ok here we go. my buddy had a 57 belair. bought in 1965. had all his life. was restored in 2006. painted ,body work and interior. sat in his garage until 2024. came down with parkinson’s after liver transplant. p***ed in 2020. well when the painter did body he removed Vin tags and plate. i know it’s a no no. but it is what it is. i talked to his son about it,where it might be. i thought it would be somewhere in his garage tool box , has not located it,i talk to Mary. , his widow. showed her pics, said i seen them in the house but cant remember where. so if not found what are our options?
https://www.ilsos.gov/departments/vehicles/faq.html I would tread carefully. This is a state and federal matter. While it is a national number, it falls under state authority since they issue ***les. Many will issue a state VIN plate after jumping thru the hoops, but that does affect value. If you say the wrong thing at any point, it shuts off many paths to get it resolved. If it's a junker out back (it's not), the consequences are bad. As a fully restored car with high value, they are much worse. Adding to that is the ***le in deceased name I would guess. To make sure this is handled in the best possible way, I'd at least get a couple initial consultations with legal experts in this. How to find someone who handles this is going to be a concern. I'd start with the local AAA. Ask about attorneys and ombudsman that handle vehicle stuff without going into any detail. Try to collect info, not give it out until the person is paid to represent your best interests and is well versed in how to get this resolved.
Aren’t the same numbers stamped on the frame somewhere that match the numbers on the ***le? Is the widows name on the ***le? Any of that would make it easier to transfer.
Yes, I ***umed that there might be a ***le issue too. That is a separate matter that usually is handled only with paperwork. This should be fairly straightforward. I believe it's laid out in the state website I referenced. The missing VIN is usually going to require car transport and inspection. But due to different state laws and procedures, this is where the traps are. If you have to deal with the latter, get advice for both if needed. I'd guess that the smart way to go is get the ***le in her name first, but this is just a guess. 40 years ago, the advise would be get a new tag, stamp it and rivet it on. Now, the authorities are much more concerned with such things and the value is much higher. No place to fudge things. You sure don't want to deal with someone impounding it even if it all works out later. https://www.collectorcarmarket.com/valuereport/prices/1957-chevrolet-bel_air-value.html https://www.speedtechracing.com/what-happens-if-your-vin-plate-is-damaged-or-missing/
Like mention IF widow name is not already on ***le along with the deceased husband , have widow ***le in her name, Should be easy with the death certificate. If this need's to be done Hopefully widow or Power of attorney Dose Not mention anything about plate removed / Missing !! Will cause issues most place's . Just get ***le in Oder then deal with Vin 2nd & later ,,
I don't know about your car community... but here there two women that are consistently able to get ***le/vin/ownership transfer situations straightened out... both are known in the community to be knowledgeable and effective, knowing the vehicle codes and the right people in authority to speak with about the situation and come up with legitimate solutions I would suggest to see if folks in your car community know of an individual(s) that fits the profile and not take a **** shoot at getting the right or wrong person at some counter somewhere that is a new hire trying to impress their boss by seizing all the paperwork along with the car Patience is the other part of the formula.... Turning everything over to one of them....it took her (us) 4 years to get me a state issued ***le in my name with the serial number ***igned by the vehicle manufacturer when it was ***embled She communicated with me throughout the process and in some instances I had to provide her additional information/do***entation with her ask... good luck
frame is stamped in 2 places on driver side, by the door and another towards the rear about a foot apart. Have to cut floor or take the body off to see them.
The risk is "altered vin" even if you found the tag and got the correct rivets to attach it back on. On the other hand There are outfits that will sell you a stamped with your number "decorative" vin tag for a 57 Chevy. If the car wasn't yet painted I'd go that way and paint right over the top of it just like the painter forgot to mask it. Then just s****e away enough paint to read the letters and numbers and not worry about perfection and fuss about the damed painter that painted over it if it ever gets a vin inspection. You might be able to find the serial/vin numbers on the frame with a mirror and flash light as I'd bet even money that a couple Washington State Patrol vehicle inspectors I know can find them.
If the ***le is still available, that would provide the number. It would also be a big help in the wife getting it transferred. Confirming the frame number matches the ***le before any official inspection would be smart, too. But again, get local qualified professional help.
Is this the car you got about a year ago and have put quite a bit of time and money into? Good luck man. Hope it all works out for you.
Has the widow found the ***le? If it were me and I had a loose VIN I would have paper clipped it to the ***le
What state was the car ***led in? The state in which the ***led was issued, is the state that has jurisdiction over the VIN issue. That is going to be the place the Vin number problem needs to be resolved. Each state has its own way of handling the issue. Locating the original VIN would be the best starting point, but you are still likely going to have to prove that VIN and the ***le you have belongs to that car. The person that was the executioner of your buddy's estate has the authority to transfer the ***le to the person stated in the will. I would fix the VIN problem first
yep i have the ***le signed over to me it has been sent off. i am trying to get to the vin number on frame. alot of undercoating illinois is the state maybe it will pop up in marys house.
If you can't read the stamping, hit it with a shot of white spray paint, then block sand it to reveal the numbers. If that fails cut a 3 sided slot in the floor above the number and peel it back for viewing/photo , then weld it up. Better than lifting the body off the frame. https://www.trifive.com/threads/frame-vin-number.70577/
When the ***le transfer goes through (and it probably will), Illinois says you own the car the ***le belongs to. If the IL ***le was transferred with in IL, there probably won't be an issue with the ***le, and there probably won't be a VIN search, IL is pretty good at honoring its own state issued ***les. You can order plates, screw them onto the car, buy insurance, and drive it around for years, without a problem. Right up until it gets into an accident, or you get pulled over for a ticket and the police starts looking for the VIN that is not there, not readable, not attached in the correct location, or is incorrectly attached in the correct location. Then you may have a major problem proving the ***le you have belongs to the car you are driving. Law enforcement can (and will) tear your car apart looking for the secondary VIN number. If the numbers they seek don't match up, you are into serious legal problems then. Its better to solve that problem before it becomes a problem. If you would have perused the Vin number issue before you transferred the ***le into your name, you probably could have gone with a bonded ***le deal, but I'm not sure you can go that way now that the ***le transfer process has begun.
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