[loafing1]

Ok, this is probably a stupid questions and shows I'm an idiot (well probably) but how do people have what appear as authentic looking VIN plates on a glass car sitting on a aftermarket frame? I have a real '30 Ford Coupe, and I have nothing against reproductions. But I'm always curious how they are titled and registered as an original ('32's are good examples as most have nothing original) and even more so when they have VIN plates on them. The attached is a pic from the firewall on a glass '32 on ebay.

[Centerline]

Those plates are reproductions and you can find them almost anywhere. E-bay for example. I have one as well and when I get a vin # for mine I'll have it engraved in the blank pad and stick it on the car somewhere.

Now, if the vin number that's on that plate is a legit number and the car is registered under that number one of two things happened. Either the owner purchased an "historical document" and passed it off as the title/registration for his glass car (which is fraud by the way), or he started with an original car that was way too far gone to restore and (assuming he legally owned the original) used the vin and title along with other original parts to register his glass car. Just because the frame looks new doesn't mean it isn't original and might actually belong to that vin number. One sure fire way to know is to check the frame for the vin number as it is stamped into the top of the frame on the driver's side near the spot where the firewall connects to the frame. Trust me there are a lot of cars out there with original frames that look brand new and some have glass bodies and some are Henry steel. It can be really hard to tell if the builder knew what he was doing.

Centerline
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[loafing1]

Thanks. So is the only way to legally register and title a reproduction vehicle as an original year model to have a certain amount of original parts on it? Or are all states different and some allow an original model year title and paperwork on a reproduction or they just don't really check or care?

[OneMoreTime]

Here in Washington they are titled as a reproduction car but one is allowed to carry over the existing title on a car that has been rebuilt from the ground up..

Sam