About 4 years ago I had an ls vtec motor built. Paid close to 5000 for everything. At the time I knew verry little about import motors. My origional reason to go to the shop was to have my GSR motor fixed. It would blow smoke a lot out the tail pipe when hitting Vtec. I got pulled over because of this and got a one way trip to the ref. I wanted the shop to bore and re-ring my motor as to stop the smoking problem. After removing the head, we found a piece of the spark plug in the cylinder and it had scored the cylinder beyond boring capabilities. Instead of the expensive process of removing the cylinders and pressing new ones in I opted for a used but in good shape block. I let the mechanic doing the work find me a block. He called me and told me he found me a block in great shape for 700. So I paid cash for it and got no reciept. (my bad) Mechanic told me that he got it from a buddy. I didn't think i needed to see the block so I had him ship it off to the machine shop. It is a GSR block thats all I know. When the motor was completely built, and the mechanic calld me telling me that my car was ready to be picked up, upon my inspection of the work I noticed there were no nombers on the block. I asked the mechanic about this and he told me that its not stolen and the buddy he got it from sanded them off because he didnt want people knowing what kind of motor he was running. (stupid me took his word for it) I was just happy that it was finally done, all I wanted to do was go rip on it! Smog ref didn't have a problem with the numbers missing so I figured everything was ok. Just recently I got pulled over and now my car is impounded due to the numbers missing and I managed to recieve a misdermeanor for it! The CHP is holding it for investigation to see if it is a stolen block. I have heard there are vin numbers on various spots of the block. Does anybody know where these places are? Bottom line is, worst case senario I get my car back with no motor. I have reciepts for all internals but not the block due to the fact I paid cash for it in the middle of the building process and failed to ask for a reciept. (again stupid me) Plus to make matters worse the shop that built the motor is no longer in busisness. Any advice or thoughts in this matter would be much appriciated. Thanks.

 

There's usually a VIN plate on the front of the tranny, near where it meets the block. B series blocks that I've seen that have had VIN plates have had them in the middle of the front of the block, right above where the oil pan meets it. Blocks that don't have VIN tags(like new OEM blocks you can buy from a dealer) will usually have two open holes for rivets where the VIN tag would go. In any case, the fact that your replacement block had no VIN tag and had the block number sanded off sounds pretty shady, since essentially all the possible identification markings are gone.

 

Yea your not geting that back, sorry to say. I think they are going to run every vin number on the car now. Just to make sure there is not anything else. Good luck with it

 

I still have the block that came fro my car origionally. there is no vin tag on it either. I checked out the whole block andi could onl find numbers awere it cays B18 C1 then thare a few numbers under that. Thanks for your thoughts. Ill cross my fingers and see what happens. I have a built head also. I hope they don't take that!

 

mine doesnt have it either... how come? its a pre 1996 b18c1....

 

I'll tell you this from experience...

Do NOT be too scared to fight them on this... NEVER consider yourself "done"... Unless they PROVE that the block is in fact STOLEN, they can not say it is STOLEN...

Think about that for a second, let it sink it...

That being said, they can keep your motor... But when it comes to stolen stuff, a Felony is what you want to avoid... You can always get another motor.

Don't be afraid to say who you got it from, and let the cops do their job (might be hard to get them to do) and track down the owner of the used-to-be shop...

Contact the city and call around until you get someone that can tell you who owns or used to own a business... Track the guy down, and drag him into the mess with you...

Or, if pre 96 blocks don't have numbers (anyone else know if this is for sure?) then just say it is a pre 96 block. The police aren't nearly always correct... How many of us have been REF'd but passed? Pulled over and searched but had nothing on us? The cops arent always right, but they will always start with the most drastic measure possible.

Call the detective handling your case, document all calls, record all conversations and TELL HIM you are going to record.

I wish I was being overboard here, but believe me, if there is ANYONE that knows how this works on here, it would be me... Feel free to ask any questions and Ill do my best to help you out.