Hi Tom. I had my car completely media blasted, and in the process, even
though it was covered, the VIN plate was hit with a little media. The
bodyman, then took the VIN plate off, during his resto work. I found
out after he had removed it.
My car was TACed, last year, at TACFest, by Tom Hall, Sr. Inspector, and
Lou Abbot and Tom Calvert, the other 2 TAC Inspectors, necessary to do a
complete inspection. As a TAC Inspector myself, I could not inspect my
own car.
I would suggest that you contact Gary Ott, TAC Chairman,
<gotttiger@yahoo.com>,and discuss your issues directly with him.
Having the VIN plate with original rivets is helpful in the inspection,
but certainly not the only points that are looked at.
With Algers popping up again, the TAC process and registry with Norm,
again shows their value.
Larry
Tom Witt wrote:
>
> " but you would be best off to talk to a local TAC inspector or someone else
> that has a good understanding of the Tiger/Alpine authenticity issues."
>
> Russ,
> I would agree with Theo, but you may not like what you hear. The TAC
> inspectors came down (L.A. area) this past (2001) Summer to TAC cars in the
> area. My car was (still isn't) running, but they were having a "TAC on
> wheels" where they came to you to TAC the car. I asked if the inspection
> could be done and the sticker applied later as the heat from welding and the
> need to paint the area of application (I had not repaired inner fender rust
> yet) was going to be a problem. There was some talk about doing the actual
> inspection and then later a minor re-inspection before the sticker would be
> placed on the car.
> Well, it all became a mote point as I live about 60 miles from the CAT
> Warehouse and they ran out of time before the got to my house. I had
> speculated this and told one of the inspectors that I was in the process of
> stripping the whole bottom and interior floor of the car of undercoat, paint
> and coating the areas with POR-15. He commented to me " well you better get
> your car inspected before you alter to much and we can't tell certain
> things." After hearing this I was even more eager for them to come out that
> day, but as I mentioned they never got there.
> I later contacted Buck Trippel who headed the inspection up down here on
> CAT's end and he made a similar comment of " I'd agree (with the Big Guy)
> that it would be best to have the (car) looked at asap." Note: Big Guy was
> my discription of the unknown inspector I spoke with.
> Now that was something like 8 months ago. I realize that this is done at
> the cost and volunteering of the inspectors so I don't want to put the
> weight on them, but am I supposed to do nothing for a whole year?
> I will say I would find it hard to believe that replacing the outer
> rockers, an inner rocker, and patching the firewall / innerfender merging
> point would alter Tiger only characteristics. Also a number of cars that
> passed the day I was at the on site inspection looked to have been
> completely stripped and repainted thus it doesn't seem consistent and
> baffles me with their concerns that I was stripping the paint and undercoat
> to apply POR-15.
> Obviously they would like to see cars with as few changes as possible, but
> I do think there are things known to inspect for that would not have left me
> apprehensive to proceed with my project. I say all this because if you talk
> to a TAC inspector you too may hear that they need to see your car before
> you do any work, but like me it could be a year from hearing that (for me I
> was told that they would get to my car next Summer 2002).
> To the end of all this I have continued to work on the car. I had
> previously started at the rear and am literally taking it a foot at a time.
> However, I have attempted to leave as much of the original paint as was
> practical around the trans. tunnel/firewall and brace mounts on the inner
> fender panels. These being about the only Tiger spacific items (I know of)
> that I haven't repainted. I am rather confident in passing a TAC inspection.
> My car was stored at Smitty's by the previous owner and Smitty confirmed it
> to be a real Tiger when I asked him. Also I have email from Norm Miller
> saying he had seen my car and knew it to be a real Tiger also.
> It is a real rock and a hard place. If you want your Tiger TAC-ed your
> admonished to stop working on it. At the same time your potentially left
> hanging for perhaps a year from getting anything done. Hopefully this
> posting wil bring some resolve to the issue for what I'm sure affects many
> others in the same position. Respectfully to those on both sides of the
> issue, Tom Witt B9470101
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Theo Smit" <tsmit@shaw.ca>
> To: "Russ Eshelman" <russe@firstva.com>
> Cc: <tigers@autox.team.net>
> Sent: Sunday, March 10, 2002 12:33 PM
> Subject: Re: Tiger body repair
>
> > Russ, that's a tough question. Legally, the chassis (in our case the body
> > structure) carries the serialized identification elements of the car, and
> the
> > local DMV will question any car that looks like it was repaired in such a
> way as
> > to obfuscate its identity. For example, the VIN plate on Tigers and
> Alpines is
> > mounted in the same way, in the same place on the cowl, and technically
> any of
> > these vehicles where non-OEM rivets are holding the plate on, are possibly
> the
> > victim of an ID swap. Usually there is enough circumstantial evidence
> (body finish
> > techniques and details in the stampings, hole locations etc.) to pinpoint
> roughly
> > the time of its production, which can help to substantiate a car's ID. But
> if a
> > Tiger or Alpine showed up with original rivets but with an obvious cowl
> > replacement or patch repair, such a vehicle would be equally (or more)
> suspected
> > of being a fraud.
> >
> > So how much of a Tiger can you replace with Alpine sheetmetal? Well, lots,
> I
> > guess, but you would be best off to talk to a local TAC inspector or
> someone else
> > that has a good understanding of the Tiger/Alpine authenticity issues.
> Since the
> > bulk of the body panel substitutions (but my no means all) between Tigers
> and
> > Alpines are in the firewall and transmission tunnel areas, repairing areas
> that
> > are not near there with Alpine sheetmetal are not much of an issue. If you
> are
> > going to make an effort to restore the original shell, then try your best
> to not
> > remove the VIN plate (alkaline dip will remove aluminum, so don't keep the
> plate
> > on there if you're going to dip it, or else figure out how to keep the
> solution
> > away from the VIN plate and the backside of the cowl panel), and document
> the
> > restoration and chassis repairs extensively.
> >
> > But again, before you start, talk to an expert.
> >
> > Theo
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