Re: '24 143 7 Passenger - Vin plate and Serial Number query

Posted by Peter Hartmann On 2008/10/27 13:06:20

I dont know about other states - I spent most of my driving age years in Calif.

I owned a bit more than a few Packards down thru the years -to get "pink" slips ( Calif. Certificate Of Ownership ) DMV always in those pre "VIN" years, always insisted on the ENGINE number.

As a side note, when I brought my V-12 American La France fire engine into Calif., (this was in the mid-1980's - long after all states had adopted the Fed. law creating the VIN system - think that was in the late 60's) they at first refused to register it because it did not have a VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION number. Of course it did have a very similar "builder's patent plate" like Packard had, even stamped with a "Vehicle Number".

The DMV clerk was very insistant that I go back outside and look on the upper dash for the VIN. I explained it was a 1936 fire engine - open cab., so there WAS NO UPPER DASH!

Then she said I would have to write the manufacturer "and get a statement from them that they had violated Federal law for their failure to install a VIN, and then Calif. could, with that letter for their legal authority, stamp a new VIN on the vehicle's upper dash" (she STILL didn't "get it that there IS no "upper dash" on an open-cab 1938 American La France fire engine....!).

I explained that the American La France Co. of Elmira, New York, closed its doors nearly 50 years ago, and the factory had long since been torn down. And of course I explained to her the law creating the VIN system didnt come into existence until some forty years after my fire engine was built.....!

Can you believe this..? Her response was.."THAT'S NO EXCUSE"...

Bottom line - finally got them to accept the "Vehicle Number" on the brass mfg's "build plate"...!