Contemporary

[mrmustang]

Originally Posted by moore_rb

It's only a federal crime to forge (or misappropriate) a 17 digit, NHTSA coded VIN number.. and that 17 digit format did not become federal law until 1981, and component car companies have always been exempt from the law since it's inception... Which is why most component Cobras get a non-NHTSA compliant, state-issued number when they get registered.

The number stamped on this car, and is being called the "VIN" is an older Ford number format (this particular number came from a base 66 Mustang hardtop)

But, as long as the number on the car matches the number on the title document, most states are going to issue a transfer title without batting an eyelash...

the swap itself is indeed considered illegal, as it uses an "existing" VIN taken from another car. However, I have known a few early Cobra replica owners who used a 1960's style VIN, but it was a number sequence that was never actually produced by Ford (IE: a number after the end of official production), thereby making it "creative" but not illegal, as the number used never existed on an actual production car. Still a slippery slope, but technically not a Federal Offense


Bill S

PS: For Google searches in the future "Contemporary Classic 110" & "6F07T370386"

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by mrmustang

the swap itself is indeed considered illegal, as it uses an "existing" VIN taken from another car. However, I have known a few early Cobra replica owners who used a 1960's style VIN, but it was a number sequence that was never actually produced by Ford (IE: a number after the end of official production), thereby making it "creative" but not illegal, as the number used never existed on an actual production car. Still a slippery slope, but technically not a Federal Offense


Bill S

PS: For Google searches in the future "Contemporary Classic 110" & "6F07T370386"

I'm no lawyer, but if the owner's intent is to deceive or defraud a buyer or the DMV, whether to lower the fees & taxes paid at registration or to register/sell a Cobra under some false pretense, then being creative with the VIN still is illegal IMO.

However, taking an OEM tag from a '66 Mustang and riveting it on another car, component or not, is illegal.

[moore_rb]

Originally Posted by RodKnock

taking an OEM tag from a '66 Mustang and riveting it on another car, component or not, is illegal.

But that's not what is going on with this particular car.

Here is a 66 Mustang Number plate:



Click here to see the number for the car above, decoded:

vinwiz.com VIN Decoder

and, here is the number plate from this Contemporary Cobra:



Clearly not a 66 Mustang plate- Only the number format is similar (which could purely be 100% coincidence, as MrMustang stated above):

The "F" in this number could mean "Florida", not "Ford"... Who knows?

The Seller said that the number 6F07T370386 on this car matches the number listed on the Florida title document (which lists the car as a 66 Cobra). This means that transferring this title (in most normal states, but not Commie-fornia) would be as easy as walking into the Motor Vehicle office with the notarized Florida title, your driver's license, a proof of insurance card, and the 12 or so dollars that the title transfer is going to cost. You'd be in and out of there in 20 minutes with your license plate and registration...

and once you've got your license plate and registration, you can hit the road and DRIVE...