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+--- Thread: what would you do? vin fraud! (/showthread.php?tid=3480)
what would you do? vin fraud! - lgreeley83 - 03-28-2012
(First attemp at a poll)
Some may know i just noticed some vin number discrepencies with my car. It turns out the vin has been changed. A worry of mine was it stolen and in good heart do i notify authorities. I looked up the original vin and no theft reported. I am happy with that. I really like my car and didnt want to give it back. I however know i would want my car back if it were stolen.
If you relized you car had vin fraud and a stolen car would you return it or keep it your dirty secret?
RE: what would you do? vin fraud! - willbhere4u - 03-28-2012
Talk to the place where you bought it from maybe they just gave you the wrong title?
RE: what would you do? vin fraud! - JustPassinThru - 03-28-2012
There is a third and preferable choice: tell the police and ask their advice. At least, that's what *I* would do.
However, I live way out in the sticks where the "police" are county sheriff's deputies, three of whom, plus a retired sheriff, live within a mile of me, and all four of with whom ("whom with"? --must study grammar) I am on a first-name basis.
If I lived in *Chicago*, corruption capital of the known universe, I think I would just keep my mouth shut. As long as the title matches either the firewall or the A pillar VIN.
RE: what would you do? vin fraud! - Simpler=Better - 03-28-2012
(03-28-2012, 10:39 AM)willbhere4u Talk to the place where you bought it from maybe they just gave you the wrong title?
Yup
RE: what would you do? vin fraud! - serverman777 - 03-28-2012
I would chop up my car into so many different little pieces you couldn't tell it was a car. Then build a rocket ship (om606 powered) and send those pieces into space and let the space police deal with it.
RE: what would you do? vin fraud! - lgreeley83 - 03-28-2012
Title vin matches "tampered" vin on windshield and door post. None match firewall. Car is already plated in association with tampered vin.
(03-28-2012, 11:25 AM)Simpler=Better(03-28-2012, 10:39 AM)willbhere4u Talk to the place where you bought it from maybe they just gave you the wrong title?
Yup
(03-28-2012, 10:57 AM)JustPassinThru *Chicago*, corruption capital of the known universe, I think I would just keep my mouth shut. As long as the title matches either the firewall or the A pillar VIN.
This is me
Btw i.ran all vins and none came up stolen
RE: what would you do? vin fraud! - willbhere4u - 03-28-2012
It was probably two salvaged cars one with a clear title and one with out so they put the good vin/title with the nicer of the two cars I would weld up the Vin on the body and re stamp the correct number on! think of it as a panel replacement! The body panel just happen to be the unibody
RE: what would you do? vin fraud! - JustPassinThru - 03-28-2012
(03-28-2012, 11:29 AM)lgreeley83 Title vin matches "tampered" vin on windshield and door post. None match firewall. Car is already plated in association with tampered vin...
I wouldn't fumble with the unibody. But then, I am not an expert welder.
But...well, *I of course am not recommending you do anything illegal,* but, one way that a practical Han Solo living under the iron bootheel of a Galactic Empire might deal with this surprise discrepancy, so as to (as ol' Ben Kenobi would say) "avoid Imperial entanglements," would be to scout the yards for a '79-'80 wagon. Some have *much* more heater plumbing on the firewall (under the hood). Pull it.
Then utilize your imagination to create a plumber's wet dream from where the heater-hose, monovalve, and/or vent individual-side-control valve (depending on whether the car has manual or auto climate control) are attached to the firewall.
Not your fault if the extra plumbing necessary to heat the straight vegetable oil which, let us say, the previous owner was running it on, and which you are hoping to someday yourself run it on, what with the high price of diesel nowadays, obscures the firewall VIN...
In fact, this hypothesis might explain why your interior cabin HVAC control is eff'ed up.
A previous owner may have been utilizing this strategy (much plumbing, which happened to just incidentally be visually obscurative of the firewall VIN) to heat veggie oil as fuel and, just before selling it on, tried to put back as much of the non-obscurative heater stuff as he had the patience and parts to.
Does that sound reasonable to the assembled multitude? ("So this is how democracy dies...to thunderous applause..." --Queen Padme Amidala)
RE: what would you do? vin fraud! - JB3 - 03-28-2012
If it came up as stolen, you probably would have to report it, but the situation sounds very much like Will said, someone made one good old car out of two bad old cars and did it sloppy.
In that circumstance, id just make sure all the vin plates match what you registered, remove the ones that don't.
I almost did this the other day swapping dashes on my vw, almost left the donor vin on the new dash
RE: what would you do? vin fraud! - sassparilla_kid - 03-28-2012
Well I think if none of the vins came up as being stolen, then you're probably good. Just don't sell the car or give law enforcement agencies any reason to inspect it and pretend you never knew about it lol
Also, if they did come back as being stolen I would report it (after removing every mod I ever did to the car of course). If the car ended up needing to be returned to the real owners, I would do so, and then after investigating I would go collect from whoever was responsible
RE: what would you do? vin fraud! - lgreeley83 - 03-28-2012
I just got the title in the mail today. I drive a 240d (to them)
Anybody want to buy a 240d with 617.952 and 4 speed manual? 5000$ little bondo and it's a diesel they go forever!
Thats a joke, an ode to some of the folks selling messed up 300d's around the chicago area.
I would return if it had come up stolen...not just because it's the right thing to do but as I said earlier, if mine were stolen I would want it back. My plan has always been to learn about the car with this one and later use as a parts car for a rust free body I find sometime in the future.
"much like Will said, someone made one good old car out of two bad old cars and did it sloppy."
They rivited the plate on the door frame nicely, the windshield one was a little crooked.
RE: what would you do? vin fraud! - JustPassinThru - 03-28-2012
(03-28-2012, 01:00 PM)lgreeley83 I just got the title in the mail today. I drive a 240d (to them)
Anybody want to buy a 240d with 617.952 and 4 speed manual? 5000$ little bondo and it's a diesel they go forever!
Thats a joke, an ode to some of the folks selling messed up 300d's around the chicago area...
It is not difficult to remove the vinyl molding which covers the interior left-side A pillar. An easy pry job. Just find a strip lot car to practice on once first (and bust it) so that, when it comes to *your* car, you'll know which way (and exactly where) to pry it
You might want to find the 240D trunk badging and put that on. Just in case you ever decide to drive to Canada.
I have to laugh every time I see an ad for, like you say, "a 300D --these cars run forever" on Craigslist. Especially when they say something like "only 250,000 miles--these engines go a million miles, it's just getting broken in."
Around 200,000 miles is, of course, the point at which you'd better consider replacing the timing chain. Not a trivial job.
Which is why I shopped around a bit first. I paid $2500 for mine (typical is $800-1500). Engine was overhauled by a local MB dealer "only" 130,000 miles ago. Runs like a sewing machine.