Re: VIN me, stamp me

How about a retired cop of 35 years service? In early days either the VIN or the SO number were stamped in hidden locations depending on the make. For Chrysler products, it was the SO number until 1969 in my best recollection. The member who talked about the booklet describing the locations of the numbers is correct in that every department who participates in NCIS receives the updated information. We all know to check the radiator support and the left trunk channel on our Mopars though, for the SO number before '69 and the VIN from then on. I'm not sure how far back that system goes, my '62 has the SO number in those locations. It has been a while since I got the IBM card and info from Chrysler Historical so I don't remember exactly what I had to supply, but they probably could supply that just with the SO number, year, and make if they will, if so the VIN will be on the IBM card.

In my days as a patrol officer, probably mid-80's I stopped a guy driving a Bronco with expired paper dealer plates. I explained that I needed to see his sales paperwork. He showed me a sales order from a dealer attached to a large junkyard chain which operated in several cities in north central Indiana. He said he was promised the title by mail but it hadn't arrived yet. So I said I just needed to check the VIN. I couldn't find the VIN where it should be. I explained that I would have to impound it until I could verify the VIN; as someone mentioned, it is a crime to have a vehicle in one's possession from which the VIN tag has been removed. After consulting the book, it was listed as being on the right hand frame rail behind the front suspension IIRC. I found the VIN and ran it and it was stolen. I called the local state police post and talked to their auto theft detective, since the dealership was several counties away, and he said they were already working on a case involving more than 100 vehicles like that which had come out of that dealership. What they were doing was, they would scout out a vehicle which matched a wrecked one they had in the salvage yard. Finding one, they would steal it. They then used the title from their wrecked one to sell the stolen vehicle through the dealership. They didn't bother to install the VIN tag onto the stolen vehicle. They simply had been tardy about sending my guy his title or there probably would not have been any issue until he tried to sell it down the road.

Bill & Kathi Parker, South Central Indiana, harboring of bunch of old and newer Mopars

On Mon, Mar 17, 2014 at 5:47 PM, Gary H. <62to65mopar@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Hi all,

I know this mail list had discussed this in the past. I can't find it in the archive, maybe someone has it saved and can share. Or knows.

Generally, a fellow with a 1965 Dodge is attempting to find out if the VIN for his car is stamped anywhere on the car. The painter lost the original VIN tag. In 1980 the Colorado State police told him that "the original serial number (VIN) could be reconstructed from the 2 stamped S.O. numbers on the upper radiator brace and the rear window shelf area. The numbers are both the same and match the S.O. number on the fender tag. He wants to get the original VIN for his Dodge.

I looked around the Web and Mr. Google returned the typical chorus of conflicting statements:
* VINs weren't stamped into the body until the late 1960s (1969, 1968). (Various sites)
* Not until 1971 claims http://www.hemmings.com/mus/stories/2006/08/01/hmn_feature21.html

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Gary H.

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