It happens all the time, but you have to know where all the VIN's are in the
body, such as behind heater cores, above fuel tanks and the like.
They don't look for you, you'll find them when you get into an accident.
Paul
----- Original Message -----
From: "jbange" <hfinn@INGRATES.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Sunday, November 07, 2004 10:50 PM
Subject: Re: Turbo diesel 5-speed DOKA on ebay

> 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"