Reward for my VIN, fender tag, and title

[familymopar]

Several years ago, I got a call from a Texas DPS trooper. He asked me a simple question. Did I know a certain fellow and what did I think of him. I told him just what I thought of the guy. He is a crook. He is known for taking race cars that have been cut up or modified and swapping the vins and all the other necessary numbers and such to a virgin body and representing them as a nicely restored original car. He had offered me a 69 GTX  convert  that had been reported stolen for the insurance claim so the vin was swapped to a Satellite convert, so it could be sold. He offered me an original 68 hemi dart that had been swapped and sold as a virgin car, as well. At that time, this guy was trying to buy my 65 hemi Coronet and he told me that he already had a virgin body waiting to accept my vin tag. I refused to sell him the car for that very reason. My car was only modified slightly in the rear wheel housing and was easily fixed. This guy is just a crook, plain and simple. I told the trooper that I only sold one car to this guy and would never do business with him again because of what I learned about him. Only after I told him this did he tell me that he was an investigator looking for a 68 Hemi Dart that had been stolen by this guy! He was in the auto theft division of the Texas DPS and that he was gathering evidence for a " Come to Jesus" meeting with this guy and that I had helped a bunch. He asked me if I knew who bought the Hemi Dart body and I did not. If I had bought that body and said "no", I would have been in trouble as well. If I had bought the body, then I would have had to surrender that body.

This story is not here say. And that is how the state of Texas views taking the vin tags off of cars and swapping them around. Someone, however far down the line, has committed fraud for profit. I'm not sure what the statue of limitations is on such things, but I'm sure some innocent parties will get hurt if the feds really want to investigate this thing. Re-bodies happen all the time, but in this case, they left the evidence intact that could cook their goose. Glad it's not my goose!

I fear this sort of thing is not super uncommon.  Texas DPS undoubtedly takes all these shenanigans very, very seriously.  I don't know that OP is in Texas, but if he were this would likely get resolved with some gusto.  That being said, when the dust settles and the bad guys are out of the picture and you have different "innocents" with a claim to the car, the title wins in Texas, and I would think just about everywhere.  I think it is likely that the guy who is the last innocent named title holder will have a right to the car.  Could be quite a mess getting there though.  If no innocent title holder exists it is possible that the car would escheat to the state.

[Davtona]

We do care but his comment means no one would really focus on those cars versus a J code

I know, I follow but you have a much better choice of wording.

[Nwcharger]

I remember a 68 hemi charger shell on eBay last year that was missing the vin and fender tags. Looked green but could have been black. Wonder if its the same car.

[Homerr]

We usually take people here at there word, and typars is probably legit.  Given some experiences in the past (such as Syreal_70) I'd just like to throw out there that we only know typars at this point by his 9 posts.

It's a long shot, but what if he's shopping for a Hemi VIN for his own 318 rebody project?  I'm just throwing this out there so we don't end up looking like fools and we consider this, and typars knows we consider this.

I don't know how to legitimize him other than the old take a pic with a "Hi DC.com" sign with his Charger.  Even then, how is it proven on a '68 that it's a real Hemi body?  Weren't '68's different from later body stamps?

[68X426]

we only know typars at this point by his 9 posts.

9 posts, and no camera.  

I think it reasonable to give him 7 days to find a camera.  Before his credibility or agenda are questioned.  And brutalized.

People do get sick, have family issues arise, have work crises, so it's ok to me if he doesn't revisit until next weekend.  Of course the FBI is on this case so we can be patient.  Maybe the expert will arrive with a "more to the story" story.

[tan top]

I remember a 68 hemi charger shell on eBay last year that was missing the vin and fender tags. Looked green but could have been black. Wonder if its the same car.

   
yes I remember that too !! , or one like it !!   story went ! it had been stolen years before  !!   fender & vin tags were missing , & there was a 383 or a 440 under the hood now  , still had the numbers stamped on the body though ! , it was a mess .
   there was a thread on it here , with pictures !  was trying to locate it earlier , along with that gutted out 68  hemi charger race car I mentioned in my previous post in page 2 of this thread .













   

[Ghoste]

At the end of the day, the tags and title should never have been sold in an envelope, this is why I hate rebodies, typars will have a hard time forcing the tags to be reunited with the car short of buying them in whatever fashion they exist, this is why I hate rebodies, there is a lot more to this story I think (not know-just think), this is why I hate rebodies, I hope the truth comes out and this is why I hate rebodies.

[Dreamcar]

My thoughts based on what i've seen so far:

1- The VIN should have never been removed in the first place, regardless of the cars condition or purpose.

2- As of today, the OP does not legally own that car. He has that car's old body or panels.

3- Only if the OP can prove fraud who he be entitled to getting the VIN back. He may open a can of worms too and have to give the body back to the title holder.

