MARK J HASH wrote: > As someone who works for the DMV (in Oregon), I have to challenge any > organization who claims to be able to give an exact (or even approximate) > number of how many of a particular vehicle are "left" of our Forward Look > vehicles. VIN numbers on cars did not necessarily mean anything until 1981, > when federal law mandated a 17 digit VIN, with certain VIN digits meaning > certain things, including a model line. > Prior to 1981, auto manufacturers, and in fact manufacturers of anything > with wheels that operated on our highways, could devise their own VIN system > to mean anything that manufacturer wanted it to mean. Take for example, my > 1957 Plymouth Fury. I know that 7438 of these cars were produced. I also > know that somewhere in the neighborhood of 17 cars have been positively > identified by The Golden Fin Society. In Oregon, at least, DMV does not > track vehicles by model, prior to 1981 models, AT ALL, because of the many > variant VIN systems used by manufacturers. How many other states are also > this way? I know that some states don't even issue titles for vehicles that > are over a certain age!! snip > Any "estimates" of how many are left, are pure conjecture, based on > individual interpretations. Simply, they are, at best, educated guesses. > Mark mjh > '57 Fury in OR I know that in Indiana that IF there is no activity (if you do not get plates and pay taxes) on a car for 5 years then the title info is archived. If there is no activity for ten years then any and ALL info is purged. LOST FOREVER untill that car is eventually re-registered. (at least according to someone I know that works for the DMV here) -- Paul Holmgren Hoosier Corps #33, L-6 2 57 300-C's in Indy
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