Re: Another VIN question

Posted by BigKev On 2008/10/10 22:11:54

Probably your local DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles), is looking for a modern style VIN number. Packards and other cars as old as our Packards never had them. Every manufacturer had their own unique serial numbers and numbering system.

I know here in Calif, my car is no longer in the computer system. But I have the last registration slip from 1986 showing it was last registered with the engine serial number. The door jam plate on my car is missing. In a way I am glad it is no longer in the system, as if it was I may have been liable for back registration fees. This happended to me on a '52 Chevy 5 Window pickup. I tried to register it, and there was $1,300 due in back fees. So I sold, as it was already missing all the drivetrain. This was many, many years ago before those trucks went through the roof price wise.

So anyway, when I go to offically get the Packard registered, I will have to take the car to CHP (California Highway Patrol aka State Police), to have them verify the car, and then the DMV will assign the car a DMV generated VIN number, and a DMV sticker gets put under the hood with that number on it.

If my car still had the door jam plate, then I may have been able to use that number.

When I first bought the car, I had a CHP friend of mine run all the numbers (license plate, engine number, Thieft Proof Number, and body number) through the computer to make sure it was not on any stolen vehicle lists, and the AAA was kind enought to check to the DMV records for me to show it was no longer in the computer system.