Re: Vehicle serial numbers

Posted by PackardV8 On 2010/4/9 16:28:25

Vehicle id tags are usualy removed when they do not match the title that was acquired with the car or in cases where a title was acquired AFTER the car was made road worthy or other such situations. Engine number was used for title.

There are also instances where the id tag Matches some modern vehicle. Case in point, i had a 1945 Jeep MB with a serial number that matched a currently registered 82 Arrow motor home.

Other situations involve vehicles from staes that never had titles. Some states as late as the 1960's did not issue titles. IIRC New York, Alabama, and a few others.

Also especialy during the war years and prior many of the big cars were butchered up into wreckers or other utility type vehicles. If the body was changed back at one time then the id tag removed from donor body to eleminate title contridiction.

Any number of various situations could explain a missing ID tag.