Topic: Vin stamp on front inner fender apron

[tnguy624]

I bought a 66 mustang convertible this weekend, and found that apparently at one time the inner fender apron on the drivers side had been replaced. The car had never been restored, so I am assuming it was from a repair many years ago. The car had been sitting in a shed for 40 yrs. I found the vin number under the passenger side fender and it matches the vin number on the door.

Since I have high hopes for this car to be a MCA grand national winner, ok I like to dream big!  I am wanting everything to be right. MY question is does anyone know where I could buy a metal stamp kit to punch the vin numbers in, one correct height and all and including the "stars" at each end.

Thanks in advance for all and any help!

Here's a link to the car on e-bay
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300589011126&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

[J_Speegle]

.............
Since I have high hopes for this car to be a MCA grand national winner, ok I like to dream big!  I am wanting everything to be right. MY question is does anyone know where I could buy a metal stamp kit to punch the vin numbers in, one correct height and all and including the "stars" at each end.

Nope - even having them in some locations can get you into allot of trouble. There use to be a service that for a BIG deposit use to rent them out but they got burned too many times (guys faking cars or changing VIN's on cars they didn't own) so they stopped the service.  Not even sure if the stamps were perfectly correct. IMHO I doubt it since there are a couple of unpublished characteristics I don't believe were reproduced in them

Another option would be to build the car and take the small deduction after explaining to the judging team and showing them pictures of the paperwork and photos of the other "hidden" VINs

[bryancobb]

I'm an AutoCAD Draftsman.   If it were MY car,  I'd do a rubbing of one of the existing stamped VIN's, scan it, import it into AutoCAD, trace it, and have an identical 1-Piece stamp made by one of the steel stamp makers.

I got a quote on a FoMoCo steel logo stamp like is on pulleys and stuff, and it was $65.  I would guess a VIN stamp would be $150 or less. 

Then you could experiment with ways to stamp it.  A Hydraulic press would probably do it.  The method Ford used allowed the characters to bulge out underneath like the backer was not steel.  Maybe very hard rubber or plastic or wood.

[Ivygreen65]

I don't know the legality of this suggestion, so take this as just an idea and bear the burden of finding out how legal it is.  You could cut out the hidden VIN from the passenger side and section it into the driver side where it is visible.  That way you have a correctly stamped VIN (I've never seen a re-stamp that looks anything like an original) and you still have the VIN with the car it was originally assigned to.

[bryancobb]

ANYTHING'S LEGAL IN THE "COURT OF VIN COMMON SENSE" as long as you are not up to no-good or are not committing fraud.

I was a Georgia State Trooper for years.  If I ever do anything to  the VIN on an old car, I get the Magistrate Judge involved and have him document every step I take just so everything is always squeaky clean.  I'm very positive Judge Moseley would approve of me stamping the VIN that belongs to a specific car, with 100% certainty, on a replaced body part.   Given the fact that 2 of the 3 stamps are still there and both agree with the original door warranty number, this would merely be a "proper repair.

[tnguy624]

Thanks so much for the ideas, advice and opinions all have given. I do have one question, Bryancobb you mentioned three vin stampings. I know about the two under the hood on each side of the car on the fender aprons, where would the third one be on the 66 convertible?

[NEFaurora]

The VIN number was only stamped on the inner fender aprons on '65/'66.  Usually the fender aprons had one VIN stamping on each side with the passender side being hidden, but sometimes the Driver's side fender apron was stamped twice making a 3rd VIN.  It was obviously on the Warranty Plate on the Driver's door as well, but on the Warranty Plate, not on the car's sheet metal.  Only HiPo engines had the VINs stamped into them. Never seen a VIN stamped anywhere else.

Tony K.

[J_Speegle]

The VIN number was only stamped on the inner fender aprons on '65/'66.  Usually the fender aprons had one VIN stamping on each side with the passeger side being hidden, but sometimes the Driver's side fender apron was stamped twice making a 3rd VIN. .............. Never seen a VIN stamped anywhere else.

What plant are you referring to Tony?

You might want to look again just to double check


tnguy624

One in front of the shock towers - drivers side

Two behind the shock towers - one each side

As mention "hesitation" stampings (stampings not made deep enough to be seen so they were redone) were some times seen as mention - they were the practice on some later Mustangs depending on plant.

We also have a few odd examples where the front visible VIN was stamped in the shock tower rather than the inner fender at Dearborn

[bryancobb]

If your car has 3 stampings, my understanding is that they are all 3 somewhere on the fender aprons, and usually only 1 is visible until you take off the fenders.

[J_Speegle]

If your car has 3 stampings, my understanding is that they are all 3 somewhere on the fender aprons, and usually only 1 is visible until you take off the fenders.

That is what the auto thief books from the period list as reference points also.
 
Though they do not mention that odd group of cars I referenced earlier. Sure they found it to be allot more difficult to apply them on the shock tower. Ford, at one time, considered/planned on applying one to the small flat tag formed at the cowl to firewall pinchweld on the drivers side - as shown in the assembly manual.  Guess they changed their mind

[NEFaurora]

Seen quite a few cars with a 3rd VIN on the part of the Driver's side fender apron close to the brake master cylinder. Seen it mostly on '65's but have seen it on cars as late as '67.  I believe that it was definately NOT a common practice, but have found that it was definately a Metuchen, NJ practice. I have a few pics of this and will post them.  I'm looking to see if I have any from the other two plants.  I'm searching through thousands of photos.  Bear with me..

[NEFaurora]

By the way, The cars that happen to have the 3rd VIN stamping, The 3rd VIN is usually visible.  So you would plainly see the 1st and 3rd VIN on the Driver's side, and the 2nd would be hidden on underneath the passenger side fender.

[NEFaurora]

Ok, Still searching for more photos.. but this is what is usually seen when a 3rd VIN is involved.  The 3rd VIN would be what is pictured in the 2nd picture below (Note location):

1st VIN (normal location)



3rd VIN (infrequent location, but this is where it is usually found if there is one.)




This is one from a '67, but not in the usual location, Most would call it a double stamping, but I have found them on '67's in the same 3rd VIN area as above (2nd photo).  Never seen them on a '68.  Note both are Metuchen built cars.

[JKWilson]

Well here's a twist for everyone. My early '66 Metuchen car has one VIN stamp, the normally visible one on the drivers side. Other than that, zip. The only sheetmetal that's been replaced was the battery apron, which I personally did after removing the original. There was no VIN stamp there.  No other VIN stamp (the buck tag was also attached on the passenger side).

On my late '66 Dearborn coupe there are three stamps. One is the visible one on the driver's side. The other two are passenger side, and hidden with the fender in place. One is on the forward apron, the other on the rear apron.

[gjz30075]

My 10/65 '66 SJ car has three vins:  two on drivers side and one one on the passenger side.    But to the original poster:  I  think I'd find another car to achieve your goal.  Too many stories here.