VIN help needed.....

[Car Guy]

To make a long story short I bought a van from someone and he gave me the wrong title, now I can't locate him. The van itself is an `87 but the title says `88 or the other way around, both with different VIN's (the make and model are the same). I've had the van for three years now and need to start driving it, finally :rolleyes: . However, I can't take the chance of getting pulled over in it just to find out it was used in a bank robbery or something of that nature.....

I need to see what the history is on both the title and the van itself, but not the carfax type of history. I need to see if the VIN(s) are clean, stolen, with a lien, etc. The title I have is a WI title but the van has a dealer tag from Kentucky so I don't know what to expect.....

If anybody has any input on the best way to go about this I would appreciate it…!!!





:3gears::3gears::3gears:

[Windsors 03 Cobra]

Whew, good luck I would like to recommend that you just use the title you have but if you do get pulled over and the vin's don't match your screwed, as you already stated:). Take the vin plate out maybe and rip the jamb tag off ?
Do cops even check a old worthless vehicles vin against the registrations vin if you are white, aren't half drunk or half high, have valid registration and have a drivers license ?

Dunno man, good luck, and then you gotta then acquire a replacement title for the vans vin, well I guess forgery is pretty easy. :D

Alot of the older beater trucks I have dealt with have so much dust covering the dash mounted vin that you couldn't read it or clean it off if you wanted too.

[Car Guy]

Holy RED Batman...!!! :wooo

I don't want to screw with the VIN plates/tags/sticker because that would be a dead giveaway if anything.....

I'm thinking that if both the van itself and the VIN on the title I have are clean/clear I should be OK with the defense of ===> "I don't know why the VIN's don't match officer...???" Should I decide to go that route.....

If I was to go to the local police station would they run VIN's for me...??? First things first and I need to find out what the deal is with them.....








:3gears::3gears::3gears:

[Windsors 03 Cobra]

You can call the DMV in Madison and they will tell you if the title is clear, stolen, has a lien, is salvage, Etc, Etc.

[Windsors 03 Cobra]

Nice use of a post icon by the way, really sets your post apart. :thumbsup

[Car Guy]

Nice use of a post icon by the way, really sets your post apart. :thumbsup

Are you talking about my burnout buddies.....:D

So is that what you're trying to do with the M U L T I C O L O R posts...???







:3gears::3gears::3gears:

[Russ Jerome]

The van is an `87 but the title says `88 (or the other way around) but the rest of the info matches as far as make and model.



Its mathamaticaly impossible to have two matching vins (complete
all 17 characters) less the model year letter/number. 8th character
read from left to right of the 17 digit vin:

J – 1988

K – 1989

I would put money down that when the title was changed at some
point the issuer or apllication someone transpossed the year. Its an
ez thing to clear up at the DMV after the 1.5 hr wait in line.........

[Windsors 03 Cobra]

Thats too bad the guy flew the coop, he had a bunch of vans tho ?
What kind is it ? What engine does it have :rolf

[Reverend Cooper]

or make up a bill on the vehicle with the correct vin,go put a batter and a crw in it,start a mechanics lein and they will send you the corrected title. this is a longer process,and if russ is right that would be easiest and faster. but if it comes back stolen you might get screwed

[Slow Joe]

Its mathamaticaly impossible to have two matching vins (complete
all 17 characters) less the model year letter/number. 8th character
read from left to right of the 17 digit vin:

J – 1988

K – 1989

I would put money down that when the title was changed at some
point the issuer or apllication someone transpossed the year. Its an
ez thing to clear up at the DMV after the 1.5 hr wait in line.........

It's actually the 10th Character... :thumbsup

[Russ Jerome]

It's actually the 10th Character... :thumbsup

You are right! As a mechanic (or faking it) the 8th is the first
thing you look at....stuck in my head.

[WickedSix]

comes back clean........ and you know who the last owner is ..... bill of sale and trace over his signature from the title you got.......

but like has been pointed out if the vin matches on the title but the year is off someone screwed up along the way.... I have an 84 K30 with an 83 K30 title.....

[Car Guy]

Its mathamaticaly impossible to have two matching vins (complete
all 17 characters) less the model year letter/number. 8th character
read from left to right of the 17 digit vin:

J – 1988

K – 1989

I would put money down that when the title was changed at some
point the issuer or apllication someone transpossed the year. Its an
ez thing to clear up at the DMV after the 1.5 hr wait in line.........

I agree with you 100%, because I forgot to add one important detail (sorry). The VIN's are also different between the van itself and the WI title that I have.....



Thats too bad the guy flew the coop, he had a bunch of vans tho ?
What kind is it ? What engine does it have :rolf

It's a `88 (or `87) Chevy 1/2 ton van with a twin turbo LS2 drive train transplant.....:shades



or make up a bill on the vehicle with the correct vin,go put a batter and a crw in it,start a mechanics lein and they will send you the corrected title. this is a longer process,and if russ is right that would be easiest and faster. but if it comes back stolen you might get screwed

I would do that but I'm not 'technically' a mechanic.....







:3gears::3gears::3gears:

[Russ Jerome]

Another footnote since you added that info.

During a normal traffic stop or to verify the vehicle, people who work
on vehicles or pull you over are only looking at the last six digits.
Those are the sequential portion of numbers that actualy ID your
vehicle. Nobody in there right mind actualy reads letter per letter
all 17 characters.....maybe a rookie who knows no better and even
then a single digit especialy a model year off is'nt gonna throw a flag.

Now if your Ford vehicle lets say started out with a big letter "J" (japan)
you may get some flack. You get pulled over in your 1989 Daytona
that says "Turbo" on the hood I highly doubt anybody is gonna say
"Hey your 8th of the vin should be a "A" not a "K".

[Car Guy]

That is something I haven't thought of yet, I'll have to see how the two VIN's match up....






:3gears::3gears::3gears: