ok here we go. my buddy had a 57 belair. bought in 1965. had all his life. was restored in 2006. painted ,body work and interior. sat in his garage until 2024. came down with parkinson’s after liver transplant. passed in 2020. well when the painter did body he removed Vin tags and plate. i know it’s a no no. but it is what it is. i talked to his son about it,where it might be. i thought it would be somewhere in his garage tool box , has not located it,i talk to Mary. , his widow. showed her pics, said i seen them in the house but cant remember where. so if not found what are our options?
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You will probably have to locate a serial number, probably on the frame is your best shot. You'll probably have to apply for a bonded title, and I believe the state will have to issue a serial number to title it. Here in Arizona, we can use title services, who handle the whole process, usually effortlessly. In Illinois, well, good luck. -
I think there are vendors online that sell duplicate Vin plates, but the problem either way would be how it is attached to the car. If it doesn't look original this can be a red flag to law enforcement. If no inspection of the car is needed for title transfer then it shouldn't be an issue. When I purchased my 55 back in the 70's it had to have the vin verified because it still had a California title. I have never needed that done for title transfers where the car already had a Wisconsin title. You would need to check with your DMV what the laws are in Illinois. Another option would be a bonded title where you eventually get a clear title as long as no one makes a claim of ownership within a set time period.
Good luck getting this all straightened out.
Brian,
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yea i have a good title that was signed. it has been sent off to be put in my name already. i’m going to look for vin on frame.Last edited by Huckster; 11-28-2025, 06:25 AM.Comment
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well was able to get to frame and found Vin. it matches title. yeaComment
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