Obscured Vehicle Identification Number Vin Problem

[SkyQuake 70 1 Cars]

Dear All,

 

My VIN has been obscured by some patches of rust, which have blotted out several characters of the number. Obviously, I want to remove and treat this rust as best possible (before my respray) and stop it getting any worse. However, I can't just strip/grind the rust away without it looking like I have deliberately tampered with the VIN.

 

 

What are my options here? Will I have to take it to a main dealer and have a repair properly recorded? I don't even know if it's a requirement to have that number on the vehicle, as the identity plate clearly shows the same number.

 

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

Mike

[jeremy 70]

Personaly I would just take some photos of before during and after. I once had to confirm my vin plate for the DVLA so just did a crayon rubbing of the underside as the top looked slightly worse than yours obscuring a few charaters.

[Miles 331 1 Cars]

Some rust away completely so unless selling a mint low mileage 1 owner car I'd not worry too much

[dave205 19]

Mines far worse on my dimma shell and i was going to ask the same question. I'll put a pic up in project thread if i remember.

[welshpug 1,657]

I'd bet many rally cars don't have that legible

[dave205 19]

Seems like an ideal opurtunity to do an identity crises?!

[Baz 421]

Quite a few don't exist anymore...

[SkyQuake 70 1 Cars]

Dear All,

 

Many thanks for your responses. So are we saying that there are no 'legal' pitfalls I am likely to cause for myself if I simply grind back the rust and treat it?

 

It occurred to me that I could possiblty fill in the gaps with body filler, and mark the dotted lettering back into in (with the dremel or something), but I think this may require a great deal of artistic flare (that I simply don't have!)

 

I just want to check that I am not going to back myself into a legal corner by trying to sort this out!

 

Cheers,

 

Mike

[welshpug 1,657]

As long as you have the plate thats all you need, you can let in fresh metal if you want.

[richystran 7 3 Cars]

I have a 1.9 which you can't read at all, it's totally rusted so someone hammered the number onto the strut top! I don't have a tax book for the car and don't know the legality of it etc there is no metal plate even! I was thinking of just giving it a new Id as I have a short number plated 205 which will never be back in the road, ill just stick the alloy plate with bonding and take a chance! Has anyone ever done that? Ill not be sellin it btw!

[Baz 421]

I think that's a stupid question, if you're going to do it, that's up to you, don't post it on a public forum.

[Batfink 201]

Seems stupid to do something illegal when its utterly pointless and of no benefit.

Edited November 13, 2012 by Batfink

[richystran 7 3 Cars]

Not a good idea then, it was just a thought.

[speno 239 2 Cars]

How many mini's have been re-shelled that way just go on ebay and click the first one or infact mk1 escorts

[SkyQuake 70 1 Cars]

Dear All,

 

Many thanks for your comments. I have now cleaned up the rust, treated it, and touched in the one hole very carefully with a blob of filler. All this was kinda a waste of time anyway, as as soon as I sprayed it with primer the number was all but covered anyway!

 

Cheers,

 

Mike

[Leet205 48]

That number can probably still be read from the underside. A small mirror and a torch or some blu tac applied underneath and peeled off will reveal it - so beware incase you are thinking of swapping over the vin plate. this is an open public forum that anyone on the internet can read - so dont be silly.

[SkyQuake 70 1 Cars]

You've all made me nervous now. Just to double check, all of the talk to illegality and silly ideas is directed at the chap who was considering swapping VIN plates, yes? Not me for painting over mine?

 

Mike

[chipstick 382 1 Cars]

A friend of mine had a Fiesta with the VIN down in the footwell. That particular area failed an MOT once, so he cut it out and welded a new bit in. He cut the rusty VIN out of the removed section and put it in a clear bag and put it with the service history. When he sold it he mentioned it and explained why it had been done.

[Leet205 48]

You've all made me nervous now. Just to double check, all of the talk to illegality and silly ideas is directed at the chap who was considering swapping VIN plates, yes? Not me for painting over mine?

 

Mike

 

Not directed towards you mate, sorry if I confused you

[agent29 0]

Hi there, I am in a similar predicament, I am contemplating a compleate restoration on an 89 plate 1.9 GTI however more than half the Chassis number is compleatly rusted through both sides, (only eight digits are legible). I am planning on sending the shell to be acid dipped, though I imagine that area will just disolve as there is no metal. My concern is I dont want to spend a lot of time and money restoring a shell that could potentially have its identity questioned for the sake of a 1 X 5 inch section of metal. The ally vin plate riveted to the shell is perfectly readable. would I have issues getting the car MOT'd?

 

Why on earth did peugeot decide to stamp the number underneath a weather seal that traps water??

[welshpug 1,657]

as long as the alloy plate is present youll be fine.