[Bill Wells]

there is one other area where the serial may or may not be : the chassis number MAY also be stamped into the hood hinges. check either hood hinge plate where it is bolted to the hood. the number could also be stamped into the hinge plate there, perhaps filled with paint and hard to read, but still maybe visible. not sure this is 100% the case with all spf's , but worth a chance looksee. otherwise you have to remove one of the plates the prior owner installed to see what serial is underneath. do you have copies of the original purchase papers between orig owner and spf ? serial should be listed there too.

most SPF savvy shoppers will want to know what the SPF chassis number is, whether that is what the state accepts or not, as it tells them at what level certain SPF production 'running changes' were on the car at time of production. ie, early cars had different features/standard items than the newer cars. you say the car was first registered in 1997, then it is an earlier car...my 156 was built in 3Q 1996 but i have no idea what serial sequencing was built during 97 Cal Yr.

check with your state dmv to see what is kosher. it could be that the current 'whatever'serial is ok with them.

it could be he wasnt simply told 'to make one up', but clerly crafted one
that would resemble a Ford serial number from the 60's, ie, a 65 mustang
convertible serial would read "5R08C(or A, or K or ?) followed by 6 digits beginning at 100,001". that of course is deceptive and
is what some, not all, of the "title washing' co's have done. if so, this
could be a legal issue in Calif ( or maybe elsewhere), again, check with DMV
to ensure what is ok and what is not.

cars registered as 65's in most cases are worth more to some as used cars as
they can be registered in many states or metro areas as an antique vehicle ,
carry a lower cost insurance rating and are emissions exempt. something else
to consider if registered now as a 65 and ok with state dmv vs changing it
to something that might say it is a 1996-2004 serial car.

IF from Calif, make sure you have full understanding of how current
registration falls under SB100 and how a different serial (spf real one)
would be impacted. it might be easier to keep what ya got if it is is
already SB100 legal , unlike some that have been determined to NOT BE SB100
legal (calif folks, step in and help out here please).

good luck. Bill.