Any information on a dealer?

[vernz]

I am drooling over a 1959 Thunderbird convertible in Flamingo Pink with White interior. The car is at Gateway Classics and is located in their St. Louis Showroom. Their "VIN" number is GCCSTL7721. I live in New York and have not seen the car in person. Does anyone have any experience with this dealer that would help me. Even better, is anyone familiar with that particular car? It is listed as a mid '90's restoration that "shows well" but has some wear showing on the interior and some "minor pitting" on the chrome in a few places.


Thanks, Vern

[Frango100]

I´m by no means a specialist, but this VIN seems strange. Just checked their site, but the VIN should be:
H9YJ107399, which makes more sense.

[vernz]

I know that is not a true VIN. I believe it is their stock number that they call a "VIN".


Vern

[YellowRose]

Any information on a dealer?

Hi Vern, I just sent you a PM. If anyone on this Forum can check this car out for Vern, go to the Technical Resource Library and down at the bottom you will see the Vehicle Checklist that members of this Forum put together to use to check out a Tbird. Print it out and run it against this Tbird if you go check it out and let Vern and us the results. I do not know anything about that company, except that they have branch offices all over the nation. As you said, that is not an OEM VIN #, and if we can find out what it is, we can check to see if it is in the Tbird Registry. If anyone knows this Tbird, please tell us.

Frank, I did not see that VIN # listed anywhere on that ad. According to the Tbird Registry that # you cited belongs to a Platinum '59 Tbird that may no longer exist... RN #5329. Yup, according to that Illinois data plate it has a J 430 engine. The ad says it should be an H=352.

[DKheld]

Not the factory data plate but one issued when a car is rebuilt or restored and the original is lost or not on the car. Be interesting to see if that matches the vin stamped on the inner fender.

Is that rust coming back through all along the edge of the fender to door pillar seam?

http://www.gatewayclassiccars.com/im...21/7721lll.jpg

Check the fit of the fender skirt on the drivers side.

The tube for the thermostat on the A/C system is hanging out in the engine compartment and not entering the evaporator box where it should be - I'd be suspicious of how good the A/C system works.

http://www.gatewayclassiccars.com/im...1/7721tttt.jpg


Just a few things I see - not trying to bash the car - looks nice but I think it's way over priced. (JMHO)

Hope it's the right one for you though !!!

[Frango100]

Isn't this the car? : http://www.fossilcars.com/ford/thunderbird/889017. A/C and radio are not working.
Indeed, it seems that the car is not in the original paint color nor the original interior colors.

[jopizz]

Just my opinion but the interior looks terrible. Not only isn't it the correct color (Squarebirds never had an all white interior) but the interior door panels and quarter panels are all wrinkled. That and the botched data plate would make me look elsewhere.

John

[YellowRose]

Any information on a dealer?

Yes, that is the car. There is something strange going on with this car... I have no idea why someone would put a data plate like that on it. It certainly is not an OEM data plate. You can get replacement plates easy enough these days. But for that VIN # showing it to be a J code 430, when the engine says it is a 352, and that serial number, makes me want to run away from it. Especially what the Registry has to say about that VIN # that is already registered in the Tbird Registry.. Something fishy is going on. Plus, as others have said, it has some problems that certainly do not warrant that price tag IMHO..

[jopizz]

The "J" in the last digit of the VIN indicates that it's a convertible. If it was a 430 it would have a "J" as the first digit.

John

[YellowRose]

Any information on a dealer?

Yup! I might be losing my mind! I was thinking '60 & J Code - 430!

[vernz]

Thanks a ton for all the responses. I had not seen the picture of the so called data plate (that was on my list of questions). To me, that replacement plate is a deal killer. I also was not aware that the interior never came in all white. I had planned on checking that out when I saw the data plate. The pictures sure made that look like a pretty car, but there are too many issues for the price being asked. Guess I will keep looking.


Vern

[Dan Leavens]

Vern probably a wise choice

[Sherman]

My wife, who worked in insurance for six years, thinks that perhaps the original VIN belongs to a salvage title, and that assigning a new VIN gives it a "Clean" title.

[JohnG]

You might look into how the title law in your state works before you go further.

In my state (MA) all vehicles are titled, regardless of age. Which means an accurate VIN, not something someone made up along the way. For me to get that car titled (or I never register it), I would need a legal document (old reg, title, something . . . ) showing the VIN. Without that, a tough path to getting it to be legally mine or register it.

New York might well be easier, but the point is that caution is in order.

At first I thought: maybe somone created a modern VIN but that requires 17 digits.

Thankfully, as John pointed out, the original VIN can be gotten off the body.

Columbo may need to be called in to help out (standing there in his trenchcoat with one hand up to his forehead "Now can you explain to me how that plate got attached to that car? Cuz I sure can't." )

John

[vernz]

John, I have a 60 Golde top J code that came out of California. When I went to register it in NY, I discovered that the title had one wrong digit in the number. I was expecting quite an issue to get it fixed, but in NY they do not title cars that old. I just needed to submit pictures of the VIN that is stamped on the frame along with some paperwork and received a correctly numbered registration.