There is an article in the latest Sports Car Market magazine (perhaps my favorite magazine now) which describes a situation where a fellow has a Porsche 904.* One day he is at a car show and finds another 904 with the same chassis number.* It is represented as a "Real" car, not a replica.* So he investigates and tries to find more about the car.**

He knows the providence of his car but the past on the other car is not complete.**

It turns out his car was wrecked heavily back in its early competition days and rather than fixing it they pulled the drive train and presumably put it in another car.* I suspect that this original drive train will be found to be from his car (taken after it was wrecked.)*

Perhaps the original drive train sat in a storage until the new car was built around it.

It is a two part article so I have to wait until next issue to find out how it all was resolved.

The question is which is the original car?**

In my mind building a new car around a drive train seems ok to me as long as the car is never misrepresented.* The rub is which car now is entitled to the serial number?

Some time ago there was found to be three D type Jags with the same number.* Turns out there was one car to begin with.....it was wrecked heavily and parted out.* When Ds became million dollar cars one fellow started with part of the chassis, another with most of the body and a third with the drive train and part of the chassis (approximately). Unbeknownst to each other three cars were built all claiming the same serial number.* I cannot remember how it was resolved.* I would suspect an out of court settlement.**

Another time there was found to be two Ferrari SWBs with the same number.* One was an original car which had had the engine changed back when it was racing.* The other was a replica with the original engine.* This case was settled by a fellow buying both cars and putting the original engine back in the original car and putting the other engine into the replica.* He came out head in the deal but I don't know how much.

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

There is and can be, only one original VIN, the replica needs to be inspected and given a new VIN , not all that unusual .

I used to build salvage - reconstructs and this was never any problem because i was honest ~ someone here is or was lying / cheating .

I once had the DMV contact me because a 40' commercial trailer was registered using the same VIN as a VW I had .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

I've heard of this problem with Ford GT-40s. There are suppose to be 5 serial or VINs on them. So, when wrecked there could be multiple cars with VINs. I don't see taking the running gear to 'create' another as legal or 'real' car.
There was also something on TV about Ducksworth. Its in England and they restore vintage WW2 aircraft. Basically, they redo the whole aircraft. So, at what % is it a replica or not?

I've had this hammer for 50 years. I replaced the handle 7 times, & the head twice.

__________________
"I applaud your elaborate system of denial"

The name replica or restored really have no hard meaning. l The question only comes up when there are two with the same number. The true value of it is finally settled upon sale. For Ferrari GTOs 36 survive out of 36 (or so). D type Jags have 19 survivors (or so) out of 7 built. That one always makes me smile.

Of course the grand daddy of all cars of this ort is the AC Cobra of which 7,330 survive out of 400 built.

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

This is Abraham Lincoln’s axe. The head has been changed. The handle has been changed, but this is Abraham Lincoln’s axe.

__________________
2001 SLK 320 six speed manual
2014 Porsche Cayenne six speed manual

Annoy a Liberal, Read the Constitution

Back in the 80s I was at a city of Dallas salvage auction where they had a 911. The auctioneer said the front part had one VIN, the center part another and the rear section another. This was the result of a chop shop taking two salvage title cars, stealing a real one, and putting them all together with a fake title on the stolden one.

The auctioneer said they would sell the front, the middle and the rear and the new owners could sort it all out.

One guy won all three bid so it all worked out. I asked him later if he had any trouble getting a valid title and he said no, the law in Texas then said the city's title defeated all others. They did give him a choice of which VIN he wanted to use.

Cool story.

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.