I was under the impression that cars were supposed to die with the cowl tags they were born with still attached. Is this just a 'unique way' of getting around that? The contradicting info between 67 and 69 leads me to believe this is ongoing with an oversight to change all the ad details. The cowl is obviously 69, but isn't that a Chev cowl tag from a 69 El Camino (build plant Baltimore - not an Olds plant) being flogged as an Cutlass?
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/ws/eBayISAPI....#ht_500wt_1271

 

I dont see a thing wrong with that. LoL

 

I've had two cutlasses with body tags that did not match the vin. When titling the car the vin is what is most important. But I will add a disclaimer, I am not an expert.

And, to buy or sell a trim tag does sound like someone is up to something a little dishonest, to say the least. It's like they are intending to pass a car off as original when it is a tribute or clone. Just my opinion.

 

Ok I can't help myself with this... There is nothing wrong with adding an entire car around a cowl tag... Nothong wrong I say buyer beware

 

I don't know if selling or swapping body plates is illegal per se, but it is ethically questionable.

POCI allows altered data plates on high point show cars, ostensibly so the owner can change the color or interior to what he wants and not suffer a judging penalty, but I always suspected it was so the GTO crowd could take a low-line Tempest and turn it into a bonafide certified data plate matching numbers GTO. I might add that I walked away from POCI when they did that and never looked back.

The data plate in the ad is for a 1969 Chevelle Malibu 2-door hardtop. DK where they got it was for an Oldsmobile.

1= Chevrolet Division
36= Malibu
37= 2-door hardtop

Build date of 08A could be either a very early or very late build.

 

I had someone offer to buy the vin and body tags and a title That is not the same and it would give someone the ability to steal a car and make the car legally theirs. That is not good.

 

Data plates have no legal control. That is because they have no connection whatsoever with legal identification of the vehicle. You can put a Chevy tag on an Olds if you'd like, and go without one all together. And/or sell one. Misrepresentation for sale or gain *is* a legal matter, so if a tag swap is part of legal misrepresentation, then it is, of course a legal matter in that case.

And in exactly the same context, it is not illegal to re stamp numbers either (except VINs)

 

Fisher Body Unit #'s and VINs are two entirely separate numbers and will not match. However in 68 and half of 69 Lansing cowl tags for 442's were still showing Cutlass (336**LANXXXXXX ) instead of 344**LANXXXXXX if that is what you meant.

 

People will buy Titles with vins tags for rusted out or totaled cars in order to title a complete car they already have. Illegal! But it is done because it is easier than binding the car and going thru the local DMV. And it gets touchy when swapping cowls, or partial cowls in order to build a car. Heck. You can buy a brand new 57 chevy now-a-days. So is it a 57 chevy. Or is it a 2013.

 

now that's funny "selling as a collectors piece"

And yep its for a Chevy anyway, chances are that car was totaled.

 

Cowl tags are not regulated - VIN tags are a no no.

 

I think cowl tag manipulation (removal, restamping, selling, altering, etc.) is illegal in Oklahoma but, as of right now, they're the only state. Of course, as was stated, vin# manipulation is illegal in all states.

 

Many years ago I purchased a 1968 Cutlass 4 speed car that was highly optioned, but the data plate was missing. The seller told me he had swapped parts from this car with a 442 convertible he'd restored. I was still a newbie at the time and didn't realize the plate was missing until after I bought it. I suspect he put the data plate on his convertible to make it look like it came from the factory with the color or options that he'd changed/added. I don't agree with it but that's one reason I could see someone pulling a trim tag before scrapping out a car.



John