VIN Surprise

Deuce Man

Deuce Man

Well-known member
I have had this old 32 Ford titled iny name since 1988. Many house cleanings and three moves have caused my to misplace the title. No big problem, I will just go down to the tag office and apply for a duplicate. Well after the young man at the desk typed in my information, there was a look of concern on his face. He punched a bunch of keys on his keyboard, made a couple of in house phone calls, and finally called Tallahassee. By now I am starting to get a little nervious. A few more hits on the keyboard and finally he starts to smile. "All done" he says. I ask, what was the problem? The young man told me, there are six 32 fords titled in the U.S. with the same VIN as mine. Only in America! Rich
 
Not good, what are you going to do?? Do not understand why/how they gave you a new title, thought this was how they located stolen vehicles? I have read several stories about how someone got a car back after someone tried to license car and found it had a PAST, returned to owner. The other 5 people might have a title but not the car.
 
With the state of these automated systems, who knows if any of the others are even valid, or old registrations that never got cleared out of the systems? They probably trust their system better, especially if the data that you provide them about how long you have owned the car, address, ID, etc checks out.
 
Vin. on a title is meaningless. The Vin on the vehicle is the one that counts. Believe it or not maybe even yours may have been altered prior to 1988 to match an existing title. Have you ever checked the Vin on the vehicle?
 
Strange things can and do happen. A year ago when I went to transfer the title of my 1945 1/2 ton and get current stickers for the plates, so I could drive it, the local DMV office said it was last licensed in the 80's, not so as it has been in the wife's family since 1955 and had been parked in a field since 1968 or 69 and not moved. It couldn't have moved as the motor was seized. I explained that to the DMV clerk, but he was not convinced that someone made a mistake. Oh well, it's in my name and I'm driving it, but it does make you wonder.
 
I know the history of my rig and title back to 67. I was just making a tongue in cheek commentary on the title manufacturing industry that exists today. Look in Hemmings, New York pre 73, pre title registrations are available, Bugus Alabama registrations/titles are being used. Too bad states dont make it easier for pieced together cars to be titled legally. Rich
 
American Stamping, Brookville, and others are busy stamping out clone car parts and they have to get numbers for them somewhere. I remember when Boyd Coddington and others got stung by the Feds for cloning AC Cobra cars. They had to pay dearly to get out of that mess. The same will likely happen on the other popular clone type cars.
 
People have done the same thing with airplanes. You may see a barnfind airplane 60 years old with 300 hrs on it that was just undergoing restoration. You can almost bet someone has gathered up a bunch of parts and bought paperwork from a airplane tore up on the farm 50 some years ago. LOL
 
DMV can make mistakes too. I sent in the title for a 1969 Mach I, a Q-code car which is the 428 CobraJet. Title came back with a Z for the fifth digit, a Boss 429 car.
Tempting to try the old switcheroo, but with Marti reports available out there anyone could find out it easn't a real Boss 429. So I showed them their mistake and they corrected it back to the original Q in the vin.
My only guess is someone had to manually type the vin and the Z and Q are both on the keyboard for your left pinkie finger.
 
Dealing with the DMV in California is like being in a different country, they can ruin your day in a heartbeat.
Gary.
 
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