<VV> Re: New '69 Camaro body / old VIN? no Corvair

[airvair]

Thank you for giving me an answer to all those who've reacted harshly 
over the years to me doing exactly that with my '69 Corsa. I used a '69 
500 shell from the California desert, and put everything else off the 
original car (VIN'd drive train, interior, etc.) into the new "body 
part" including moving the VIN plate and restamping the secret serial 
numbers. Not like I'm going to hide that fact, but every so often 
somebody insists it is "still" a 500, etc.

So to all those naysayers, BITE ME!

BTW it also has a '66 Corsa VIN(#3955) in back, complete with rosette 
rivets, just for good measure. And a good laugh. (G)

-Mark C (owner of #3485, a '69 Corsa!)

Bill Elliott wrote:

>>Question for the guru's...I was going through
>>YearOne's site, looking for a couple things, and
>>happened upon the Camaro body parts page. In drooling
>>over all you can get for those cars, I noticed the new
>>'69 Camaro vert bodies that will soon be offered,
>>retail $11,999. 
>>They are from the firewall back, so you'd have to
>>weld on your old front subframe. My question is how
>>would you title the thing, when you have to do the big
>>no-no and move VINs from the donor lower W/S panel to
>>the repro unibody? Anyone know what the official
>>answer is? Could be a don't ask, don't tell? I know we
>>all discussed this before and in most states, you
>>really can't do it. Just curious if anyone knows how
>>Year One might suggest you deal with the problem,
>>since they are encouraging it! 
>>    
>>
>
>  
>
>
>Not certain how Year One is handling it, but new bodies are available for many of the cars I deal with.... 
>mostly British stuff. (Fancy a monoque fiberglass Mini Cooper shell? It's available!).
>
>Most European rules DO address this and consider the body a "repair part" (ditto for the frame/chassis) 
>and allow you to rebody a car while keeping the original identification... and it is very commonly done here 
>as well.  The European rules differ based on whether you use a new body or a used body and what 
>percentage of the "old car" content you use in the project. (Can't specifically recall, but it seems the 
>content requirement was lower for the new body... while using another "used" body had to take into 
>account the identity of the donor car.)
>
>I'll bet there's some obscure loophole in US law that allows for this as well.... or even if there is no 
>specific law allowing it, since it's a "customary" practice in the industry, I can't see anyone telling you that 
>you couldn't do it.
>
>(Kind of like your grandfather's hammer... you've replaced the handle 4 times and the head twice, but it's 
>still your "grandfather's hammer!)
>
>If not, I see only two possibilities...both nasty. One would be having a new VIN for a kitcar (where the 
>year of production for emissions issues would be based ont he year of the engine block) and the other 
>would be as a new production car....
>
>So go ahead and order it Mike! I'll even take a few of those pesky Corvair items off your hands to help 
>fund your new Camaro project!! (VBG)
>
>Bill Elliott