possible stolen engine...

[Skedy]

hi all
i have an L98 in an rx7 that i tried to get registered today but unfortunately it looks like someone has tampered with the numbers....
i bought a wreck from fowles in melbourne and rang up and had the Vin checked before i bought it and it all come back sweet

after going throught the hassle of engineering the car and after 1.5 years of building the damn thing i have hit another brick wall:flipoff:

it looks like someone has punched a 5 into a 6. the engine number as it reads is not stolen but god knows what the engine number could really be....

worst part is my engineers certificate is now worthless... there goes 1500 bucks...

has anyone been in this situation before? i have reciepts from the auctions so it is all legit on my side

i just want to drive my car.....:bawl:

[JT]

Was the engine number noted on the receipt?

[OBNOXIOUS]

that sux mate

[Skedy]

nope... thats the worst part.
i no i havent done anything wrong apart from failing to check the engine number myself before i bought the car

i just got of to the phone to motor theft and they said they will send me a letter which could be 2 weeks to a month away about when they can inspect it...

they wouldnt tell me much more though

[macca33]

Ring the Organised Motor Vehicle Theft Squad at St.Kilda Road - 98652111.

The engine will have to be forensically inspected and don't hold your breath on the time that will take. It won't reappear in the same condition as you have it now, as the inspection process uses heat / chemicals, etc.

I'd also be speaking to the auction group - they supposedly provide clear title (and they SHOULD have recorded all details - VIN, Engine No. etc), so there may be an avenue for recompense that way.

Good luck.

cheers

[Skedy]

cheers mate
yeah i will be on the phone to fowles later....
this sucks balls i was so looking forward to driving it.....

[Tre-Cool]

does the engine# match the vin # of the car it was originally from, might be able to get the build details from holden to find out?

[Skedy]

yes it does match
ive confirmed with vicroads that the engine number and vin are supposed to be in that car.
what it looks like someone has done is change a stolen engine number to a legit one so they can get the car on the road.

its weird though cause they have added punches to numbers that cant be changed. like a zero cant be changed to any other number and yet theres punch marks on one side.

ill get a photo of the number tomorrow and post it up

[simsy23]

**** man that sucks, hope it all works out well, pretty sure the auction should legally reimburse if they sold it...

interested to see how it pans out

[OZY67]

dam not nice for you mate , I hope it works out fine in the long run ...

ozy

[hsv-direct]

So they have just tampered with the original number to change is slightly?
Cause I have seen genuine engines with the entire number cross out & new number stamped next to it, this was done by GM themselves.

[private9]

So they have just tampered with the original number to change is slightly?
Cause I have seen genuine engines with the entire number cross out & new number stamped next to it, this was done by GM themselves.

Yep, my last VX had that too.

[BanPC]

All I could find under the Motor Car Traders Act for the state of Victoria is a requirment under Section 50J that the auctioneer is required to keep and maintain records of the past owner of a vehicle and the person who bought it. These records are to be kept and produced under request from Police or the Committee.

[awesome _vzss]

i had a mate at work in a simular situation,it's a slow process but in the end you havn't
done anything wrong good luck with it.

Cheers steven

[LooneyR8]

I have also found that GM occassionally does change the engine number if a mistake is made. You should be ok as long as you can prove that the car was bought in good conscience and that the vehicle history can be tracked with no encumberance or current outstanding vehicle theft reports.

Good luck to you.....

[Skedy]

cheers fellas!
i have been making a few phone calls today
thankfully the engineer has said he will write me out another report if it takes longer than a month to sort out.
my roadworthy guy said he will right out another certificate aswell
i also rang the auction house and was given the number of the manager so if it does come back as stolen i can try sort something out with them.

so now i play the waiting game....
hopefully holden changed the engine number for whatever reason but im going to head out now and get a photo so you guys can see what the issue is and for anyone else looking at buying an engine knows what too look out for!

[Skedy]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v211/SkEdY/24032011320.jpg
as you can see someone has been at it with a punch and one 6 looks like it used to be a 5....
but its odd cause the last 7 numbers have been punched but they havnt tried to change the original number

[VX2VESS]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v211/SkEdY/24032011320.jpg
as you can see someone has been at it with a punch and one 6 looks like it used to be a 5....
but its odd cause the last 7 numbers have been punched but they havnt tried to change the original number

but the 0's also look like the 5/6 to me, fatter punching

[BanPC]

I would say they ran the punch over the other numbers without altering trying to get a more uniform appearance....I know in QLD auctioneers must do due dillegence and only offer for auction vehicles that have clear title and all square .... if the vehicle is encumbered they can still auction it but must (not may) must prior to the first bid make it clear and understood in any lot list and verbally prior to start.

[Kingston_99]

no good mate, i hope it all works out for you.

[Tre-Cool]

punching looks fine to me.

[HRT 8]

Skedy, that looks fine to me also.
There is often a variance in the stamping between numbers.

[Skedy]

sigh....
i assumed that vicroads would see alot of v8 holdens coming through and would no if there is variance between numbers.. but i guess they dont

they knew where the engine number was so they must have seen a fair few.

anyways i ran all the combinations through vicroads that the engine could be and they are all clean and not stolen so basically im in the clear and they cant take the motor of me i just have to wait for the cops to figure that out for themselves...

[cashie]

Maybe you need to get a couple of pics of other L98 engine numbers to confirm if yours is the "normal" stamping and to show VicRoads..?

[blu ute]

Maybe you need to get a couple of pics of other L98 engine numbers to confirm if yours is the "normal" stamping and to show VicRoads..?

Top idea :goodjob:

[VX2VESS]

also be good in the end if you could get compensated for all this hassle they are putting you through.

chance of that FA...

[deano23x]

outta curiosity which vicroads did you go to? cheers

[hsv-direct]

Here's a pic compare with.
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t199/bartz-m3/engine22.jpg

[sk8in]

if u look closely this also has the fatter punching in places and the 5/6 looks almost idencitle to urs possible thats just how they are?

[VT 2 EXEC LS1]

thats not factory punched!
to the original poster"get a stat dec signed and witnessed and get a vicroads new number"
have had to do this before,no big job at all.
take all relavent paper work and plead your case...it will work out
cheers

[Skedy]

i went to vicroads sunshine...
thats a good suggestion with the comparison pics and thanks for posting that number up!
the numbers look really similar in shape i think its just the depth of the punchings on mine. its really light in some areas and then heavy in others.

ive run all the combinations through vicroads of the numbers that could be different and none of them are stolen so i think ill just need to get a new number stamped on. hopefully it happens asap though...