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Build it or Part it?

Carsen

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6:11 AM
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Jul 6, 2019
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Location
Dallas, TX
I recently purchased a 70 Roadrunner body. I had originally intended to use the front frame rail and some other parts for my 68 Charger. Its a bare shell, no dash or vin tag. 4 speed orange RM21 post car. Appears to have all good frame rails. Seems surprisingly clean for a donor car. The passenger quarter/doorjam/post/interior metal was removed along with the rocker to fix another car at some point. It should still have the VIN on the radiator support and under the trunk weather stripping. I have heard of repro VIN tags or worst case having the state issue a new VIN. It's need a good bit of work, but is this too clean to cut up these days? Or should I use it as practice before starting on my Charger.
 
it technically ceases to be a Road Runner once it's issued a state VIN.
 
If the VIN is no longer "RM....."

How is it a RR?
 
Ok, I guess I will play; what then is it? If the car was originally born as a "RM" then that is what it is despite a state issued VIN. Its not like it turns into a Yugo or anything. Sure from a technical "numbers" point of view it isn't titled as a RM at this point so from purely that stand point I guess you would be correct; however this isn't reality as it is still physically is a Roadrunner with a state issued VIN. Now, I will concede that if you cannot prove it was born as a RM, then it could be anything (satellite, GTX or Roadrunner).

I suspect your point is that with no VIN there is no way to prove it was/is a RR and I will agree to that. So, to this point how does anyone know this was a RR to begin with?
 
it certainly looses value

it basically becomes the equal of a "home assembled" vehicle
 
to those that red x'd me-

would you buy a RR with state issued VIN?

and would you pay the same as one in similar shape with a "RM" factory VIN?
 
I red X'd you because I disagree with your statement in general. There was no discussion of value as that is an entirely different aspect. That said, yes a car with a state issued VIN and no documentation or proof that it was actually a RR would not expect to bring the same money as a car that had the original title/VIN. All that said, I stand by my point that "if" it was originally a RR (or whatever) it is still that model despite a state issue VIN tag at its core. Now, whether you can prove that is another issue. But, for argument sake, lets say one of the original owners of the car can be found and they can prove (via pics, documents, etc.) that it was originally built as a RR, however the title was lost along with the VIN tag (which now requires a state issued tag). So IMO it was/is still a RR, however given the circumstances it is not going to be worth what a car with good docs is worth overall. But then again, if someone were to make a very high end restomod out of it, might be work more than more sedate restored cars are depending on the end result.
 
to those that red x'd me-

would you buy a RR with state issued VIN?

and would you pay the same as one in similar shape with a "RM" factory VIN?
Thats the clear point....Diminished value.....I didn't hear mention of having a BS or a fender tag or even a door jamb sticker.

That is why the OP said "worst case" state issued VIN and considered a repro VIN tag.....Build a puzzle and then slap an fraudulent tag on it......For what? More money and the future buyer is defrauded.....

The car should be represented as what it is......A RR with a state issued tag and built the way the owner wanted to build it.....
 
To clarify a few things, I had no intent of trying to pass it off as anything. I don’t build vehicles to sell. I understand that the value is not what it would be normally. The guy i bought it from bought it for the I guess It just feels sacrilegious to cut up a 2 door 68-70 b-body. Im less than $400 into it. I’m half tempted to try to fix it. It was well worth it for the shell just for frame rails etc. But it doesn’t seem like the rot is bad in this one.
 
part it........ even without title and vin issues it could cost a fortune to piece it back together......... you're under water before you ever start
 
Any pictures you can share?
 
Hard to tell wo pics. But I generally have to agree with eldub. You’d have some major cake in that thing trying to build it.
 
I'm all into saving cars, but that one is an endless list of major issues
 
May be a good starting point for someone to build a race car--drag or dirt tracker , then who cares if it's got a vin tag .
If it was born a road runner it will die a road runner-----vin tag be dammed
 
Haven’t dug into it much, but it seems surprisingly solid. Clearly it’s missing panels, as well as tags/vin.

851C499D-0863-48D2-A549-0008714D1CD1.jpeg A8E12065-1016-49DD-8B87-DFA4D0FE2341.jpeg BD6FFA64-7E76-4441-BF3D-E66438194E3C.jpeg 6184533D-DCEA-46D2-9B4B-336FF82A3347.jpeg 75455052-ED03-4923-A51D-E2AFB37B9012.jpeg 362E7511-C6FF-4790-A903-83183BBBFA27.jpeg 8C687F42-2770-4307-B2B4-1C546DAC82E2.jpeg 02357E97-6F30-4021-8D8B-689C674BCBCC.jpeg
 
Yikes - talk about a money pit! You’re my hero if you can resurrect that puppy....
 
unless you have a parts stash, or a donor car, I'd part it.
 
part it out? that thing has been gutted already. I see a trunk latch and a piece of bent drip rail moulding. cut the rails off and crush it
 
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