[nkaminar]

A lot depends on which state you live in. I read on the forum that at least one state makes it illegal to change the serial number of an engine. Other states are fussy and even original stamping may be rejected because the inspector is not familiar with Model A stamps. When I bought my car here in North Carolina, the seller knew the officer at the DMV so it went through without any problem, even with a different number on the engine than what is on the title.

One technique that people use is to peen the surface with the pneumatic tool that is used to remove heavy rust. It has a number of pins. The surface then resembles a cast surface. Original or reproduction stamps can then be used to re stamp the serial number.

Sometimes the garage that installed a used engine would grind off the old serial number and then stamp the serial number of the car in it's place, or a non Ford serial number. These re stampings can get rejected by some DMV inspectors.

The rejection by DMV offices is an effort to eliminate registration and title transfer of stolen cars. Many years ago, when Model A's were just an old car, getting your car registered was easy. Now that antique cars are worth much more it has gotten more difficult and will only become more of a problem.