Frame VIN stampings

[Daniel_Mc]

How many locations are the VIN's stamped in the frame, or any identifying numbers? Also what locations?

Thanks in advance,

Daniel

[Blue Flame Restorations]

Daniel, there is one on the outside frame rail, just ahead of the battery tray. Almost under it.

[Daniel_Mc]

Brett,
That's what I thought... Nothing is on this car.

[ittlfly]

It's called a ''secondary '' vin and is used by law enforcment for vechicle theft ID. IF your second vin # is missing from it's "hidden'' location, I would be somewhat concerned. You might consider having it looked at by your state law enforcment unit that handles auto theft to see if they can locate an alternate location for the #.
I spent many years in law enforcment and I'm only saying the above as a suggestion to save yourself a ''little problem'' if you are stopped and there is a need to check the #. ''Crap happens""!

[Daniel_Mc]

The missing VIN just adds to the mystery of #1639. I spoke to several of the guys from Mercury involved with the Black Motor cars. Several of them seem to think this is a Morrison frame under this car and that the frame is made out of thinner material (several hundred pounds lighter). The lack of any VIN numbers and stampings seems to support this along with the red color under the blackout paint. This ZR-1 started life as a black on black ZR-1 and is now white on black along with this and all of the added welding, bracing, and other little things support that this could be a Morrison frame. The Black LT5 in this ZR-1 was originally thought to be a Baker motor but after speaking with some of the guys involved with the Black Widow cars they seem to think this is one of Tommy Morrison?s motors that Kim Baker got from Tommy and tweaked. Just to clarify this ZR-1 is not a Black Widow car it was done before those cars and not done at DRM.

Daniel

http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/5576/picture114rr.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/40/picture114rr.jpg/)

[ittlfly]

The fact that the frame is not an ''OEM frame'' is probably a good thing in this case. That said, I understand that it is a Federal Law that a repeat of the vin# be stamped in a specific place (year & model dependent) on the frame before the car is released into the market. I would think that any aftermarket frame mfg would be held to that Fed standard. I'll bet there is a secondary # stamped somewhere on your frame eventho it may not be in the ''required '' location''.

I still suggested you have the car looked at to assure yourself the car DOES have the second vin # on the frame......speaking for myself, I would not want to come up short in that area as ''an ounce of prevention.......'' might save you one big headache.

[FU]

Did you ever ask JVD about this car ?




.

[USAFPILOT]

Got pictures of the frame and where it is different? Sweet looking car with the GenII's.

[Blue Flame Restorations]

If you have documentation of the car being modified, the frame vin will be a mute point, as many race cars have no ID on them. You'd be amazed at how many cars do not have a vin# on them these days but are totally legal.

[Daniel_Mc]

Ittlfly,
I was told only a few of these frames were produced, maybe 10 or so and meant for the race cars only. I doubt that anyone ever thought of releasing the frames into the market. Dieline, from what I understand, is a frame company and produced the frames or certain parts of the Corvette frames for GM. I am not sure exactly what the finished product was that Dieline released to GM. This said if this was the case I doubt any Federal Law was taken into consideration since they were to be for untitled race cars and not mass produced. But then again some type of identifying marking had to have been made. I am going to continue to look for any stamping on the frame as I continue to disassemble the car probably just placed in a different location. I would like to have something because you are right, better safe than sorry. I have already had to go through getting a title since the car was sold on a bill of sale only since New Hampshire did not issue titles to vehicles over 15 years old?

FU2,
I email him once before I purchased the car and have not heard back from him. The only people I have spoken with are Greg Van Deventer, the Rippie?s, and another person from the Black Widow program who?s name escapes me at the moment.

USAFPILOT,
I am working on getting pictures together.

Brett,
I have some but not all I am still putting it all together and chasing leads.

Here is a picture I have that came with the car that has the ZR-1?s VIN hand written on the back of it:
http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/2962/occpb21016.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/689/occpb21016.jpg/)

[Blue Flame Restorations]

Based on the documentation and pics that you have, I would put it to bed. There are a lot of restored cars that are minus a vin stamping.

Whenever I replace a rusty frame during a restotation, I NEVER stamp a vin back on the frame. It's against the law to do so and I refuse to do the deed. I won't even cut out the numbers and weld the plate back into the new frame. Too big of a can of worms.

[ittlfly]

If you have documentation of the car being modified, the frame vin will be a mute point, as many race cars have no ID on them. You'd be amazed at how many cars do not have a vin# on them these days but are totally legal.

I feel that Blue Flame is correct on this. That said, and I will speak for Calif here, all that would happen (assuming all your documantion is in order) is that the auto theft officer would stamp a repeat of the vin # on your frame in the proper location. I have seen that done many times here in Calif but I can't speak for any other state. As long as the ''paper trail'' is in order you shouldn't have a problem.

[Daniel_Mc]

Well while doing some of the cleaning (I’m not even close to done) and the other little things that need to be done, I found some stampings under the heat shield on the driver’s side inside part of the frame. Looks like it was just stamped in an alternate location.

Daniel

[ittlfly]

Well while doing some of the cleaning (I?m not even close to done) and the other little things that need to be done, I found some stampings under the heat shield on the driver?s side inside part of the frame. Looks like it was just stamped in an alternate location.

Daniel

There ya go! It seems that your after market frame mfg. tried to do what is required. Is it a 'repeat' of the vin # that is on the metal vin plate as seen through the drivers side windshield?

[Daniel_Mc]

No, it is not the entire VIN. I am going to take my 89 apart and see what is on that car and compare it to what is stamped on this one. It is missing about half the letters/numbers.

Daniel

[Blue Flame Restorations]

If I remember correctly, only that last part of the vin is stamped onto the frames. Not the entire vin.

[richard sanderson]

If I remember correctly, only that last part of the vin is stamped onto the frames. Not the entire vin.

Yes, that is proving to be a real headache for me here in Spain. The bureaucrats here are demanding the full 14 digits as proof that the car is a genuine article. Any ideas how anyone else has solved this? How did any of the 25 or so ZR-1s get spanish registration?:confused:

[Blue Flame Restorations]

Yes, that is proving to be a real headache for me here in Spain. The bureaucrats here are demanding the full 14 digits as proof that the car is a genuine article. Any ideas how anyone else has solved this? How did any of the 25 or so ZR-1s get spanish registration?:confused:


I wonder how they can demand something that the manufacturer did not do in the first place?