Questions about my VIN tag.

[Aero426]

Sooooooo

In a nutshell is it a fair "assumption"that this was a 440 car with all these options and somehow the Vin plate actually came with a V instead of U from the factory ? From their a fender tag and Door vin were reproduced with the V instead of U ?

That is a logical and easy choice to make.

[charger_fan_4ever]

Its a kool car even if it was a U code.

Personally i would have kept the vin plate as it came from the factory and left the fender tag alone. Would have been kool just for the fact of the mix up on the Vin at the factory.

Probably still would have had a cloud over it as someone would say that couldn't have happened and accused of a fake VIN plate.

[fastmark]

Well, I can't believe it but I read this entire thread. It only took 4 days! Since I have a car with a mis-stamped vin tag, I'll put out my two cents worth. First off, I owned the car for several years before someone called my attention to the mistake. My vin starts out as RN23V0AXXXXX. My fender tag has RM, my title has RM. Unfortunately, my drivers door was replace before I got the car in 82 so I had to have Dave make me a door sticker. Yes I used the titled RM. I have the matching numbered complete engine and original matching tranny. MY buildsheet was loaded into the printer wrong so it left off the top two lines, which of coarse had the vin number on the top one. My car is also listed in the Superbird  serial number list by RM. Thankfully , my bird is one of the ones that got the core support stamped correctly and not left off. Of coarse it would not be to my advantage to have a fender tag and door sticker built with RN, but you see that it was easy to make a mistake and it go on undetected and out to the dealer. I wonder if the original title to this mystery Charger had the V or U in the vin number. My bird might raise some eyebrows to law enforcement if they ever noticed the mistake. By the way, the N in the second digit is the designation for a New York Taxi cab!

[TUFCAT]

It will be on display at Carlisle this year... 

[A383Wing]

the "N" & "M" are right next to each other on a keyboard as well

the "U" & "V" are not

[TUFCAT]

the "N" & "M" are right next to each other on a keyboard as well

the "U" & "V" are not

The "Typo error" is the most commonly accepted theory". The other theory is "programming error".  

Somehow the order passed all the system edits/checks early on, and a VIN was assigned to the VON at the plant's computer which gave a greenlight to build this vehicle, and generate all the necessary paperwork with unknown (at the time) VIN error.  

Then at some very early stage of the build, possibly with a partially assembled body-in-white, these combinations were determined to be "unbuildable" (since air conditioning was ordered) so a decision had to be made to keep the line moving.  The coding error was easily corrected by using the "air-conditioning ready" 440-4bbl and the vehicle continued it's journey to become an very nicely optioned air conditioned Charger R/T 440-automatic with cruise control -- except one thing, Chrysler didn't restamp a new VIN plate.

The broadcast sheet would have indicated the "new" engine sales code as soon as the error was noticed/changed because broadcast sheets were printed at various stations along the line, and the information had to be correct.  Once the vehicle reached the final line, it assumes its identity on the broadcast sheet  (door jamb MDH labels, EPA engine id labels, window sticker, et all) are printed and the vehicle leaves the plant.... in this case with an incorrect VIN plate... but "correct" according to its broadcast sheet.

By today's standards a vehicle VIN-digit error would never see daylight outside the plant without the proper corrections, but back then it wasn't considered necessary to re-stamp VIN Plates for a "seemingly minor" engine designation error.....of which we've seen many times in the mopar world. 

[resq302]

Should be interesting to see how the new owner is going to portray this vehicle out at Carlisle.   

[familymopar]

Should be interesting to see how the new owner is going to portray this vehicle out at Carlisle.   

Has anybody seen / heard any updates?  I know the video said they wanted it "ready" for Carlisle but that seems awfully quick for this project.

[TUFCAT]

It will likely be shown in its "as found" unfinished state unless there's a huge surprise planned. 

[resq302]

But which "as found, unfinished" state?  Its obvious that someone has started doing things to this vehicle which is evident back when by the paint on the inner fender as well as the fraudulent VIN decal in the door jamb?

[TUFCAT]

   The rumor mill says "partially completed". If that's the case, why bother?

[resq302]

Why not show it?  Its cool to see cars in all kinds of states of restoration.     A lot of people do not know what it takes to take a car from a rust bucket to something as nice as most cars are.  When I first started out with my car, my first car show I went to I had just the drivers seat in the car and nothing else for the interior but the dash, cluster, and the steering column.

I'm curious if this car will be in a special section or just out with the regular class?

[Dodge Don]

Not that it matters but I still do not believe this is a real V code car. I believe this was an error and was originally a U code car.

Not saying this is the answer but back in 1970 there were various data entry keyboard styles, including ones where the U and V were next to eachother. Today the keyboard format is universal butback then there were variants.



Just an example of alpha order style. Not sure what they used back then for commercial data entry.

[Ghoste]

Would it first be encoded as an IBM punch card?

[TUFCAT]

Hey guys, I found these pictures on the Chryslers at Carlisle Facebook page.  I'm not sure why its being displayed as an unfinished restoration. 

https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/carlislechrysler

[TUFCAT]

I'll post more tomorrow when I see it...

[bill440rt]

Is that being transported on an open car carrier?   

[resq302]

Thats what it looks like, Bill.   

[familymopar]

I will be curious to see if they use the compressor and bracket they found when the car is finished.

[Old Moparz]

 

[lukedukem]

 

me too

luke

[hemi-hampton]

It all looks suspicious to me Nice Resto job on that White Challenger   LEON.

[fy469rtse]

Still a very nice car, cool color and rt , looks like its getting the proper work done to it

[sdweatherman]

Holy cow. I read all 21 pages and I don't even own a Charger. What a wild story. Seems the cat is out of the bag on this car. Eager to see how it is displayed/portrayed at the show. If someone from this board sees it in person at the show, please take notes and report back to the rest of us!
Scott.

[70 Charger RT]

Here's an interesting VIN tag story.  Here's a picture of the factory original VIN tag for my 70 RT.  The sun cooked off the pentastar and black paint over a number of years.  The original door sticker indicates U and the original build sheet AND bill of sale indicate U (yes I have both).  But the dash indicated C.  Since when do you get a C (slant 6) mixed in with an XS (Charger RT) in the same tag?  Factory mistake is what I figure.  The car definitely is an RT as my older brother bought the car new in 1970.