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Subject:Re: Turbo diesel 5-speed DOKA on ebay
From:jimt
Date:Mon, 8 Nov 2004 05:23:33 -0700

On 11/7/04 9:50 PM, "jbange" <hfinn@INGRATES.NET> wrote:

> At 07:38 PM 11/7/2004, you wrote:
>> WARNING, WARNING WILL ROBINSON!!!
>> 
>> I'll bet you dollars against donuts that this doka was not legally imported
>> into this country.  Most likely brought in as a "parts car" in a container.
>> The poor fool that buys this vehicle and registers it has a good chance of
>> getting a visit from the FBI in about 2 or 3 years.  There's a reason it's
>> listed as a parts car, that removes all liability from the seller for little
>> things like DOT, EPA, Customs.
> 
> Yeah, I like this line in the auction description: "It is being listed in
> the parts cars section as we have not got around to restoring it yet, with
> too many projects on hand as well as the fact that it does not have a
> Title. "  Uh huh. Too many other projects. That's why you didn't restore it
> and sell it for ten times what you put into it. The lack of title is just a
> nuisance.
> 
> How closely do they (the feds) watch these things anyway? What would happen
> if the VIN plate got "accidentally" swapped with one from a different
> vehicle? I personally wouldn't do it, but I was kinda under the impression
> that this happened with some regularity, despite it carrying nasty
> penalties for getting caught.
> 
> John Bange
> '90 Vanagon "Geldsauger"
> 
> 
Swapping vins is tricky depending on vehicle and year of it.  Back when I
was salvaging I caught some bugs and a bus that had been re-vin.

 Doing it with a modern vehicle is far more difficult.  Newer vehicles will
have the serial in the ecu, the frame, the engine area, and the windshield
area.  The engine bay one may actually be in two spots.  One a scannable
lable type and the other a hidden one.
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jimt
Planned insanity is best.
Remember that sanity is optional.
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