VIN Mismatch?

Got a Body Tag that needs decoding? Post it here.
User avatar
Ralphie
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon May 29, 2017 10:04 am

VIN Mismatch?

Post by Ralphie »

So I just took delivery of my first Corvair, a 1965 Corsa Coupe! Ralphie is an all red 140 in near mint condition. He's not perfect, but the body is and everything else I can handle, with your kind help on occasion. ::-): But there may be a big issue.

The VIN in the engine compartment and the hidden partial VIN do not match! The latter is partially hidden by the front cross member, so I can only see the last six of the eight digits without major disassembly. The two VINs differ by about 800 units and none of the last four digits match. The question is, is there an explanation for this that does not involve theft, fraud or something equally illegal? Could this have been a factory screwup somehow?

From what I can tell, the VIN and body tags in the engine compartment were removed and refinished as part of the not so recent restoration. The body tag says Artesian Turquoise / Fawn instead of Regal Red / Red. The engine code ends in "RM", indicating it is a 140 but not a Corsa 140. All this led me to check the hidden partial VIN. This brings up a second question, could Ralphie be a glorified Monza instead of a real Corsa? Is there a way to identify a real Corsa by looking for a body feature that is difficult to replicate? For what it's worth, Ralphie was purchased from a reputable licensed classic car dealer and came with a recent valid title in the dealer's name which matches the full VIN in the engine compartment (107375L1XXXXX).

Any thoughts, suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated... :helpsos:
User avatar
bbodie52
Corvair of the Month
Corvair of the Month
Posts: 11872
Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2012 12:33 pm
Location: Lake Chatuge Hayesville, NC
Contact:

Re: VIN Mismatch?

Post by bbodie52 »

Ralphie wrote:Tue Dec 19, 2017 10:49 pm

So I just took delivery of my first Corvair, a 1965 Corsa Coupe! Ralphie is an all red 140 in near mint condition. He's not perfect, but the body is and everything else I can handle, with your kind help on occasion. ::-): But there may be a big issue.

The VIN in the engine compartment and the hidden partial VIN do not match! The latter is partially hidden by the front cross member, so I can only see the last six of the eight digits without major disassembly. The two VINs differ by about 800 units and none of the last four digits match. The question is, is there an explanation for this that does not involve theft, fraud or something equally illegal? Could this have been a factory screwup somehow?

From what I can tell, the VIN and body tags in the engine compartment were removed and refinished as part of the not so recent restoration. The body tag says Artesian Turquoise / Fawn instead of Regal Red / Red. The engine code ends in "RM", indicating it is a 140 but not a Corsa 140. All this led me to check the hidden partial VIN. This brings up a second question, could Ralphie be a glorified Monza instead of a real Corsa? Is there a way to identify a real Corsa by looking for a body feature that is difficult to replicate? For what it's worth, Ralphie was purchased from a reputable licensed classic car dealer and came with a recent valid title in the dealer's name which matches the full VIN in the engine compartment (107375L1XXXXX)
.

Any thoughts, suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated...
...could Ralphie be a glorified Monza instead of a real Corsa?

You seem to already know the answer. All the clues and indications you described would indicate that your "Corsa" is really a 140 hp Monza or 500 with substituted Corsa body and VIN tags (along with trim an instrument panel, I assume). Pictures of the tags would help to confirm what you already have described, showing the riveted tags having been removed and reattached... likely for reasons that are more than just paint job restoration. The dealer you purchased it from may have been unaware of the illegal modifications, as they could have been done by a previous owner and passed on to subsequent owner(s) without their knowledge. The true model year, production plant, and serial number is shown on the hidden VIN.
:whoa: :redface: :sad5: :angry:
VIN - LM Corvair Passenger Car VIN Tag Decoding.jpg
Hidden vin locations!
:link: http://www.corvairforum.com/forum/viewt ... =51&t=3000

Such a change in body and Monza/500 engine have legal implications that you may need to discuss with the "reputable licensed classic car dealer". The correct original VIN may have been 105375Wnnnnnn or 105375Lnnnnnn, 101375Wnnnnnn, or 101375Lnnnnnn, depending on whatever is stamped on the hidden VIN location. The hidden VIN would not be an error on the part of the factory. It would reflect the true original production data that supersedes what is shown on the substituted VIN and body tags. Tracing the registered correct VIN based on the hidden VIN may show what the state has on file for this vehicle. I don't know what the law will permit you (and the dealer) to do to salvage this running vehicle to properly license it.

The casting numbers on the cylinder heads may provide a clue as to the actual production year of the engine (1965, 1966, 1967...)

Image

Image

Image
Attachments
CORSA Corvair Technical Guide 1+2 - Corvair Code Numbers.PDF
CORSA Corvair Technical Guide 1+2 - Corvair Code Numbers
(1.25 MiB) Downloaded 21 times
Brad Bodie
Lake Chatuge, North Carolina
Image 1966 Corvair Corsa Convertible
User avatar
azdave
Corvair of the Year
Corvair of the Year
Posts: 2095
Joined: Fri Dec 11, 2009 1:27 pm
Location: Phoenix, AZ

Re: VIN Mismatch?

Post by azdave »

The VIN fraud probably happened long time ago and no one since then has looked very close or wanted to know the truth so I'll bet it has been through multiple owners like that. Unfortunately, plenty of people out there think it is okay to commit a felony and swap the VIN tags.

I would certainly ask the dealer about it. At least keep any paperwork that shows you received it like that from them so you are not accused later of being the one who did it. If you have no plans to sell it then sometimes the best decision is to drive it and forget about it. If you ever sell the car you had better disclose that fact to a new buyer because they don't want to be like you and find out about it after the sale.

Corsas had a lot of bolt-on items so it's not easy to recognize a Monza dressed as a Corsa unless you dig deeper. One of the few things that do not get changed when people convert a Monza to a Corsa, is the main front to rear wiring harness. A Corsa will have an extra wire for a tachometer (tan I think) and a small plastic tube for the manifold pressure gauge. Look at your wiring harness under the car and see if those two things are installed and if they look like they were added later. Check the tach wire and connector connnector at the coil. Does it look OEM or added later?
Dave W. from Gilbert, AZ

66 Corsa 140/4 Yenko Stinger Tribute
66 Corsa 140 Coupe w/factory A/C
65 Monza 4DR 140/PG w/factory A/C
65 Monza 4DR EJ20T/5
64 Greenbrier 110/PG, Standard 6-Door
66vairguy
Posts: 4531
Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2010 3:44 pm

Re: VIN Mismatch?

Post by 66vairguy »

I agree with Azdave - Unfortunate situation, but there is nothing wrong with a "Corsarized" Monza as long a the buyer is made aware. Most states allow a "re-body", but usually the paperwork must show that. Some issue a "salvage title", some issue a special VIN from the state. Due to the lack of GM documentation you find a lot of cars modified to models that sell for more.

In your case you said the car was sold to you as a Corsa model and in fact it is a Monza, albeit a nice one.

Since I don't know the price you paid it's difficult to say if you got a fair deal. One thing is for sure, if you plan on selling the car you should look at what YOUR state says about the VIN issue. You may have to pay to make the documents correct and the seller should cover that expense. Otherwise as Azdave said - you may find yourself liable if YOU sell the car.

If all else fails - return the car for a full refund.
Post Reply

Return to “Body/VIN Tag Decoding”