I wanted to get some insight from other car enthusiasts and racers here on honda-tech. Here in Las Vegas the local law enforcement decided they wanted to curb car theft by pulling over and checking under the hood of every honda or acura they think would have a motor swap in it. We've had over several cars impounded in the last week or so, for transmissions that didn't have the vin numbers on them. The viper squad insist they must be stolen if the vin plate or sticker isn't on the tranny. There have been many complaints against the metro police department and viper anti-theft squad. Some jdm trannies come with the vin number as a sticker and i beleive some imported jdm trannies don't even come with the vin number on them, and even the dealership doesn't have the vin numbers on the tranny when you buy it new. Many honda and acura car enthusiasts are puzzled on what to do and who to talk to as in bringing this issue to a halt. I also beleive they charge the car owners for storage and labor on taking the trannies out of the cars.

 

I've been hearing the same thing. The scene has been ruined in Vegas, for those of us who have remained legit.

 

well if that is the case you should have the proper documentation/reciept and i doubt they could do that. hopefully people dont throw away their reciepts and bill of sales just to keep on the straight and narrow with stolen parts being a dime a dozen. if u but it legit then you have to have the paperwork.

 

They have been doing that here in NY for years now. If its anything like NY is, get used to it. The guys over here know what they are looking for and learn more on a daily basis. You will see alot of cars get taken and alot of people locked up. Shop will get raided and things will change for the better. It happened over here and since then alot of the dirtbag theives have been taken care of but they are still out there.

As far as the tranny issue goes, if the trans doesnt have a stickers and its obd1 trans it will not be taken. The sticker isnt a solid object and they cant do anything if it isnt there. If the sticker is there on an obd1 trans it can be traced back to the original vehichle. Now for obd 2 trannies, the ones that are missing vins are considered stolen, end of story. The same goes for the obd2 trannies with the sticker, it can be run even if the vin is cut off. If the sticker is still there and the vin is cut of and the tranny is legit you can get charged with the tampeing of a vin plate which over here is a felony. Now for the jdm trannies and obd trannies from the dealer, the holes where the vin plate goes is actually smaller then the holes that are tapped for the vin plate. The guys over here have a "no go" type tool. If the tool fits you are screwed. Some guys over here were reaming out the threads after removing the vin plates and making it look like a new case or jdm one, but they realized what was going on and now have the tool.

There are alot of ways to run stuff and the system is all connected. i have seen stuff come back stolen as far as canada, cali and other places. It is crzy how far stuff travels and it sucks for the guys who dont know the stuff is stolen and lose there car.

 

So glad i live in indiana.. No smog. no vehicle inspection. you can drive around with a T1 turbo/wastegate style exhaust if you wanted. cops dont care. i use to drive around with the all motor car side exit header.

Got pulled over a couple of times for NOISE.. told the cop i was going home from the drag strip. they let me go.

 

yea they moved up here, i have to block my trailer in with 2 cars just so they can't get in the doors.

 

the theft stuff is crazy. we have been getting a good amount of business from customers that dont want to deal with other local shops because of the rumors they may be paying for and receiving stolen parts.

i wont hesitate to send a customer away if i think there might even be the slightest possibility they are dealing with shady/stolen parts. if there is one thing i cant stand, its thieves.

 

this is happening as we speak at my friends garage right now he was just on the phone with me. over a tranny that he just rebuilt and when they acid dipped it at the shop they took the numbers off it was an older cable tranny with the sticker not the plate. they also took his turbo kit away from him cuz he bought it on craigslist and has no paper work . this is the reason why made my car just for the track now .. p.s we talked to our tranny guy and he is also a cop he told me that there not serial or vin numbers there just casting numbers anyone know the truth to this?

 

Old trans had a VIN plate or a VIN sticker.

 

If you are LEGIT you have nothing to worry about. I think its funny how people get all worried cause there is a new auto theft task force. If you are legit then you have nothing to worry about. END OF STORY.

 

legit or not if your going to waste my time cause you took some class that tells you how to profile a certain type of car or person and then pull me over or come looking threw my stuff wasting my time and then take something that is in my car or belongs to me your better think again if its in my car or my house i bought it and i thought possession was nine tenths of the law

 

Not really. You could buy a swapped car and not pay attention to the missing vin plate on the transmission and then be labeled a thief. Ignorance is no excuse, but when you put a whole bunch of new rules on people you're going to have a lot of legit people get caught in the net at first.

Chicago theft is getting pretty bad from what I hear. I'm glad I'm pretty far away from it now but I always get nervous parking my s2k down there.

 

thats why i sell all my trannies with a bill of sale and copy of the original pink slip, sometimes best to pay $100 more or $200 more and get paper work, so you dont get fu$ked in the future, if they dont have paper work on a tranny then to a cop its stolen, so dont buy without a bill of sale , and if you want to be safe dont buy jdm trannies. buy usdm with vin #'s

 

thieves FTL

 

like i said if you are legit you have nothing to worry about. If you bought a car without a vin tag on something then your not legit and are welcoming the law to give you problems.

 

same here in MY PART of georgia.

 

here's on of the post of a guy here from our forum. http://www.lvracingscene.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=62448

 

if i were you guys i would have a video camera mounted in your car or have a audio device on me at all times. **** that ****. pull over and pop your hood.. HAHAHA stupid hicks around here wouldnt know what to look for

 

Cops have been doing that in So Cal since the early 90's... Nothing new.. Just make sure you dont buy anything hot...

 

They started doin that here in Spokane last year. We were out at the track and my 95 del sol b16 tranny has the sticker ID tag on it thats about to come off, and the cops were walking around at the track checkin out all the fast cars. They came and checked mine and the cop told me if that tag falls off they have the new authority to impound my car and hold it till they conclude in investigation. they were trained out here that EVERY tranny has a vin tag or ID tag and if either are missing, then its considered stolen and the car gets impounded.

 

obd1 trannies dont have a vin tag though?

 

then dont buy one and youll be safe

 

For now we have not had much issue with this but if its a way to crack down on theft I can see it coming sometime. I am all for catching these douche canoe's stealing people parts, they need to get that under control... I hate effin thieves.

However I dont like that the task force/ pd might not have the proper knowledge to know how to identify potentially stolen transmissions and simply will dump the responsibilty back on the owner prove otherwise.

 

come on we should all know we live in a guilty prove yourself innocent society from exhaust tickets to modified suspension now this stuff just get the proper documents if you have to buy a used part

 

i got a 2000 b16a tranny for sale with vin # and i have the original pink slip and ill give buyer bill of sale

and tranny casing is fully polished $600

100% legit, doesnt get any more legit than this , if someone wants to stay safe and out of trouble hit me up