Everything Old Is New Again

[freebeard]

I don't know much about DMVs but if they see a VIN on the floorpan and another pop-riveted to the dashboard, I'd be surprised if they expect matching numbers on the engine motor.

In the 36hp era the serial number was on a plate behind the spare tire in the front valance. Later it moved to the pan above the shift coupler. I had an early body on a late pan so it had two VIN, but it had already been registered by the VW dealer in McMinnville, OR. I wanted to buy just the floopan (for a fiberglass body) they had on display in their dealership, but by the time I got back they had dropped a 1957 body on it so I bought the whole thing.

I guess the 1957 serial number went when I rat-rodded it.

Body shops can't work on my 1971 SUPERBeetle because it doesn't have enough digits in the VIN.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Makes me remind a situation that happens quite often regarding the early Jeeps and engine swaps, since they didn't have an actual VIN, and the engine serial number was used as some sort of VIN instead.

[Piotrsko]

In Cali, there was so much body swapping they developed a procedure as long as you had documentation of legal sale for both pieces. The CHP inspection station would stamp a new number next to the old number on the pan

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Piotrsko

In Cali, there was so much body swapping they developed a procedure as long as you had documentation of legal sale for both pieces.

The same procedure used to be applied in Brazil, which allowed rebuilds of old jalopies around Beetle frames.