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Title transfer and Level one Inspection with a body tag as a VIN?
Hey All,
Sorry I haven't post'd anything in awhile. Life issues. I hope you all can help me with this issue I have been having.
I had to get a Level one inspection to transfer the title from OK to AZ. I have learned that the tag under the hood is a "body Tag" (left front fender), but was told by a "TRAINED" ADOT inspector that it is a VIN and body tags do not exist?
Either way she...yes she said that she has been trained and knows where the VINS are on a 1970 cutlass and that I have two VINs. One has 14 Digits and the one on the dash is a 13 digits. But they are both VINS and Body Tags/ Trim Tags/ Cowl Tags do not exist. Now I have to pay more money to have a COP show up and inspect my car. I'm getting a head ache.
I have learned that from 1965 to 1980 there are 13 digit VINs and in 1981 they started using 17 digits. Is this correct or have I lost my mind?
What to do and how can I make it known that the level one inspector who was "trained" that she is wrong and people should stay away?
Sounds like someone is pissed at you for some reason.
In June of 2016 I transferred a Texas title to Arizona (Tucson) for my 1969 442 and I didn't have to go thru any of that crap, no one ever ask to inspect my car at all.I don't have my VIN with me right now to count the numbers for you.
If you can you may want to go to a different DMV office.
Good Luck
you just got an idiot..they are out there..they are well trained, and take their job serious..so serious they wont listen to reason...
just talk to the cop..be polite and maybe they will go back and give her some more training...street beat cops are usually much smarter than college grad, well trained civil servants...just sayin'
I've been through this before, several times. I will never go to a DMV in the city limits ever again. My advise to you is try a different location. These so called trained professionals have way to much pride to ever admit they are wrong. I went one time to register a car that didn't have a title, 1971 Monti Carlo. In NY State titles didn't come out until 1974 so every car pre 74 is on a transferable registration.That would serve as owner transfer paperwork. DMV made a mistake and issued a non transferable registration. When I tried to explain this to the agent she told me I didn't know what I was talking about and required paperwork that was in no way shape or form correct. My hands tied, I went back with everything she asked for and a different agent told me the papers were useless and invalid all I needed to do was request a transferable registration.
I can go on and on about these type of stories. Bottom line, a different office will have a different agent with a different attitude and knowledge. Good luck with your quest.
The only part of that information you got that is correct is the fact that for 1965-1980, VINs are 13 characters and starting with 1981 they are 17 characters. The rest of is is just pegging the meter. A simple look at a factory Chassis Service manual will prove the rest of it to be wrong.
This is a cowl tag. It has no relation to the VIN of your 1970 car. It was installed by Fisher Body Works when the body shell was built, and is located on the upper cowl on the drivers side, just to the side of the wiper.
This is an example of a VIN tag. It is located inside the car on the lower front of the drivers side dash and was installed by the final assembly line when the car was completed and shipped to the dealer. Substitute the 1 in the year check digit and you have a 1970 VIN
If the car is original, it will also have the VIN derivative stamped on the engine block, transmission and frame. I seriously doubt that they will inspect those areas looking for originality.
Good luck.. She was trained, As soon as she said that I'd have asked for her manager/boss and waited.. even if it took all day for the boss to show.. Let him/her try to say the same thing, and when they don't , advise that this "trained" inspector should not be inspection any vehicles until such time that she understands her training..
I'm evil. I'd have also recorded on my cell phone the whole ordeal and went with it to her boss, and then youtube..
I have zero tolerance for those that claim "highly trained" and are clueless.. unless when shown they are wrong, Acknoledge their mistake.. Some will Some won't..
A google search on your phone while at the inspection station would've cleared it up.. or at least gave more ammo to show her boss if she still thinks the body tag is the vin..
God help the poor soul that brings in a vehicle with the vin tag on the door or pillar
Last edited by midnightleadfoot; Jul 20, 2017 at 10:32 PM.
God help the poor soul that brings in a vehicle with the vin tag on the door or pillar
At least those are still riveted. Imagine the hell that would break loose if you showed up with a 1950s Ford pickup that had the VIN tag screwed to the glove box door!
That's crazy. I know every state is different when it comes to registering a vehicle. Luckily, when I bought my truck in MO recently I was able to go to a local bank and get a notary to complete title transfer paperwork for me. It required a call to an OK DMV on a Saturday morning!
Her boss is her Mom and she was there when she did the inspection. Its a whole group of ID10T's.
I'm sure even mom has a boss.. This needs to be addressed even now after the fact..
They need to be retrained , and/or removed from that inspection station..
You know the phase, when good men do nothing...
You need to be the guy that goes to their boss..
Yep, you can have a third party perform a Level 1 inspection. We had an AZ Olds Club member who had this kind of business. Unfortunatly, he passed away a few years ago so I don't have any referral info for you.
Conducted at MVD and Authorized Third Party offices, or by designated law enforcement officers. Level I inspections are for out-of-state vehicles without proof of title and/or registration, and for bonded titles. This is required only for certain vehicles. Most vehicles are successfully inspected and verified at this level. There is no fee for a Level I inspection conducted at an MVD office; however, third party providers may charge a fee.
"You have a paid employee from the state that's trained to find these hidden numbers and they can't find the hidden numbers," Caperon said. "But when it gets down to the impound lot where the police officers impounded it, they were able to find the number within 15 minutes."
So yeah, for the inspection go with a cop or third party.
Don't trust the gub'mint.
"You have a paid employee from the state that's trained to find these hidden numbers and they can't find the hidden numbers," Caperon said. "But when it gets down to the impound lot where the police officers impounded it, they were able to find the number within 15 minutes."
So yeah, for the inspection go with a cop or third party.
Don't trust the gub'mint.
The Ba@#s of the other guy to sue for the parts. The way that whole story went it wouldn't surprise me if they did an insurance job on the car then pulled one over again. What decent person wouldn't sell the car to the guy after all the money he had put into it?
As for the DMV agent, if you were to make a mistake like that in the private sector you would be drawn and quartered, but the gov't, hey it's not their fault they are incompetent.
Government employee incompetents is universal. After Dad passed away, he willed me his hotrod. We both built it. I go to register the car in my name. I obviously have no signed transfer form. I show her a copy of the will and my dad's insurance registration. I walked out of the office with the car registered in my name. No actually asked me to prove he had died. Like a death certificate as required by law. I could have found these document in a drawer and basically "stole" the car.
