read in the engine compartment. No way around it. (I have understood that in newer cars the VIN is stamped there in the factory.)

 

[1978 NYB]

I had a few Mopars when I was in Germany throughout the 80's and never was stopped by the Polezei. LOL!

 

[vdk2010]

Julian,

AFAIK the VIN needs to be stamped into every classic car which doesn't have it in the frame in germany.

All my old "dutch" cars have a full VIN stamped in, too.
Have you checked the trunk floor?
Common place for it

Carsten

Interesting! I will investigate that! Never heard of that and the Owner neither. (Not the one who imported the car).

On the passenger side frame rail or in the trunk floor? I will have a look!

 

[Big_John]

If that's the case, and they want a stamped VIN on the frame rail and/or the trunk, I think I'd be buying some number stamps right now....

 

[Bill Watson]

The reversal of the model year and assembly plant is a carry over from the days when the Shipping Order Number was stamped on the body. The SON had nothing to connect it to the VIN but Chrysler used the SON to track the car through the assembly process - it appeared on the body and the broadcast sheets used during the assembly of the car. The VIN was assigned at the end of the line.

Unfortunately, you need the build record from CHS to tie the VIN, SON and your car all together.

 

[polara66hardtop]

Same at Finland. Police can stop you if they want to. Just to check driving license etc.
Finland you have to stamp vin into frame or other part of car where it cant be removed, usually front frame/firewall. Dash vin, fender tag aint enough.

How do they deal with pre 69' Mopars, when There is no VIN stamped anywhere on the body of the car?

 

[MarPar]

 

[patrick66]

While I was stationed in (then) West Germany in the early '90s, I bought a 1967 Belvedere I six-passenger station wagon in Antwerp, Belgium. It was one of three identical cars exported from the US new to a funeral car company in Antwerp. All three were black, with blue interiors, heater, carpet, clock, no radio, metric speedometer; along with XHD suspension, 11" f/r brakes, HEMI torsion bars, and 225 Slant Six engines with three-speed manual transmissions. My car is still in OKC, now with a 360 and auto. Anyway, it had the VIN stamped on the passenger frame rail by the importer, to meet the European standards back then. The number is HUGE, nearly an inch tall and runs about a foot of the length of the frame rail, facing up toward the hood, and VERY visible!

I still have the build sheet to this car. This and a second car went to brothers who were undertakers in Belgium; the third went to a funeral home in Sweden.

 

[vdk2010]

I haven't found a VIN Stamped anywhere on the car yet. Maybe becasue the owner of the car painted the frame with por-15?!
No VIN found in the Trunk either!?

 

[MrMoparCHP]

I haven't found a VIN Stamped anywhere on the car yet. Maybe becasue the owner of the car painted the frame with por-15?!
No VIN found in the Trunk either!?

The factory partial VIN were stamped on the left trunk rail under the weatherstrip about 5" back from the hinge.
The other one is on the firewall air plenum near the driver side wiper pivot.
It doesn't take much to fill these, I needed a wire brush to expose them.


Alan

 

[polara66hardtop]

My 69' 340 Dart also has the two letters/numbers reversed on the radiator support. it is just the way Chrysler did it.

 

[68-300]

I haven't found a VIN Stamped anywhere on the car yet. Maybe becasue the owner of the car painted the frame with por-15?!
No VIN found in the Trunk either!?

In the Dutch car registration it is noted where the chassis/VIN is located "Plaats waar chassisnr is ingeslagen" or with newer type of registration "plaats identificatienummer" Most likely it will be on the frame rails in the passenger side front wheel well, the RDW stamped it in there in all cars I imported en registered.

 

[vdk2010]

I will check the registration later and use a translator to get an idea of where the VIN will be ;)

Thanks!