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VIN tag wanted

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bugedd

bugedd

Jedi Knight
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I have a roller than I want to build up, but it has no VIN plate. Anyone know of a tag, wrecked car, etc. out there that can be sold just for the VIN plate?
 
Edd,

Not only is that an unwise public request, it's also illegal (duh) and an invitation to lots trouble. If the car has a right hand door tag (BAE#), spring for a Heritage Certificate and apply for a title that way. It'll be cheaper in the long run, and you'll have peace of mind that no one will come knocking at your door one day, even if you were to pull it off.

For more information:

https://gerardsgarage.com/Garage/bmihtWS.htm

CA DMV will issue you a new title with a BMIHT Certificate, a bill of sale, and a signed off inspection by a CHP, local Police or on site at DMV. You can get inspection documents at DMV or the other official law enforcement agencies. It's pretty straight forward.
 
Gerard,

Illegal, **** I do that all the time :smile: Just kidding, but I know the legality is an issue. I just want to get this car on the road, and I didn't realized that with no VIN plate you could use the tag in the door. I'll have to look into that with DMV. Now what did I do with that bill of sale......
 
Gerard,

Illegal, heck I do that all the time :smile: Just kidding, but I know the legality is an issue. I just want to get this car on the road, and I didn't realized that with no VIN plate you could use the tag in the door. I'll have to look into that with DMV. Now what did I do with that bill of sale......
 
There's also a body number on top of the right-side footwell. (often hidden by paint) I think I recall someone telling me that they were able to get a Heritage Cert using that number alone.
 
At some point in my car's history it was re-titled using the engine number.:wink-new:
I have the heritage certificate and the engine number and VIN all match up and I have all the original tags.
Someday I may try to straighten it out ... but I will probably leave well enough alone.
 
As Steve stated, a number is stamped in the engine compartment, right near where the big bunch of wires go through the firewall. This number was believed to have been stamped by Thompson Pressed Steel Works. My Heritage Trust document does not have this number listed and I believe that it was not recorded anywhere (according to Horler anyway). The traceable numbers are the Car/Chassis # (on the tag located on top of left frame rail), engine # (top of the block at the front), and the Body # (right side door jamb tag BAE/#####). Good luck Edd! Scott in CA
 
BAE 30681 Any idea when the car was built by this?
 
The body number is generally pretty close to the VIN, but they were not necessarily sequential. Body number on my Sprite is BAE21386 (roughly 200 lower than the VIN), built 24-August-1959. Off hand I'd guess yours is late 1959/early 1960 build date, but that's just a guess without my books to hand. Only way to know for sure is to get the Heritage Certificate as mentioned above.
 
I did shoot them an email just now, and I have a buddy looking at the number stamped on the body/engine bay to see if that may help. Keeping fingers crossed.
I'm thinking with this roller to do a Mazda rotary turbo install, but I've only seen naturally aspirated rotary's in Sprites. Has anyone else seen the turbo motor from a 1995 or there about installed?
 
drooartz said:
The body number is generally pretty close to the VIN, but they were not necessarily sequential. Body number on my Sprite is BAE21386 (roughly 200 lower than the VIN), built 24-August-1959. Off hand I'd guess yours is late 1959/early 1960 build date, but that's just a guess without my books to hand. Only way to know for sure is to get the Heritage Certificate as mentioned above.
Click to expand...


BAE number generally ranges within 1000 digits of actual chassis number. Same with engine number. The body stamping number has no correlation.
 
It is interesting to note that "data plate restorations" are fairly commonplace in the aviation world, particularly among warbirds. A wrecked / crashed aircraft's identity will be given to what is basically a new-build version of the plane, but so long as they have the magic data plate, it automatically becomes a 70 year old plane.
 
bugedd said:
I did shoot them an email just now,
Click to expand...

If you mean you e-mailed the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust to get VIN information, I doubt they will respond with what you want. You need to purchase a Heritage Certificate and wait a month for it.
 
I am unfamiliar with the aviation world, but I do know that switching VIN tags violates federal law for cars....can you get away with it....probably...as the government is shut down now.....but you could be caught. I would say to Edd that to proceed with caution.....and try your alternatives first....The CA DMV will recognize the Heritage Trust paperwork......If you have information from them, they will honor what it says.......I recently had an TR6 which was had registration paperwork indicating it was a '72......but it was really a '70.....the Heritage trust paperwork was all I needed to register it as a '70 car.....good luck....Scott in CA
 
Thanks Scott, we will see what happens when the Brits wake up and respond to my email :smile:
 
Trevor Jessie said:
At some point in my car's history it was re-titled using the engine number.:wink-new:
I have the heritage certificate and the engine number and VIN all match up and I have all the original tags.
Someday I may try to straighten it out ... but I will probably leave well enough alone.
Click to expand...

I have this same problem. It's even worse now that I have a 1275 in it that doesn't match the title. I tried to get it changed at the DMV and even though they looked at the car when it still had the original 948 in it, they would not change it. I guess I need to get the Heritage Cert. just to have one more document. I keep the original engine tag with the car.
 
sqbsprite said:
I have this same problem. It's even worse now that I have a 1275 in it that doesn't match the title. I tried to get it changed at the DMV and even though they looked at the car when it still had the original 948 in it, they would not change it. I guess I need to get the Heritage Cert. just to have one more document. I keep the original engine tag with the car.
Click to expand...

Changing a cars VIN is a very different story than just getting a new title issued using a Heritage Certificate. You might be able to get it done, but it will likely very difficult to get changed, if at all.
 
The Brits have a way of doing this when they purchase a new body shell they can transfer the rest of the car and license it legally.
New Spridget (and MGB and Mini) shells are available over there, Heritage body shells.

https://www.bmh-ltd.com/bodyshells2.htm
 
Gerard said:
Edd,

Not only is that an unwise public request, it's also illegal (duh) and an invitation to lots trouble.
Click to expand...


X2, that's exactly what went through my mind when I saw the thread title. I strongly suggest you have Bas change the thread title to something less problematic.
 
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