[Jeff2KPatriotBlue]

So, your choices are:

A) Keep driving the legit car with the damaged VIN plate - some risk, but you are in the right.


B ) Tamper with the VIN, in the hopes that your fraud will be less hassle than the current state.



The VIN stickers and plates are designed to be tamper evident, so I would not attempt that. Cops know what they are looking for.

I am not sure about 1995 models, but the VIN is several places on modern cars... if you can show several of them, and if there are a few digits on the plate that can be read, you should be able to convince them.

You might want to get a letter from the DMV to document the damaged VIN plate... or a notorized statement from the shop that damaged it.

 

[David Eidell]

This isn't Maine or Massachusetts, it's Mexico and "notarized" letters are about as useless as it can get. "Fraudulent" is a pretty strong word when I would own both cars. So I junk a perfectly good car? The PFP and SSP are suspicious, and sure as heck if I decided to leave that dash plaque with a few numbers still readable and have no other absolute proof, it is adios car. it goes to la corralon, the federal impound yard, forever. And I go to el bote, the jail. Wonderful, a car that passed the entry into California emissions test with flying colors. Just dandy.

I will live with the degradation and dishonor of deceiving myself and attempt to change the VIN plaques. I was just hoping for some tips.

 

[Bob Lincoln]

I don't see why you can't continue identifying the car with the door decal VIN. They've accepted it so far.

You'll never get the sticker off another car and on this one without tampering being obvious. Then you're really screwed.

There are other places on these cars where the VIN shows, there must be a way to demonstrate that. On my last Daytona, the VIN was also on the underside of the hood on a sticker. Unless the hood has been replaced, that should be good evidence to validate the door sticker.

 

[Dave Z]

Good points, if the police are rational at the time.

Wonder what Mr. Source would say?

 

[David Eidell]

Aduana is SO STRICT, they put the car in the shade and PHOTOGRAPH digitally with a camera the dashboard VIN number. It darned well better agree with the paperwork. At roadside checks many times the sun is wrong and the dashboard VIN plaque cannot be read, and then that's when I have to do the song and dance about convincing them to use the door sticker. If I have to, I'll replace the %$%^&$#@!!! entire door to get the job done. Look, it's either this malarkey or coming up with 8,000 dollars and a long, and I mean a REALLY long search to find a suitable replacement Mexican used car. But I NEED to know about how to replace the plastic VIN dashboard plaque.

Statement Above:

"The VIN stickers and plates are designed to be tamper evident"

How is the VIN plaque, the plate, designed to be tamper evident?. I'll change the entire door but I need that dash plaque changed. I don't need theory or conjecture, thank you I need real-life experiences actual knowledge.

Sure as shootin' they are going to nail me unless I do this. I am not a weekend tourist, I live here and I know how the cops and Aduana operate. What they look for.

Would you like to toss eight grand in the dumpster? Personally I cannot afford to.

And NO, positively and absolutely verified, I cannot go someplace and get "letters, documents, or stickers" that would satisfy highway checkpoint police. Document fraud is a way of life in Mexico and the cops are really hip on this. If I change the VIN plaque I am in like Flynn. The door decal and hood thingamajig are frosting on the cake and not absolutely necessary but would be nice.

How do you change the #%^&%$#!!! VIN plaque on the dash??? ???

 

[Bob Lincoln]

Do you know for certain that the VIN plate is plastic? I have never seen a vehicle that was. Can you check to see if it's metal with paint that dissolved? If so, clean it and you're good to go. I understand your frustration, but we're offering clean, legal solutions that you don't seem to be pursuing.

 

[Dave Z]

How do you change the #%^&%$#!!! VIN plaque on the dash??? ???

Just to add one comment -- an authorized dealer should be able to do this legally. You will need to bring all paperwork. You cannot legally do this yourself, period.