Legal issue with VIN on a B-J car today?

[Richard Cranium]

Sounds like this crap can for years was passed around from dealer to dealer. I just can’t understand how this car was allowed to pass the auction block without a VIN, and why someone would buy it?

 

[Mopar Hunter]

The car has been around.

 

[Mopar Hunter]

 

[QuickBpBp]

the car is a turd he paid $40,000 to much for it. I looked it over. It was hit real hard drivers side front. Inner fender was 1/4 thick of filler. A lot more issues

Buyer paid 55K plus fees. It may have had a ton of issues as I believe what you say you saw but at a glance it's easily worth more than 30-35K in parts when you look it over...

 

[tallzag]

Thanks for posting the video Ed, I’m Tom from Rocket. Barrett Jackson has iron clad contracts, when a car sells it sells. Also as mentioned tags were gone before it ran, no running back this one. Caveat emptor.

 

[WileE]

B-J always struck me as being a gathering of "more money than sense" types.
Just watching on TV, there seems to be no shortage of them - but admittedly, I do feel a tinge of envy, too.

Isn't it every man's dream to be on TV with your wife/girlfriend at your side, both smiling and giggly, as you just paid more stupid money for a car than everybody else ?

 

[padam]

Isn't it every man's dream to be on TV with your wife/girlfriend at your side, both smiling and giggly, as you just paid more stupid money for a car than everybody else ?

 

[chargervert]

Someone should have put a big red X on the red GTX!

 

[chargervert]

My wife would be saying no,you aren't buying another effing car!!!!!!! Once again it would fall upon deaf ears,as yet another Mopar rolls off the trailer into the yard!

 

[RemCharger]

My wife would be saying no,you aren't buying another effing car!!!!!!! Once again it would fall upon deaf ears,as yet another Mopar rolls off the trailer into the yard!

Or a chevy??

 

[68BabyBlue]

the car is a turd he paid $40,000 to much for it. I looked it over. It was hit real hard drivers side front. Inner fender was 1/4 thick of filler. A lot more issues

As the owner of a numbers matching red '69 GTX hardtop that is possibly the best documented in the country, I'm in a state of shock over that sales price. I received what I thought was a ridiculous offer when I took the car to the Chrysler Nationals two years ago, but after seeing this sale, it doesn't seem so out of line.

 

[68BabyBlue]

Isn't it every man's dream to be on TV with your wife/girlfriend at your side, both smiling and giggly, as you just paid more stupid money for a car than everybody else ?

My dream has always been to get the best car, while paying less than anybody else. I achieved it on the last one. My wife wasn't smiley and giggly, but the fact she was happy was just fine.

 

[kiwigtx]

Barrett Jackson has iron clad contracts, when a car sells it sells.

To protect their employees from prosecution when the make a boo-boo.

 

[Runcharger]

The $50k seems like alot. However some guy is thinking that if he buys a Satellite convt. takes it to a bodyshop to get metal replaced and paint, hunts down all the X parts, overall he saved a bit of money and a 2 year ordeal including bodyshop jail. Not saying I would do it, just seeing how a non-lifetime enthusiast might approach it.
Kind of why these "lesser" cars float around from dealer to dealer I think too.
I myself like to buy an original paint car with iron clad paperwork and no questions, then I build it from there, but these guys want to be driving instantly or have garage art instantly, they don't want to get sanding dust in their hair and under their fingernails.

 

[nitro_rat]

Thanks for posting the video Ed, I’m Tom from Rocket. Barrett Jackson has iron clad contracts, when a car sells it sells. Also as mentioned tags were gone before it ran, no running back this one. Caveat emptor.

To protect their employees from prosecution when the make a boo-boo.

Generally auto auction laws are set by the state, the auction is licensed by the state, state law says that when the gavel drops the sale is final. So there isn't even any possibility of arbitration of a contract between the seller and the auction. The seller would have to try to go after the state - and good luck with that one...

As an auction house, if the state came in and cut the vin off of a car that was entered into an auction, I would think that they would withdraw the vehicle from the auction and possibly charge the seller a fee. I would certainly think that continuing to run the vehicle would throw a bad light on the auction house.

What if a remote bidder had paid for an inspection BEFORE the VIN was cut off and didn't re-check the listing before bidding? They would be under the impression that the car had a VIN and a fender tag. I kind of have a hard time having sympathy for anyone dumping auction money on these old cars that aren't really that nice to begin with though. It doesn't mean that I wish ill on anybody though. I certainly don't think highly of the auction houses that drive up costs of what should be a much more affordable hobby.

Thankfully it seems like the prices on old junk and used parts are not as inflated as they have been.

 

[moparedtn]

Thanks for posting the video Ed, I’m Tom from Rocket. Barrett Jackson has iron clad contracts, when a car sells it sells. Also as mentioned tags were gone before it ran, no running back this one. Caveat emptor.

Howdy Tom, good to "see" you. Still wondering how many people in the ownership chain knew the car was bogus
(and therefore, were culpable in the fraud)? Did anyone actually get in trouble with the law?
- Ed on the Ridge

 

[DeltaV]

Caveat emptor, not caveat venditor for sure.

 

[Armyvet25]

Thanks for posting the video Ed, I’m Tom from Rocket. Barrett Jackson has iron clad contracts, when a car sells it sells. Also as mentioned tags were gone before it ran, no running back this one. Caveat emptor.

Hey Tom, love yours and Jamie's video's, big supporter!!

 

[tallzag]

Hey Tom, love yours and Jamie's video's, big supporter!!

Thanks for watching really appreciate it. Hoping my Mecum video is up in about an hour, just finishing editing it.

 

[nitro_rat]

Howdy Tom, good to "see" you. Still wondering how many people in the ownership chain knew the car was bogus
(and therefore, were culpable in the fraud)? Did anyone actually get in trouble with the law?
- Ed on the Ridge

I don't know that there is sufficient evidence to say that the car is bogus. There is certainly evidence to support that there MAY be something fishy going on.

The VIN number is not stamped on tag correctly - but this could be an error from the factory.

The radiator support number has one digit off - but what are the odds that someone found two cars just a one digit off each other and swapped bodies vs an error by the worker that did the stamping?

Sure, there are tons of little things off on the "restoration" but most older and/or unprofessional restorations have these kind of errors, it doesn't necessarily mean that anyone in the history of the cars ownership ever did anything fraudulent.

One thing is for certain, the resale value of the car without VIN and fender tag is greatly diminished. I think if the state had any real evidence that fraud had been committed, they would have seized the vehicle, not just removed the numbers. To support this argument, the state apparently issued a bonded title for the vehicle.

I'm not a lawyer, but if I was involved in the buying/selling of this car I would be on the phone with the lawyer that got the seized '59 Corvette back for the guy in Kansas and seeking the return of my property (VIN and fender tags) plus damages...