Include VIN in subject line when discussing car for sale? | FerrariChat
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Include VIN in subject line when discussing car for sale?

Discussion in 'Ferrari Discussion (not model specific)' started by nsxnick, Dec 21, 2008.

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  1. nsxnick

    nsxnick Formula 3

    Jul 24, 2001
    1,481
    Detroit
    Full Name:
    Nick
    #1 nsxnick, Dec 21, 2008
    Last edited: Dec 21, 2008
    In nsxprime, you are required to put the vin on the subject line when discussing a specific car (on ebay, autotrader etc). This is very helpful. You can do a search by vin and any previous discussions will pop up. It is common to see old threads revived as cars reappear in the market. It would be almost impossible to do the same without the vin in the thread.

    There are many threads in Fchat where the subject line reads something like "anyone know this car?". In it they discuss previous owners, accidents, ppi's etc. Sometimes you will see multiple threads discussing the same car. It is a shame that these threads will be more or less lost within weeks, even days after they were posted. Making these threads searchable could save time and money for future prospective owners.

    Just a thought.
     
  2. 134282

    134282 Four Time F1 World Champ
    BANNED

    Aug 3, 2002
    40,647
    California
    Full Name:
    Carbon McCoy
    #2 134282, Dec 21, 2008
    I couldn't agree with you more.
     
  3. mseals

    mseals Two Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Sep 9, 2007
    24,468
    Kuwait
    Full Name:
    Mike Seals
    #3 mseals, Dec 22, 2008
    Hear Here!

    Mike in Kuwait
     
  4. The Red Baron

    The Red Baron Formula 3

    Jan 3, 2005
    1,151
    Full Name:
    Warren
    #4 The Red Baron, Dec 22, 2008
    Certainly makes sense especially looking at a few recent postings
     
  5. dm_n_stuff

    dm_n_stuff Four Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Dec 10, 2003
    43,805
    26.806311,-81.755805
    Full Name:
    Dave M.
    #5 dm_n_stuff, Dec 22, 2008
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Well we know why Carbon thinks it is a good idea. :D

    I don't happen to agree. In some instances it may be helpful. Here in vintage, it would certainly smoke out an impostor pretty quickly. But there are instances where an owner might not want to reveal his vin or serial number. I don't think we should preclude discussion of a vehicle because the serial number is kept private.

    And, there's always the issue of accuracy. Suppose you get the serial number wrong. Being off by a digit could help to build a database about another car completely. My Dino was 04798, and is now owned by another fchatter. Suppose we were having a discussion about a car on ebay, and the person leading the discussion here got the serial number wrong, and posted 04798 for discussion. The photos show a beat up red Dino and we add them to the discussion here. At some point in the future, the owner goes to sell the car, a cursory search of the internet produces the photos and serial number here. Viola!! Car now has an undeserved record as a beater. 1 in a million, nah.

    If an owner or posted wants to start a conversation based on his knowledge of vin or serial number, that's fine, but I don't think it should be a requirement for a discussion here.

    There are other sites and groups dedicated to tracking serial numbers, leave the detail work to them. Or, buy Matthias Urban's new book. He's an fchatter who recently published a follow up to Raab's serial number tome. He's also the site admin the www.dinoregister.com another great site that tracks Dino history.
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  6. 134282

    134282 Four Time F1 World Champ
    BANNED

    Aug 3, 2002
    40,647
    California
    Full Name:
    Carbon McCoy
    #6 134282, Dec 22, 2008
    I can appreciate the general sentiment of your point, but if an error is made (either in title or in post), it will most likely be known, or made known, and then moderators can be contacted to make the appropriate changes. This is very helpful and useful in situations where a car is beat up and, down the line, a future owner can learn about the car here. We all know that CarFax is worthless, and the recent "**** ****** ****** ****" thread just reiterates the distrust that many have for dealers. I believe that threads containing information relative to a specific car can enrich FerrariChat's archives - be it positive or negative information. And serial number-specific information can only further the already-invaluable efforts like Urban's masterful continuance of the Raab files.
     

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