SuzukiSavage.com - Vin stamp question

aschrock

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Vin stamp question
10/12/12 at 21:13:35

Hey guys, I'm in the middle of a rebuild on a savage, I'm stripping the frame down to paint right now. I noticed when I began to sand near the Vin stamp on the frame it was removing the stamping for the vin. Is there an easier way to remove the paint in the area without damaging the vin stamping? I had tried just using paint stripper, but I had absolutely ZERO luck in that endeavor. Also, i what can I do if in painting the frame the paint collects in the stamping to where it covers It up? Is it legal to just have the vin restamped or etched? This is my first attempt at a bike restoration and I was just curious about these things. Thanks!

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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Vin stamp question Reply #1 - 10/12/12 at 21:29:17 IDK if this will work, so, try it somewhere it wont matter first. Mask off area. Put wax on it. Mite need to heat it & use a popsicle stick. Then apply stripper,
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Greg-E YaBB Newbies Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 16	Re: Vin stamp question Reply #2 - 10/13/12 at 09:23:28 Depending on the mood of the police officer, if the VIN looks strange they will impound the vehicle. I wouldn't touch it with anything other than chemical strippers and then make sure the paint doesn't completely fill in the numbers.
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aschrock YaBB Newbies Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 23	Re: Vin stamp question Reply #3 - 10/13/12 at 12:18:21 Alright, and more more question. Which is the actual legal vin? The frame stamping or the etching on the metal plaque on the frame?
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Greg-E YaBB Newbies Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 16	Re: Vin stamp question Reply #4 - 10/13/12 at 12:23:40 Probably both.
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aschrock YaBB Newbies Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 23	Re: Vin stamp question Reply #5 - 10/13/12 at 12:33:59 Well I know cars generally have 4 or 5 stampings on them... But only one is the actual legal Vin that the DOT cares about. So I assumed bikes would be the same, I just was unsure which it would be
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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Vin stamp question Reply #6 - 10/13/12 at 16:19:34 If I was afraid I was gonna mess up a vin Id sure be taking before, during & after shots soi I could prove what happened.
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aschrock

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Re: Vin stamp question
Reply #7 - 10/13/12 at 17:27:22

justin_o_guy2 wrote on 10/13/12 at 16:19:34:

If I was afraid I was gonna mess up a vin Id sure be taking before, during & after shots soi I could prove what happened.

oh don't worry i have been doing just that. i definitely don't want any issues with it in the future. I just figured while i was in the process of stripping the paint of the frame and painting that i'd ask around just to see what info i might could find on which one is the one that matters to the govt.

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Greg-E

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Re: Vin stamp question
Reply #8 - 10/13/12 at 18:09:18

aschrock wrote on 10/13/12 at 12:33:59:

Well I know cars generally have 4 or 5 stampings on them... But only one is the actual legal Vin that the DOT cares about. So I assumed bikes would be the same, I just was unsure which it would be

They don't care until one of them is suspected as being bad. I'm told that in California that if the serial number on the engine doesn't match what is on the frame the vehicle may be impounded due to the high rate of theft for chop up. Not sure if it is true or not, but worth noting because if they are walking through parking lots checking serial numbers on engines, and they see a VIN stamp that looks like it has been tampered with, your cycle will be gone when you walk out.

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verslagen1 YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline Where there's a will, I want to be in it. Posts: 28884 L.A. California Gender:	Re: Vin stamp question Reply #9 - 10/13/12 at 18:26:02 go out and look at your vin number, now look at the engine serial number... don't match do they. same with the honda 70's and those numbers are a lot closer in format.
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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Vin stamp question Reply #10 - 10/13/12 at 19:47:27 Im 57. Ive never had anyone ask for my VIN that I wasnt insuring or registering something & no one has ever gone to look at it themselves to verify what I was saying,
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Greg-E YaBB Newbies Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 16	Re: Vin stamp question Reply #11 - 10/14/12 at 00:19:28 Seems funny to me too since they almost never match unless built for the military where everything may get the same serial number, but it is what I've been told. Still, I wouldn't mess around with the stamped VIN numbers anywhere on the cycle just to be safe. If it looks like one might have been altered they could impound it.
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WD

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Re: Vin stamp question
Reply #12 - 10/14/12 at 10:01:18

Clean the numbers out with a small dental pick or a heavy duty needle. Don't sand around them, strip that frame section with a razor blade. When you go to repaint the frame fill the numbers with wax, prime and paint as usual. When done, clean out the numbers and then paint them in a contrasting color via model paints and brush or toothpick.

Have done dozens of bikes this way w/o issue.

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Charon Serious Thumper Offline Posts: 1811 Harvard, NE Gender:	Re: Vin stamp question Reply #13 - 10/14/12 at 18:00:22 Why not do the obvious, and call your DMV to find out what THEY think? THEY are the people you will have to satisfy, not we forum members.
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aschrock

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Re: Vin stamp question
Reply #14 - 10/14/12 at 18:32:37

Charon wrote on 10/14/12 at 18:00:22:

Why not do the obvious, and call your DMV to find out what THEY think? THEY are the people you will have to satisfy, not we forum members.

Gee why didn't I think of that? Obviously I could call them but not on a weekend. Plus dealing with a member here who might know is a lot easier than dealing with the oh so cheery and helpful people at the little rock dmv.

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