Your worst 1st generation Camaro fears - realized

[nuch_ss396]

Hey everybody!

I just finished watching a segment of Chop-Cut-Rebuild on Speed.  The project of choice was the creation ( re-creation ) of a Z-10
using the Dyna-Corn ( spelling? ) body and all aftermarket sheet metal.  While this is nothing new, what the narrator of the show advised is what
took me by surprise.

They clearly stated that getting the body together is the first step.  Secondly, you must get the car registered for the road.  Their suggestion
was to re-body an old Camaro.   Is that not totally illegal?  I know we have talked before about attaching "certain pieces" of original sheet
metal to one of these bodies and that this might constitute a restoration vs. a re-body.  However, if the entire shell is new metal and you
simply ( actually, no so simple ) attach an original firewall and upper dash ( containing VIN & cowl tag ), does this still not constitute a re-body?
Now, to be totally clear, this show featured the use of a new firewall.  So, that only leaves them the illegal option to attach a VIN plate & cowl
tag to this body.  Oh yeah, they did mention checking with your states DMV first on this.  But, it was not emphasized!   The blunt suggestion
of doing a re-body really shocked me.

As has been discussed numerous times, you can not legally sell or affix a VIN plate to another car.  We all know it's been done before!  
Yes, eBay allows the selling of cowl tags for "collecting" purposes , but you can't sell VIN plates there or anywhere else for that matter.
Based on that premise, how then can you legally re-body one of these Dyna-Corn kits?

I still hold the position that those knowledgeable will be able to tell the Dyna-Corn bodies from originals.  My concern lies with the  less
than knowledgeable folks that seem to be flocking to eBay & Barrett-Jackson these days. 

What do you guys think about the shows suggestion of doing a re-body of the VIN & cowl tag?

Steve

[rich69rs]

If it isn't illegal it definitely is not ethical.

Ethics, though, is something you ususally don't learn - your either have them or you don't.  Sounds like the CCR camp doesn't.  I watch CCR from time to time, haven't seent this series though.  Thanks for the heads up.

One other suggestion would be for all of us to flood the show's e-mail and contact  web links with our opinions.

Richard

[lakeholme]

Basically, that makes it an improperly registered kit car, doesn't it?!?

We should protest, but they don't make it easy to email them!
Both the Speed website and the press releases for CCR do not give a direct email address.  You have to fill out a request form

[hotrod68]

These bastard car frames cannot be sold without licensed approval from the government to the manufacturer. Just as the old Allis-Chalmers "diamond" logo could not be legally reproduced until the license expired, so goes the 1-st Generation Camaro. My state (North Carolina) sets the parameters on registration, and a repro '69 Camaro would be subject to the "new title" law, just like a homebuilt fiberglass '32 highboy from a kit. One who would pirate a firewall tag from an original GM car to circumvent the registration process is clearly in violation of the law. The very name of the show "Chop-Cut-Rebuild" is a clue....duh. I defend their right of Free Speech and don't see what's that bad about reproducing a '69 Camaro, but that they would recommend sleazy ways of sidestepping registration laws is certainly unethical and just lowbrow no class.

[aaronz28]

what is differnt from changing the dash panel (where these cars often rust) when you have to remove the vin tag anyway?
vs chanhing the entire body...

currently. you can just about buy every new panel to replace on a first gen....

so while i do not agree that it is ethical...many people restor these cars where every single needs to be replaced anyway...is that not also considered a rebody?..new fenders.new quarters. new doors. new dash. etc...

if youve ever seen one of those bodies. youd want tofix your original...nothing lines up and you wind up having to do more fit work than it would take to hang new sheetmetal anyway. lol

[nuch_ss396]

A couple of comments here:

aaronz28 - I did just see one of these kits loosely assembled @ the GM Nationals in Carlisle.  The lack of quality fit really floored me.  For me, of most note was the
front grill mounting surfaces encompassing the header panel and the fenders.  The angles were all wrong!  Also, this assembled kit did not include the grill ( installed )
as I believe it would have clearly pointed out just how bad this flaw is.  From my initial observation, the fit between panels leaves a lot to be desired.  I also saw another
re-build show a few months ago and they built one of these kits as well.  Now, to be fair, they did a nice job in the end.  However, they beat on every panel to line them
up.  They also welded door skins to set the gaps to the fenders properly.  They also welded the decklid perimeter in a number of areas to adjust the fit.  I suspect they
did the same to the hood/fender fit.  All in all, a lot of extra expensive work.......

