To remove or not to remove ID tags

[Wombat7051]

Not to start an argument ...but.... from the info that I have been told by a certain panel beater.
Back when I was an apprentice you could buy every body part / panel from Holden. In fact you could buy a whole body. Therefore in an accident back in the day, when panel beaters actually "beat panels", rather than bolted them on and off, you had to unpick parts and reattach the new panel. It was also took a lot more of a hit to write a car off so in most cases, with panels available, cars were repaired.
I guess what I am getting at is that Holden appeared to view a body as a spare part, able to be replaced. Therefore if the tags were removed and put on a replacement body way back in the day, after a smash and the car returned to the customer who would know today.
The only argument against that would be why then would Holden put a body number on the id tags.
I think the whole removal of tags thing got a bad name when rebirthing scams were exposed, this then lead to the introduction of VINs and write off registers.
In saying all of this I will always remove the tags for safe keeping till they go back after a resto. Also too easy to slip with sander etc and damage them.

[wbute]

Yep. Chassis were a replaceable part too. They came with no number stamped in them.

[SLR_dave]

Here we are again, and I think this will probably go on for ever. I realise that many have removed their tags for one reason or another, so whenever this comes up there will be many that say it's fine to do so. Others will disagree. The restorer asking the question is almost always asking about potential future value of the car.

I think, if a person really needs to know about the ramifications of removing ID tags, and wants to be sure about it, the answer is to ask their local RTA. Unless somehow this site becomes a Holden historical society I don't see that any reliable answer can be given here.

I think this question should stop being asked of the forum. The legal answer is... get approval (from someone in authority) first. An internet forum can never provide that authority. Just sayin. (its ok I expect a blast, this subject always brings dissention)

I dunno, but here's a question; should an internet car enthusiasts website with a small membership be continually expected to field questions from the world at large that have been shown to start internal disagreement within contributors to the established website?

I reckon ban this topic!! (Wow!) Nobody on this site can reasonably be expected to give or know the answer to this. The question should not be asked. The answer is well known, removing ID tags without approval is illegal. That does not mean everyone who has done this for a good reason has a de-valued car, not by any means. However, I'm wondering if its reasonable to ask advice on this topic from a website forum, I think there is a legal position easily accessed in each state or territory.

Anyways just sayin!

[stickthis]

OK. This is something that may make people think twice about NOT removing and re riveting the ID tags.

My HZ Sandman ute. I restored it back in 1998 (modified). I did not remove the tags as I wanted the original saddle tan metallic paint under them still. As ive changed the colour.

2 years ago. I was under the bonnet wiping over the firewall etc after a wash. I wiped off my body tag!!!!!!!!!!! It fell onto the ground! WTF! The rivets had corroded underneath. The top of the rivet still looked perfect! Mint! But underneath it had obviously corroded away!

If this happened while driving along I would have lost my body tag. On a very rare car. The only saddle tan metallic HZ Sandman ute recorded.

So now tell me. why shouldn't we replace the rivets!

[wbute]

Sorry SLR Dave but the tags do not identify the car in the RMS eyes. Look on the rego papers. Just Chassis number and engine number. Neither of which can be removed.

[seavan]

OK. This is something that may make people think twice about NOT removing and re riveting the ID tags.

My HZ Sandman ute. I restored it back in 1998 (modified). I did not remove the tags as I wanted the original saddle tan metallic paint under them still. As ive changed the colour.

2 years ago. I was under the bonnet wiping over the firewall etc after a wash. I wiped off my body tag!!!!!!!!!!! It fell onto the ground! WTF! The rivets had corroded underneath. The top of the rivet still looked perfect! Mint! But underneath it had obviously corroded away!

If this happened while driving along I would have lost my body tag. On a very rare car. The only saddle tan metallic HZ Sandman ute recorded.

So now tell me. why shouldn't we replace the rivets!

Jason, funny you put this up, I was working in the shed today and talking to a mate about this thread on here and as we were talking I flicked one of the large tags, then tinkle tinkle,it hit the concrete! Yep the rivets looked fine on top but had coroded through where they were fastened to the body. If that one is like that after 40 odd years I wonder how many are driving around ready to drop off. New rivets all round for this Black Duck now!

[stickthis]

Yes! Its a big wake up call to me! Like you have found. I think people are CRAZY if they don't replace the rivets. Or atleast one of them.

[maxsandman]

Just a question, are the replacement tag rivets advertised on e-bay OK, or are there better ones to use?

cheers
Max

[Valencia]

Yes there fine Max i bought a set a few years ago

[Kris282]

I see i opened a little can of worms on this one. Thanks everyone for your thoughts!

FyI - i had the tags vapour blasted and they came up mint without loosing any numbers or warping the tags.