Pontiac Bodywork & Rust Repair - Is It Legal To Rebody?

Unfortunately, the answers we were looking for don't actually exist, at least not at a Federal level. Said Wisner, "I can give you the potatoes but not the meat for your research." There are no hard and fast guidelines for determining how much of an original car must be present or which pieces are considered vital components. "The truth is, there's a lot of gray area with regard to the legal threshold for what constitutes an original car," said Wisner. "It essentially comes down to the discretion of the enforcement agency."

What usually ends up happening is a determination is made by an officer of the state police in the jurisdiction of the offense. Whether or not he or she is qualified to make that determination is not usually explored. This is not a slam against any state police officer, but without a set of legal guidelines, adequate training cannot be developed.

"I really wish there were Federal guidelines, it would make our job a lot easier," said John Jackson, a special unit investigator for the New York State Police, whose unit is based out of Rochester. "There needs to be a national database for cloned vehicles, like there is for stolen vehicles."

One point that remains clear is that swapping VIN tags around is a Federal crime. If a body shop finds multiple VINs on the body, they are required to contact the appropriate authorities. This is the source for many of the tips leading to arrest.

What it all boils down to is there is no real safety net for enthusiasts investing in musclecars. While it doesn't happen all of the time, the practice of rebodying musclecars for profit is common enough to raise serious concerns throughout the hobby. Often, a seller is truly unaware that his or her car has been rebodied. The owner is a victim, possibly paying a purchase price way above the car's true value, and is open to litigation when selling it.

The only remedy is to arm yourself with as much knowledge as possible. Joining a club like POCI or GTOAA is a great start. Appraisers can help authenticate a vehicle, and of course, PHS is a great resource for Pontiac fans. It remains the envy of collectors of other marques as no one else can document a vehicle with original factory records with the same level of detail. Also, consult your state government to learn of any specific guidelines in your area.

Still, none of this will guarantee a fraud-free experience, but it will increase the odds. With any luck, this wake-up call will help a reader or two avoid making a huge mistake.

Thanks to Jim Mattison of PHS for his help with the preparation of this article.

Editors Note: To anyone who may recognize any of the project cars shown in this story. No one is implying that the owners are selling these cars with the intent to rebody. So please, no letters about how HPP said so-and-so's car is a fake or potentially will become one! These Pontiacs were simply photographed at swap meets to illustrate this story.