[Tigers] Bent Tiger

[vegaslegal at aol.com]

I've previously dealt with this subject and taken some heat on it.? From a legal perspective, as a general rule, the vin plate defines the car.? Normally this will be attached to the cowl such that the cowl defines the car.? Still, I'm familiar with (and have even assisted in titling) persons who have bought and "restored" shells/rust buckets/totals through partnering two such vehicles.??Invariably, the one with the most valuable vin plate receives the title.

In cases such as the bent?Tiger, a?rebody?from a solid Alpine would result in a Tiger.? Additionally, when the two?Tigers are paired, obviously the resulting car?is a Tiger.? For an example of how this works, a sample application for a salvage title can be found at:

http://www.arkansas.gov/dfa/motor_vehicle/documents/aff_rec_dmv.pdf

The heirarchy can be seen from the form with, essentially, the cowl first and the frame second.? There is nothing on the form that requires the vehicle with the majority of the parts being the surviving vehicle.? Note that this can result in multiple cars sharing the same vin as well.? This is not uncommon amongst?Corvettes, and is even seen in at least one Tiger.??On Norm's site, for example, a dual vin is referenced for an MK1A.

As to how I would view the particular car, I would view it as a true Tiger two steps from original.? There is obviously value in originality.? The only way to determine this factor is?provenence.? 

As to how the community would view the car, I'm still a bit of an outsider, but clearly, more than many other communities, the originality of the build and the uninterrupted history of the car is paramount in the Tiger community.? It seems that a rebuilt Tiger is obviously acceptable in the community.? The problem is in the car's lesser sister, and staying away from all things Alpine is the best bet for assuring acceptance.