Lots of people are buying used cars at this time of year. It’s human nature to believe that the VIN on your vehicle matches the one on the car, truck or bike.

In my business you see all the anomalies. I saw one classic Mustang that had three different VIN numbers, the owner became upset at this news especially as he bought it from his cousin. Then there was the BMW that went up in flames due to vandalism. The MTO had used the insurance policy number from BC as the VIN number, at first the insurance company denied the claim. After we found the mistake, all was back on track. Back in the early days of the custom bike craze, people would buy custom Harleys and discover that the VIN number indicated that they were not Harley-Davidson bikes. The insurance company would then deny a policy and the bike owner would only get a policy through Facility. Last year I was involved in appraising a Ferrari 308 that had only half its true VIN showing on the ownership, they had owned it for 20+ years and never noticed.

It pays to be vigilant and if you need a VIN change letter for the MTO/Service Ontario, you can call us!

LIPSTICK ON A PIG
Avoiding Life’s Lemons

Lipstick on a Pig features excerpts from the vast library of Maurice Bramhall’s experiences.

FOR SALE: 1990 Morgan Plus 8

Own a beautiful example of the Marque. More information on the listing page.

A young blond girl in her late teens, wanting to earn some extra money for the summer, decided to hire herself out as a “handy woman” and started canvassing a nearby well-to-do neighborhood.

She went to the front door of the first house and asked the owner if he had any odd jobs for her to do.

“Well, I guess I could use somebody to paint the porch. How much will you charge me?”

Delighted, the girl quickly responded, “How about $50?”

The man agreed and told her that the paint and brushes and everything she would need were in the garage.

The man’s wife, hearing the conversation, said to her husband, “Does she realize that our porch goes ALL the way around the house?”

“That’s a bit cynical, isn’t it?” he responded.

The wife replied, “You’re right. I guess I’m starting to believe all those dumb blond jokes.”

A few hours later the blond came to the door to collect her money.

“You’re finished already??” the startled husband asked. “Yes,” the blond replied, “and I even had paint left over so I gave it two coats.”

Impressed, the man reached into his pocket for the $50 and handed it to her along with a $10 tip.

“Thank you,” the blond said, “And by the way, it’s not a Porch, it’s a Lexus.”

LIPSTICK ON A PIG
Avoiding Life’s Lemons

Lipstick on a Pig features excerpts from the vast library of Maurice Bramhall’s experiences.

It started with a Rolls-Royce Corniche, I was demonstrating to the owner how to use lambswool over carpets and I did not notice their little terrier on the front passenger seat. Next thing I know, there’s a dog hanging off one of my fingers and me dancing around the front garden after it let go. The owner of the car and the dog said very little. The next day, he phoned me to apologize for his wife’s lack of compassion explaining that they had previously lived in Texas, and they were certain that I would immediately hire a lawyer to sue them like everybody in Dallas does.

A second Rolls-Royce dog was a rescue dog, I was getting on fine patting the animal while sitting in the living room taking a small libation when suddenly my left hand was on its way down the dog’s throat. Blood was coming from a wound on my hand, I dash to the sink to wash it, I’m telling the couple that own the dog about my experience, they tell me about the other people he has bitten with not a care in the world. Now to be fair to Rolls-Royce owners, I had a big black poodle (owned by a BMW 3.0 owner) have a go at my knee cap, my trousers saved me from damage.

My most recent experience was with a custom motorbike owner’s dog who inflicted enough damage for me to go to a walk-in clinic. That experience left me “dog shy” for a while.

LIPSTICK ON A PIG
Avoiding Life’s Lemons

Lipstick on a Pig features excerpts from the vast library of Maurice Bramhall’s experiences.

FOR SALE: 1952 MG TD

Drive it as far as you want, comes with service history. More information on the listing page.