All of the above has been said by others, but just my two cents.

[Old Moparz]

My thoughts based on what i've seen so far:

1- The VIN should have never been removed in the first place, regardless of the cars condition or purpose.

2- As of today, the OP does not legally own that car. He has that car's old body or panels.

3- Only if the OP can prove fraud who he be entitled to getting the VIN back. He may open a can of worms too and have to give the body back to the title holder.

All of the above has been said by others, but just my two cents.

This is pretty much how I see it too. In some states you can't even junk a car without a VIN tag or papers that prove ownership like a title or transferable registration.

On the DMV website in New York it states.....
http://dmv.ny.gov/registration/transfer-ownership-and-acceptable-proofs-ownership#Cars

Model year 1972 or older
The acceptable proof of ownership is either

    ** a NYS Transferable Registration
    ** acceptable proof of ownership from any other state (1)

To transfer ownership
    ** the owner can use the transferable registration and a bill of sale to transfer ownership to another person
    ** make sure the registration document is marked "transferable" on the front
    ** the seller whose name appears on the transferable registration must sign the back of the transferable registration

(1) Different states issue different documents for ownership and transfer of older vehicles. To make sure that an out-of-state document is the acceptable proof of ownership, contact the DMV in the state that issued the document.

[Troy]

What a bunch of jerks! I wouldn't bother to post any more information either. The OP doesn't need to prove anything to anybody. He came here asking for help - not an analysis of his intentions. Apparently no one posting here knows anything about the car or the tags - but that doesn't mean that someone who does won't see it and actually try to help privately.

Troy

[charge69]

Yes Troy, the jerk-o-meter is maxed out here by the usual suspects. Absolutely no help but plenty of accusations to go around! 

By the way ........ no help here either!  That's why I haven't posted before now !   Really funny to see all the accusations and theories fly around here if he WAS lucky enough to find what he was looking for.

I, for one, really hope his search is successful and things can be worked out in his favor!

[familymopar]

Well, I can only speak for myself here, but I was certainly not trying to be a jerk.  If any of my comments were taken that way then I apologize to typars right here and now.  I hope that he/she does come back.

I do not think typars did anything wrong and hope that I did not insinuate otherwise.  But I do think typars may have been wronged, and that worries me.  If typars has the shell of a rare car that he/she is thinking of building up, and now has found that someone else holds the title to the car, I certainly think typars should try to resolve that situation before dumping a lot of money into this project.

I too wish typars all the luck in the world and hope that the car and the title/vin are reunited.

[Old Moparz]

Some have made assumptions & have posted like jerks, but typars' first post clearly states his/hers intentions. They want the VIN & fender tags along with the title "given to them" that they do not own. That bothers people.  

[Ghoste]

My posts have also put me in the jerk camp but really my beef lies with the guy who sold the tags off and the guy who (ASSUMING he did so) put them on a car.  Those were my points and if I had a car in a situation similar to typars I'd want them too regardless of the engine.

[tan top]

I remember a 68 hemi charger shell on eBay last year that was missing the vin and fender tags. Looked green but could have been black. Wonder if its the same car.

   
yes I remember that too !! , or one like it !!   story went ! it had been stolen years before  !!   fender & vin tags were missing , & there was a 383 or a 440 under the hood now  , still had the numbers stamped on the body though ! , it was a mess .
   there was a thread on it here , with pictures !  was trying to locate it earlier , along with that gutted out 68  hemi charger race car I mentioned in my previous post in page 2 of this thread .

  is this the one your thinking of ( NWC)  ??    in the links below  !
it is the one of 68s  im thinking about in my above post ?  

http://rustingmusclecars.com/dodge/1968-charger-hemi

http://collectorcarpricetracker.com/auctions/detail/330889860044/

the pictures are the same ones  , that were posted on here , in the thread about that car .

still not been able to find the gutted out 68 J code , drag car  ,  yet  

** also been having a quick search around on the net ,  for black & gold & black on black ,  68 , J codes  , four speeds ,  that have been sold or forsale  , or   been featured  or pictures of  etc , not found anything as of yet ,  anything I find will post here  
 

[Dreamcar]

I don't see people as being jerks, I see them (including me) as being apprehensive before jumping on the "help me" side, and probably will be until some questions are answered. That doesn't mean though that the OP does not deserve some help, it's just that more info is needed. On a Charger forum, especially with a HEMI car, people are going to raise questions if the story isn't perfectly clear to start with.

