Reply to "Model Year"

Boss Wrench Hi it's Sharkey. I have one that can top that mess you spoke of, how about a car built with production month code of PL [Jan 74] but VIN on the car in three places [kick box, data tag, & dash] have the code NE for Dec '73! Title? Carried the PL. Now let's think about this for a moment. The factory releases the car that way, the car leaves Italy on a ship. Goes through TWO ports. Nobody checks the VIN. Only the PL & NE are mixed up. How did they not notice? No problem, so it ends up at Lincoln Mercury. They ALSO didn't check the VIN. Ford sells the car like that, the new owner never knew. 1980 rolls around, car gets sold a second time. Nobody notices or cares. Fast forward, car gets sold once again in 1989 when the second owner dies. Ditto. A few years ago the car sells yet again, still floating with this title/vehicle issue. Car goes from an MSO to title, to title [2nd owner] to title, & to title again. Problem pops up. Now the state won't issue a title, car has to go to DMV. Finally they caught it. Insurance won't cover the car. Problem is, most title issues involve missing a letter or number, 6 instead of 9 or l instead of I, but this? No, this is blatant. The car is way over 7000 on the VIN. It's for sure a 1974. Next stop, DMV [not tag agency], try to title it? DMV LOVES to cut numbers off cars. They may cut the numbers off the car right then and reassign it. Opps. What's just happened to the value of a 75 thousand dollar car. Would someone take that chance? Let's go back to the beginning for a moment, back to Lincoln Mercury. What would they have done if they saw the mistake, send the car back on a boat? I don't think so. SELL IT! Crazy stuff went on back then, factory goofs are ~still~ showing up 45 years later.