As to your comment regarding the bebody scenario, let me offer this.  Many years ago, when I restored my Camaro, the only original sheet metal pieces I kept
were the cowl section, the floorpan, the trunk & roof.  Everything else was new GM metal.  I will never consider this a rebody as the VIN & cowl tags never left
the cowl section.  Your point is well taken.  What exactly does constitute a rebody?  I still don't know.  I'd like to get many members to input on this debate.

aaronz28 - I'm in NC also.  I'm fairly new here, so I can't cite current DMV laws.  As I mentioned in the opening thread, the blatant suggestion of doing a rebody
( VIV & cowl tags ) is what really took me by surprise.  I would have thought they would skirt that whole issue on the show.  Rergardless of what state they build
this kit in, is not the affixing of a VIN tag to a body it was not originally attached to - illegal?

Steve

[aaronz28]

you hit the nail on the head with the new kits...
they fit is a joke and there is more wrong than right in my opinion...

as far as a rebody is concerned,  where is the line as to what is a rebody and what isn't a rebody?...
if all you have left by the time you replace each panel is the roof,  cowl, and firewall,... then you hardly have a body left.

and in most cases, these cars rot out right at the bottom of the winshield requiring a new dash anyway... I don't think anyone even second guesses when a vin plate has been re-installed on a new dash panel do they?

so if you replace each and every body panel, dash, including floorboards, fillers, etc. how is this not considered rebodying a car? only thing left would be the roof (unless we are talking convertible) and firewall, both of which could be replaced fairy easily if needed to be in a restoration.


Aaron

[firstgenaddict]

I would have to say that it would be intent. If you are trying to salvage every possible piece of an original car possible... whether it is all but the 1/4's or whether it is only the roof structure and A pillars... then you would not be doing anything unethical. However if you were trying to take the "easy" way by drilling out a few rivets and attaching them to a new body then you would be guilty of a rebody... anyone... Bueller... anyone... JMHO

[sdkar]

Morality aside, I don't believe that it would be illegal to attach a VIN to a new body.  You should look at the spirit of the law and not the technicality of it.  The law does not want re-VIN's to in order to prevent the theft and fraud of a stolen car and possible resale of it.  The law wants to avoid there being a victim (the guy whose car was taken and re-vin'd).  However, the rebody scenario described above includes a person legitimately buying a shell and taking a VIN from a car he owns and installing it.  There is NO victim.  Even if the VIN laws are violated, I would be surprised if 1.) a cop actually found out about this.  How would he?  2.)a cop, upon finding out, who would actually file a formal charge with the state attorney's office, and 3.) the state attorney actually moving forward with the charge and not dropping the charge (no file).  There are way too many actual vehicle thefts that most legal systems can barely deal with them let alone this victimless crime.  No harm no foul.  Putting together a dynacorn body without a donor VIN merely means you have to apply for a VIN from the motor vehicle in your state as you would a kit car. 

A good question would be if I built a dynacorn body and had not yet installed a VIN on it, would it be or at what point would this be grand theft auto or simply theft of property?  Hmmmm.

Just putting in my 2 cents.

[rich69rs]

Good point about the original intent of the VIN laws.  Probably time to update that legislation.  In my opinion there is absolutely no acceptable (or legal/ethical) reason to ever transfer a VIN # from one car to the other.  The VIN # plate should never leave the piece of sheet metal it was originally attached to.  I don't believe we can simply set the ethical issue aside.  The reason we have laws to govern our behavior in the first place is because too many people want to set aside "ethics".   If people weren't people, we wouln't need nearly so many laws to govern how we treat one another.

If the VIN # is transferred to a different car, somewhere down the line, if not today, then with a subsequent owner later, someone will get taken.  Nothing wrong with building a clone or a "crate Camaro", but if you are going to do so have the b _ _ _ s to publicly state what it is - no reason to stick on some other car's VIN #.  My suggestion would be to put the salvaged VIN plate in your memoribillia collection, don't put it on the car.

