Thread: Bought '34 'Glass rod, couple of basic questions

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Hi! Picked up a complete (mostly - trim items missing) but not running (electrical issues -wiring) '34 fiberglass 2 window coupe, from a wife in a local divorce.

Not a fan of Fiberglass, but the price, at 11k, was too good to pass up. (Mustang 2 underneath, was running up until 2 years ago).

Couple of questions:
1, how do I tell who made the body?
2, where would I expect to find the VIN #?

Thanks!
Bart in FL

Bart,
I can only speak from my own experience. My roller from N&N has no chassis ID numbers, nor does the body have any unique serial number or ID number of any type. The only identification that N&N puts on their package is a label about 3"x4" laminated on the inside of the floorboard, centered on the hump towards the top near the firewall. It has their N&N Logo, phone number and address in Belleville. The only ID that my vehicle has is the state issued VIN Tag which is applied to the drivers side door jamb, front edge.
My fear being in Forida would be that it is a Street Beast/Classic Motor Carriages package.

anyone know where the "hidden" VIN would be on a Street Beast? I know that on my other cars, there are always "hidden" vins to avoid theft.

Thanks!

Post a picture and that might help. If it is a Street Beasts it has some distinquishing characteristics as they are "sort of" like a 34 but not exactly a clone.

Looks like she got the gold mine and he got the shaft !

Don

If it's a Street Beast, they can make nice cars, but there are enough things different that no OEM or repro parts will fit. Generally, the SB has a fully molded nose, the chassis is unique and the grill shell and grille are only representative in appearance to a '33-'34. If you paid $11K and it is a running car, and has been registered then you may have made a nice deal. If you need parts, you are out of luck as SB is out of business and their assets sold within the past few weeks

Originally Posted by rspears

Bart,
My fear being in Forida would be that it is a Street Beast/Classic Motor Carriages package.

Me too!

Bart,
"Kits" don't come with VINs. If a manufacturer were to do that they'd then have to certify for emissions, crash worthiness, and a long list of other Fed Requirements (and some state ones as well). If they have a VIN it's because the P.O. went through a given state's registration process, and it shouldn't be "hidden".
A big identification point of a Street Beast would be the fenders are integral with the main body section.............................a second identification would be that they have almost no market value because of a well earned negative history for lack of quality and poor customer relations.

Link to pictures http://photobucket.com/glass34
Pretty certain it's a Street Beast, integrated fenders, side insert in hood. I know the reputation is bad, but whoever originally had this, already had the "nightmare". All I'm doing now is sorting out issues.
I understand that the Kit car came with no VIN stamp, and that the State of FL would have put on a Vin Plate, but my basis question is where? I looked on door edge, door frame, firewall, and window edge... no luck. I now have clear title, but want to have a VIN on it to avoid issues later on.
Please advise,
thanks!
Bart

They would be state affixed to be legal, right in a door jamb. If it's titled as a '34 Ford and you can't find a vin, then it might have been titled 'shady' and I wouldn't do anything about it

It's titled as a 2001 Ford, Replica, would the plate be elsewhere?

WHY not call the licensing DMV (Florida?) and ask them.....they should have a standard procedure for the plate location.

Did you ask if the reasons for divorce included the car?

Look stamped in the front frame rail, left side. Many years ago when I had a T-bucket, Total Performance stamped their manufacturing number there.

If you do have a clear title, then you can buy an after market data plate from many folks like MAC's, Snyder's or any other that sells repro materials. Stamp the correct number on it and you should be golden. This is the p/n for a '33: 40-14002. I would probably use an 'A' version tho as it is 'cleaner': Search Within MAC's Antique Auto Parts. All you are worried about are matching numbers, not style (if you have that clear title)

For $ 11K you did good, regardless if it is a SB or not. That kind of money doesn't really get you much and you certainly couldn't duplicate building the same car for that much.

As mentioned, there are places that sell year of make firewall tags that have a blank spot to put the vin number. I have one on my glass 27 that is titled as a 27, and I had a trophy shop engrave the vin numbers onto it. Cost about $ 7 as I recall.

You have a nice looking driver there and 90% of the people who see it will think it is original. When someone asks me what year mine is I say "1927 Ford" because that is what the body represents.

The guy who lost yours in the divorce seems to have spent some money on it, too bad he had to lose it as he did. But that isn't any concern of yours, someone else would have bought it if you hadn't. Hope to see you at Turkey Run in November.

Don

Originally Posted by robot

WHY not call the licensing DMV (Florida?) and ask them.....they should have a standard procedure for the plate location.

Did you ask if the reasons for divorce included the car?

I agree, if you have a clear title it states your issued VIN so all you need to know is where the state put that ID on the car. As others said, it is generally in a standard location, like driver's door jamb. As Dave said, OEM would have been stamped in the frame rail. I'd call or visit the local DMV and ask for their help.

BTW, it is most likely a federal offense to alter a vin tag or to create one.....might think twice about advising the owner to make his own tag.

Originally Posted by robot

BTW, it is most likely a federal offense to alter a vin tag or to create one.....might think twice about advising the owner to make his own tag.

Nah, this is Florida, we have no rules down here. We can still carry guns in our cars legally.

Seriously, though, when you register an old car down here most times the vin number has been erased by rust or whatever. All we are doing is making it more convenient for the authorities to check our vin number if they desire. They realize these cars aren't as if we are re-vinning a 2011 car, so there is some slack cut.

Don