But think about it (most of this has been mentioned already):

1- The tag/vin/plate went missing years ago...why would the OP need them back only now if he's had the car for so long? How long has he known about the sale of the VIN?
2- We've only seen the body number...as many have mentioned, can we see the car in its current state?
3- The FBI is envolved...really? Couldn't they find a registered VIN over their lunch break and have this resolved very quickly?
4- So you find the title holder...now what do you do to get everything back? Any legal fees will cost way more than $1000.00. What makes you so sure you'd win a legal battle and not lose the body?
5- It's a HEMI car...shouldn't the title, VIN, and plate be worth more than $1000.00?
6- Is the current title holder the person that bought the title and tag without a car? Those numbers could have been applied to a car which was then registered, and that car sold numerous time since.
7- If the body numbers are missing on the "clone" that could also mean it was repaired.


I want to believe the OP, and like many Charger owners he's probably a very nice guy. There's just still too many unsanwered questions and like others, I'd love to here more from the OP and see an original HEMI car reunited with it's VIN and trim tag. 

[Mytur Binsdirti]

What a bunch of jerks!

I just started reading this thread today & was thinking the same thing myself. Obviously, more people here should follow my example instead of being a bunch of Richard Craniums.

I know many here have this very same thought but are too timid to say it themselves. This had to be said by someone, so it might as well have been by me.    

[moparnation74]

Some have made assumptions & have posted like jerks, but typars' first post clearly states his/hers intentions. They want the VIN & fender tags along with the title "given to them" that they do not own. That bothers people.  

[TUFCAT]

I don't see people as being jerks, I see them (including me) as being apprehensive before jumping on the "help me" side, and probably will be until some questions are answered. That doesn't mean though that the OP does not deserve some help, it's just that more info is needed. On a Charger forum, especially with a HEMI car, people are going to raise questions if the story isn't perfectly clear to start with.

I want to believe the OP, and like many Charger owners he's probably a very nice guy. There's just still too many unsanwered questions and like others, I'd love to here more from the OP and see an original HEMI car reunited with it's VIN and trim tag.  

This dude's in a bad spot that none of us would ever want to be in - -  so I hope no offense was taken.

I do want to say that ones curiosity kicks in on threads like these. Its like unraveling a mystery, and the reader gets sucked in fairly quick.  Some guys put their Sherlock Holmes hat and pipe on and started playing detective, then a few judgments were made.

I think the nature of the OP's posts led us to a natural abyss of wonder. Since there wasn't much info provided to us, that's usually an on ramp to the road of speculation.  

We like stories that don't require us to fill in the blanks, and a few pictures now and then.  Sorry if we offended you.  

...and welcome to the site!  

[Scaregrabber]

I don't think TYPARS is in a bad way. It sounds like he bought a hulk really cheap as a parts car with no title. Now he's trying to make something from nothing. I guess if he paid $30k for a Hemi body WITH a title, that would be different.
However it also sounds like there may be a Hemi Charger out there that didn't come from Mopar as one. That is dead wrong.
Anyway I don't see him buying what he wants for $1k to make his $500 hulk into a $100k car and that's exactly what he's trying to do.

Sheldon

[Nwcharger]

I remember a 68 hemi charger shell on eBay last year that was missing the vin and fender tags. Looked green but could have been black. Wonder if its the same car.

   
yes I remember that too !! , or one like it !!   story went ! it had been stolen years before  !!   fender & vin tags were missing , & there was a 383 or a 440 under the hood now  , still had the numbers stamped on the body though ! , it was a mess .
   there was a thread on it here , with pictures !  was trying to locate it earlier , along with that gutted out 68  hemi charger race car I mentioned in my previous post in page 2 of this thread .

  is this the one your thinking of ( NWC)  ??    in the links below  !
it is the one of 68s  im thinking about in my above post ?  

http://rustingmusclecars.com/dodge/1968-charger-hemi

http://collectorcarpricetracker.com/auctions/detail/330889860044/

the pictures are the same ones  , that were posted on here , in the thread about that car .

still not been able to find the gutted out 68 J code , drag car  ,  yet  

** also been having a quick search around on the net ,  for black & gold & black on black ,  68 , J codes  , four speeds ,  that have been sold or forsale  , or   been featured  or pictures of  etc , not found anything as of yet ,  anything I find will post here  
 

Yea that's the one I was talking a about.    I thought about buying it when I seen it for sale but told myself I have way too many cars already and don't need another.

[UFO]

I knew I had seen that vin pic that the OP posted.
Took some time to go thru a bunch of disc's but here's the rest of the pics.

[tan top]

I knew I had seen that vin pic that the OP posted.
Took some time to go thru a bunch of disc's but here's the rest of the pics.

wow ! you found it !!        good detective work !!    


 yeah that's one ,   gutted out drag car I was thinking off , !  although don't remember the gold paint though   , sure there was a picture of the underside , showing a torque box too

[familymopar]

That's more car than I was expecting honestly.  I'd want the title/vin too!

[Challenger340]

I've seen worse fixed, still viable,....  but darn near a re-body as better alternative ?
I'll keep an eye out here in western canada, you never know.