As an aside, earlier post mentioned another build of a crate Camaro on a different show.  One other show I've been watching where the same thing is happening is Muscle Car on Spike TV on Saturdays.  To date, I haven't heard this group talk about trying to use a previous VIN #.  I assume they plan on registering it (a convertible) as a new car.

[RamAirDave]

Ive never done it, nor have I read through the legislation, but I know a few salvage guys around here and VIN swaps CAN be legal.  Have to call out a state trooper to witness the swap and fill out the necessary paperwork.  I dont know what effect it has on the title.

That being said, most probaby do not do this.  If this legal route was taken, there would be paperwork attached to the car that said the VIN had been swapped, therefore leaving many questions about it.

It isnt uncommon when wrecked newer cars are "clipped", but when it pertains to collector cars in which originality and integrity is important, it opens up a lot of controversy, which will probably never have a "right" answer.  Just opinions and debate.

dave

[firstgenaddict]

I can remember back in the late 70's when guys would clip two car and weld them together... usually a total loss from the front and one from the rear.
It was not all that uncommon.

[aaronz28]

Rich,

what about when you have to replace the dash panel??  are you expecing to cut around the vin plate and section the rest of a new dash in place/?? this is neither probable or practicle.

anyone who has worked on more than 1 first gen has undoubtley seen the rot that grown under the bottom edge of the winshield.

in this instance, you are simply replacing the panel that the vin plate is rivited too...

playing devils advocate here...

if you only replace that single panel... is the car anymore valid than a car that has had every other panel replaced?

[rich69rs]

Aaron -

Thanks for the comment -

Replacing the dash panel would obvioulsy require removing the original VIN tag and installing it on the replaxcement dash panel - following whatever legal method is approved in the area where one resides.

My comment about the VIN tag never leaving the original sheet metal it was attached to is meant in the context that that VIN tag was, obviously, meant to only be installed on one body/car-as built by Fisher Body for Chevy .  I hope that we would all agree that for someone to claim a restoration of an original car by moving the VIN tag from a lost cause to a new build is nonsensical.  To remove the VIN tag from the original sheet metal (car body) it is attached to and attach it to a "crate Camaro" build - to me - even if legal, is not what I would consider appropriate - under any circumstances.   If for nor other reason, if that practice became more and more acceptable, then there will be consequences for the hobby which I don't believe that any of us really want to see.   

By all means, if one wants to build a 69 Camaro from all new pieces, go ahead if that's what blows wind up your skirt.  But at the same time, be respectful of others in the hobby - register the "69 Camaro" as a new car, with a new VIN, and advertise it for what it is.  As for the question as to where does one draw the line with regard to replacing panels and still state that one is working with an original car - very good question.  Maybe not so much a question of how many panels have been replaced, but more a question of are you still dealing with the original structure of the uni-body to which all of the sheet metal is attached.  No clear answer - but I'm confident that any of us, if presented with that decision, would "do the right thing".  In the final analysis, I believe that this is not that hard a decision to make.

[nuch_ss396]

Rich,

I wonder if there will be any financial beneifts for swapping VIN & cowl tags from an original Camaro vs. doing an initial registration on the Dynacorn body.
In other words, would insurance be cheaper on an "original" Camaro vs. a kit type car?  I don't know myself - just wondering.  That could be one of the
principal reasons people swap VIN's.  Well. other then the obvious attempts to make an RS/SS big block convertible from a pile of new sheet metal.  

What if someone buys one of these cars already built and then down the road they swap the VIN & cowl tags.  It might be harder to trace now because
the car has been on the road and has that "driven" look, etc..  In these scenarios, I always look to the darker side.  So lets say someone buys one of these
Dynacorn bodied cars thinking it is an original Camaro.  They later learn they got dupped and their only out is to put real VIN & cowl tags on the car and unload
it in an attempt to get their money back.  I can foresee a lot of ethical issues here.  Just look at all the COPO, ZL-1, and Yenko clones on eBay all the time.
If there was no way to trace the lineage of the real cars, you can bet that almost none of these fake cars would be sold a clones.

As I mentioned earlier in this thread, I think the fit on these bodies is crap.  They should be easier to spot.  Maybe we should all start to learn the differences
between original GM bodies and the Dynacorn reproduction.  Perhaps we could start a sticky thread here with known Dynacorn body irregularities.  I hate to
play the Camaro Police, but we have to protect the values of our real cars - don't we!

Steve