What should I do?? selling stock A frame

I'm taking my stock model A chasis to the parts swap tomorrow and I was unsure weather or not to grind the "vin" off of it. I am keeping the ***le with the body, so whoever buys it won't be able to use the "vin". I was just unsure if people would shy away, if I ground it off, because they might think it was stolen?? I tried the shearch funtion but came up empty. Any advise would be appreciated

 

Don't sell with the number.

 

Are you using that number to put a car on the road?

I'd keep the frame, or part it out and just sell the crossmembers and front horns then.

 

I'd think long and hard ,before grinding numbers off your frame. First it makes your frame worthless,it also makes your ***le worthless. There are no body numbers on your body. It's also not cool to try to transfer the old numbers to a new frame, I doubt you would like to deal with your state DMV and there wrath. If you have a matching number frame and ***le either use it or sell it with the ***le. There no short cuts that are legal.
Just my 2 cents worth. .......Jack

 

Yea I'm using that number on my car. I want to go with 32 rails, instead of the stock A frame.

 

i would keep the frame ,at least until you ***le the car in your name.once you have the ***le sell the frame with the numbers removed and just explain to the buyer why.

 

Yea this is what I was thinking. I already have the ***le in my name so the next step would be to remove the numbers off the frame sell it and then use the cash to get the new frame..

 

How do you plan on putting those numbers on your 32 frame?

 

From what i understand the Az mvd will issue you new "vin" tags to rivet onto the new frame.

 

yup get a ***le first some states require a cop to verify the numbers , when you sell it cut the numbers out with a die grinder

 

Maybe you'd better go find out what they do before you either sell, or ruin the frame.

 

And if you are building a 32 frame you should keep the cross members anyways.

 

if i was you,this is exactly what i MIGHT do(keep in mind i am not you and would never alter any vin numbers in anyway),,i would take a cut offwheel,cut out the frame number section(save it in case you need it*wink wink*),weld in another same thickness metal in its place,grind down welds, then sell it.

no way would i sell a frame with vin numbers i am planning on using.

 

Keep the frame ... don't grind the numbers off it, and don't sell it. That frame matches your VIN, so I say keep it indefinitely. If the DMV Gestapo ever want proof that the VIN matches the body and frame, you will be able to produce both parts (body AND frame) with unaltered, factory stamped numbers that match your paperwork. There are too many laws around now regarding this issue (vary from state to state). Even though using an aftermarket '32 frame might work for you at this point in time, it might be an issue down the road if your state demands inspections of some sort or when you decide to sell and the buyer is from another state.

Coat it with Rustoleum and keep it.

There are way WAY too many people having issues right now with frames that don't have numbers or frames that don't match ... you are in an enviable position in that you have a true numbers matching frame ... KEEP IT.

 

You can't legally use those numbers on your body or frame, they must stay with the right frame. Grind them off the A frame and you just screwed yourself and anyone who could of used the frame and it's numbers. You need to re ***le and have a new vin ***igned to your now special constriction car. If you listen to all the posts telling you the wrong way, soon you will be back on here crying the blues. When you sell the car and the next owner ends up with a junk ***le, it can come back and bite real hard even 3 owners later.

 

Amen!!! X2

 

The only reason I would buy an A frame with the numbers ground off (pretty sure doing that is a felony) is for the crossmembers. So as stated, keep it, or sell the crossmembers and keep the rails. But don't count on the fact that you have rails with a number on them as proof of anything to law enforcement or motor vehicle depts. Not that all the above has not been done.

 

I agree with Badshifter ... using a '32 frame and stamping your own numbers does not make it legal, and cutting out the original VIN from the A and welding it into a '32 frame does not make it legal. Your A frame was stamped from the factory with the numbers that match your ***le ...now that IS legal. Even if you don't use the A frame right now, you just might need it in the future.

At the very least, keep the rails and use or sell the crossmembers, but I would suggest you keep the frame intact. For the small amount of money a Model A frame would get, it (to me) just isn't worth selling.

 

if u sell the frame then its a race to see who can register that number first. the winner gets a ***le.

 

How much do you reasonably expect to get from the sale? Put it in the back of your garage and keep it.

 

Did you ever think of selling the ***le with the frame and getting a new ***le from the state?

 

A lot of great advise here about keeping the ***le and frame together. Don't be the one to post the DMV/Cops screwed me because...............

 

You've just gotten some great advice. Do not sell that frame. The small amount a Model A frame is worth is not worth the Royal PITA that might await you down the road. Stash that thing away and sleep well at night.

 

Funny stuff...Hopefully you just cut out the numbers from the frame and just keep them...weld them into your new frame but you will have a model a registration.

 

One drawback to a Model A frame is that the body covers up the VIN, most states DMV's want to inspect a complete car, not just the bare frame. You might have to stamp the vin on the frame where it is visible anyway. I did that and got it verified in CA.

 

Both of these practices are felonies. Not only do you risk our hobby (and my profession) by getting caught doing this if you do, it would just serve to drag a spotlight and magnifying gl*** over all of us. Why give the powers-that-be any more reason to examine all of us.

Just follow the law.

 

How many lawyers have answered on this post? Just curious since the term felony keeps getting dropped.

 

Numbers on a '32 frame start with AB, B or 18. Try to explain one that starts with A. There is a saying "Oh what wicked webs we weave when we first try to deceive (or something like that)". It only gets worse as the story grows.

Charlie Stephens

 

Ain't hard to google that question> is VIN tampering a felony?
1364 Altering or Removing Motor Vehicle Identification Numbers
Section 511(a) of ***le 18 makes it a felony knowingly to remove, obliterate, tamper with, or alter an identification number for a road motor vehicle or a road motor vehicle part.

I'm no lawyer but the law says felony.

 

For what you'll get for the frame I'd hang on to it . I'm building a hot rod using the cab and some parts from a 47 Ford PU. I've build my own frame and I plan to use the original VIN number to register it as a street rod. I plan to cut the vin number out of the old frame and weld it into the new one, then hang on to the old frame for a while before s****ping it.
I think Maine is a bit more relaxed with registration laws. To register anything as a street rod all I have to do is to fill out a form that I sign stating the VIN number, and that the vehicle meets certain requrements to allow it to be registered as a street rod. Maine does not require ***le for vehicles over 15 years old, so all you need is the signed form, a bill of sale and proof of insurance. As long as the VIN number isn't already in use on a registered vehicle and that it doesn't come up as stolen , no one will even check ( except your friendly inspection station ) it.

The other thing Maine will do is to issue a new VIN number for a built hot rod. You have to keep close track of all the parts that go into the vehicle. They want to know that nothing is stolen.