VIN - Cowl Code Mismatch

[cv2065]

Hello all!  I have been looking at a '68 Camaro for sale, and ran across a discrepancy between the VIN and the Cowl Code. The VIN is 124378N405834. The Cowl code is ST-68-12437 LOS24281. As you can see, the issue is the manufacture location, one stating Van Nuys, and the other stating Ohio. It has been confirmed by the title and the partial VIN in the vent that the VIN is correct. The color on the cowl code was the original color of the car as well.

What I can't understand is that there would be no reason to replace the cowl plate, as the VIN states the car is a V8, so no help there, and the original color was the same as the cowl plate. Is it possible for a car, maybe at the end of a production line of a closing plant, was sent to another plant for completion resulting in the contradicting codes? The only other thing is that maybe the original was lost in painting and a new one was put on, with ironically the same original color?

Is it frowned upon to get a new plate made with the correct manufacturing location?

Any thoughts to this issue, and would it keep you from buying the car from a later resell standpoint?

Thanks.

[JohnZ]

  Is it possible for a car, maybe at the end of a production line of a closing plant, was sent to another plant for completion resulting in the contradicting codes? The only other thing is that maybe the original was lost in painting and a new one was put on, with ironically the same original color?

Is it frowned upon to get a new plate made with the correct manufacturing location?

Any thoughts to this issue, and would it keep you from buying the car from a later resell standpoint?

Thanks.

The cowl tag has been swapped at some point; raw body shells didn't get shipped from Van Nuys to Norwood for completion, and Norwood didn't create cowl tags with "LOS" on them. That tag is from another car.

[william]

There is no way a Van Nuys tag would be installed on a car built at Norwood. The VIN indicates a late March production date. The tag appears to be early January. Although the VINs match, the hidden VINs are no secret and are known to have been altered.

As for the color matching, luck of the draw. Although there were 19 production colors they are not evenly distributed. 4 colors were 41% of production. Or not-some people have collected hundreds of them so it is a simple matter to supply the color needed.

I would be more concerned with what else may have been messed with. It's already had a tag swap. Keep looking.

[69Z28-RS]

you know..  it's possible that the only thing that happened was that the original cowl tag was *lost* during a paint job etc..  (Lots of people have removed the cowl tags and then regretted it later).. and if it was lost, it is also possible that an owner of the car, knowing less than the knowledgable camaro guys on THIS list, may have just found 'a tag', thinking he would fill the holes on the firewall/cowl... ??    Ie.   There may not be anything more sinister involved...?

[cv2065]

Thanks guys. Below is a pic of the cowl tag. Does it look like its been tampered with?

[bertfam]

Tag's real, but rivets are repops. And of course it doesn't belong on that car.

Ed

[cv2065]

Thanks for the clarification Ed. One other question. From a reselling perspective, on a $16-$18K car, as long as the VIN lines up, would this make a huge difference to most?

[bertfam]

Youi're asking the wrong guy! I'm a numbers freak so in my case, yes, it would make a HUGE difference. Others may not care.

Ed

[cv2065]

Well, I gave it one last shot and am going to walk away. Plenty of legitimate fish in the sea. Thanks again for your insight everyone, especially Ed. I'll be back!

[MO]

Wise decision.