Tips for avoiding dodgy cars

[cletus]

Heres a few tips to avoid or identify a car that has had its ID tampered with. In my line of work, they are quite common, this relates mostly to later model stuff that has the chassis number stamped into the firewall. Some are done poorly and are obvious, some are tricky to spot.

 

1. Biggest giveaway is a firewall thats been painted in the area around the chassis number, when the outer panels or engine bay hasnt been painted. Cars dont often rust around the chassis number so dont often need painting around there.

2. The chassis number should look clear without sanding marks or evidence of primer or filler buildup in the digits.

3. VIN tags that are bent or crinkled up from being removed, they are riveted and stuck on so usually get damaged when they are removed.

4. Non original rivets holding tags on- eg nissans have a plastic clip thing to hold the tag on

5. The etched in vin number on the back window should match the vin number on the car- look for stickers covering it or if its been ground or sanded off

6. Check the year on the seatbelts matches the year on the rego

7. Check the car features match what it should be- ie a car I saw the other day said it was a 96 but had the facelift lights and twin airbags that were not fitted on 96 models

8. If the stamped chassis number looks like its been fiddled with, you can usually get behind it via the cowl panel, check for weld marks, also check the thickness- i have seen ones where the 'new' chassis number was stuck straight over the top. giving it a good push with your thumb will sometimes crack the filler holding it on.

 

 

One of these things might not mean anything, e.g if the car has had the rear window swapped out of another car the vin number wont match. But if theres more than one thing, start getting suspicious.......

 

Older cars that only have a plate riveted on are harder to pick, plus are more likely to have been painted at some stage. Make sure the car matches what it says it is, ie if says its a VK commodore but it doesnt have the little c pillar window........

 

heres one that hasnt been fiddled with, note the faint red stripe over it from factory

 

and one that has been

 

this one was glued in, cracked when I pushed on it......

 

 

here you can see different rivets, and where the old ones were.

 

 

hiding that with the alarm siren wont work.

 

 

tags cut off belts to remove date

 

'new' chassis number stuck over the top of the original

 

hard to see, but there was a weld visible from behind

 

and the etching on the window sanded off