Questionable practice?

[451-74Charger]

Ok here goes.
I know its supposed to be illegal to remove a VIN (and i wouldnt want to break any laws...)
BUT..
if your restoring a car, replacing the dash with one from another car, and it has the VIN plate riveted to it,  how can you legally use the Dash from 1 car in another

after all the dash is a bolt on peice !!

choices a person could face are...

1) Fake it, as they owned both cars, have VINS and data plates from both and build the more desirable car (I know totally illegal and would result in jail time if caught)

2) Keep the original messed up dash

3) use the newer dash, and transfer VINS (keeping a record of what you did)

4) use the newer dash, keep the old, go to the police station and have them certify if possible the fact that you replaced the dash, but did not change the tag (is this even possible)?

5) just dont say a word and swap tham at midnight.

These are hyperthetical questions being asked after seeing several recent posts about Vin restoration etc.

[Mike DC]

 
Just don't say a word and swap them (the dash frames) at midnight.  As long as the same VIN ends up on the same unibody I wouldn't sweat it. 


You might wanna look into doing the job invisbly though.  (Use the correct factory rivets on the tag, etc.)

 

[Bandit72]

i'm getting ready to do this same thing, and i just plan on swapping them myself and using the correct rivets...rumor around here has it that the highway patrol will come out and do it for 50 bucks...but i'd rather not mess with there game of 20 questions as to why i'm swapping a VIN.

[Ghoste]

This is a case where I'd just drill out the rivets (CAREFULLY!!!) and then redo it into the better dash frame using the correct style rivets (again CAREFULLY!!!) and then just not worry about.  Kind of like a flirtatious comment to some hot young girl... your wife might get pissed if she knew but you haven't really done anything wrong either.

[2harleyriders]

I just saw the correct rivets on e-bay.  Is saw a word??

[Daytona R/T SE]

This is a case where I'd just drill out the rivets (CAREFULLY!!!) and then redo it into the better dash frame using the correct style rivets (again CAREFULLY!!!) and then just not worry about.  Kind of like a flirtatious comment to some hot young girl... your wife might get pissed if she knew but you haven't really done anything wrong either.

Don't drill out the rivets, Grind them off from the backside (Dash out of car) If you drill the rivets out, at some point the rivet will spin on the drill bit and create a tell-tale circle on the VIN tag, announcing to the whole world just what you've been up to....DAMHIK 

[Charger-Bodie]

This is a case where I'd just drill out the rivets (CAREFULLY!!!) and then redo it into the better dash frame using the correct style rivets (again CAREFULLY!!!) and then just not worry about.  Kind of like a flirtatious comment to some hot young girl... your wife might get pissed if she knew but you haven't really done anything wrong either.

Don't drill out the rivets, Grind them off from the backside (Dash out of car) If you drill the rivets out, at some point the rivet will spin on the drill bit and create a tell-tale circle on the VIN tag, announcing to the whole world just what you've been up to....DAMHIK 

100% !!

[Ghoste]

You are absolutely right and I stand corrected.

I stand by all the rest though.

[1968Coronet500]

The top of my dash was a mess when I was having the car restored and there was no way to sand and paint around the tag.  The body guy drilled them out with no problem and it looks perfect You have to go slow and causiously if your not removing the dash from the car.  I used tape around the tag in another car I had restored 5 years ago, it came ok, but I should have had the guy remove first.

[1969chargerrtse]

                                                                                                                            #5

[lilwendal]

Don't drill the rivits and dont buy new ones either.
Take a small dremel whiz wheel/ cut off wheel and cut a cross into the back of the rivit shank.  Squeeze your cut line together which will alllow you to  pop out the rivit.  Reinstall rivit with correct VIN. spread the cross back open and viola!

[Ghoste]

Yeah right, and then what happens when some oem judge at the Nats sticks his head up underneath the dash frame to check for correct date coded defrost vents or radio speakers or dash braces or some other fool thing that is needed for perfection and happens to see the hairline cut in the rivets?  Busted, that's what and then all your hopes for oem platinumship and the B-J auction gold are flushed right down the crapper.