[Tygrr67]

So..... i have a question that i know is going to rile people up. But... here is my situation. I found a 68 GTO that had the VIN tag very rusty. You can't tell the number it was so bad because mice had made a nest on it. The dash is crap. The rest of the body is worthwhile. It has a clear title. I haven't run the numbers yet to see what it was... nor do i care to put money into it if it has a rusty VIN tag. Is there any place that i can send my rusty VIN tag to which would repop it? Any one have any other idea? I'll post a picture of the VIN tag and car later.

[68ragtop]

I would bead blast it & see if it doesn't clean up. You might be surprised. That sure is a weird place for a mouse nest, Seems they always try to get as far out of sight as possible.

[Half-Inch Stud]

Firewall tag too?

[Brewster]

It sounds pretty bad. Did you try Coke or any dipping solutions? They repop everything now days. Someone has to pipe in with a contact.

[dataway]

I'd use something like Evap-Rust on it, there has to be some evidence of what the numbers were if the tag is still there and in one piece enough to remove. I've re-zinc'd some radiator tags that were paper thin and they turned out usable.

VIN tag is going to be sketchy ... off hand I would think it's against the law to reproduce them. Most of the companies making the VIN tags are outside the US. I know if you want to jump through the necessary hoops you can probably go to your states State Police DMV inspection shop and they would probably verify the VIN if possible using stampings on other areas of the vehicle and then rivet a standard state issued VIN tag somewhere on the car ... but of course that would look bad.

If if you can salvage the old one, it will still be obvious it's been drilled, removed and reattached. So it would scare away any high dollar buyers I would think.

Tough call. I would think reproducing VINs in the US is a scary business to be in ... basically a person could just reproduce any VIN they wanted ... then things could get real complicated at the DMV office if it was already in use, stolen, etc.

[68ragtop]

Good thoughts. Take pictures before you do anything & at the very least look into it before removing it. My car had a dash fire, that turned into an interior roast before I bought it. My tag was rusty from siting in the rain with little paint & no windshield for several months afterwards. It looked bad where it was a little hard to see the digits. Once it was media blasted & in epoxy primer It was a night & day change. some careful sanding to fill the little rust pits & it looked like new. Post some picts if you can. could always hide the last few digits if you don't want your vin to be public. Maybe its worse than we are thinking?

Mine was only weeks unprotected where it sounds like yours sounds like possibly years. I had a seat that had generations of mouse houses in it. The sections of wire spring that passed through the mouse outhouse was rusted to the thickness of a pencil lead.

[dataway]

If I could get the VIN verified by the state police garage, then I'd feel much better about getting it reproduced if possible. At least you'd know it wasn't stolen or duplicated.

I'd imagine if a person had a legit title that can be matched to the frame stamping, and the engine stamping (if original), and a partially readable VIN tag, along with the data tag that the state authorities would issue a new VIN tag using the original VIN. Then I'd get a reproduction dash tag with no worries. But it's a pain, you'd have to get the vehicle to the state police garage.

I went to the NY state police inspection garage once to get a VIN for my home made 23' trailer ... while I was there they were taking apart a corvette.

[Tygrr67]

I guess I should clarify a few things...

1. I'm not sure it was a mouse nest, I assumed. Whatever critter made a home on the dash and it got rusty, very very rusty. The pix I post will speak for itself. There's holes through the tag currently and if I didn't have the title, you couldn't tell what the VIN was. If blasted and cleaned, it'll be worse. I'll try to get to the farm and take clear pictures.

2. The car has the data tag and title, no issues there. I only need transfer it into my name.

[dataway]

If possible I'd check the frame VIN to see if it matches everything else. Then let fly with the repro dash tag. Specially if it still has the original block with the VIN digits on it.

Seems like I heard the VIN is also stamped on the firewall somewhere. In the area of the heater/AC box.

[Tygrr67]

Whelp... here it is

[dataway]

Looks to me like it says it's a RAIV, convert, manual, posi, with tissue holder

Wow, yeah, you need a new one.

[68ragtop]

What's the rest of the car look like?

[bluejudge]

WOW you were not kidding. I would stay away from that one. Even if it is 100% legit if you go to resell it the person looking to buy it may not believe you.

[marxjunk]

be carefull...if you take that to a Missouri HP station to have it inspected, they will issue a DR tag..and pop rivet it to the cowl

DR is a dept of revenue VIN tag...and thats when the car is worth half..legit or not any DR tag that shows up just kills the car, every one will think its stolen and recovered etc...

l