If the VIN has been swapped with another from a different car, then it is highly illegal in all states and chances are slim that it can be rectified.
One would have to have both cars and both titles.
In some states a private individual cannot own a salvaged titled car, must be a licensed rebuilder or dealer.
No states will swap Vins, they produce another VIN from the state with a new number and usually a special dept of the state police attach it with the proper rosette rivets.
BTW, it is illegal for anyone or company other than original manufacturers or the state to posses these rivets.
It's a wonder an owner along the way has not been arrested for swapping.
Probably the best thing to do with this car is to strip it and use the parts on a legal car.

And funny it was built in 2005 for SEMA 2 years before GM offered the panels and this one is listed as the Year One HHR but as a 2007! Strange! Well I can’t afford it anyway.

The illegal VIN is 2007...

Blue- Obviously you did not see the TV show, I'm referring to.. 5 different hot rod shops were given protype HHR Wagons in 2005 to put their own spin on them. & Year One & another shop made Panels out of them. This had nothing to do w/SEMA. It was GM looking for some better ideas, & cheap PR about the new to be released HHR.

You would have probably enjoyed seeing that show. That is when I knew that if GM ever built a Panel version I would own one.

The Year One Panel was a real mess under it. Under a tight deadline, they cut many corners. I would NOT own that one.

Those cars were on the GM power tour... I think they were at SEMA first, though.

The Year One Panel ran and drove wonderfully... So good that half way through the tour GM told Year One to trailer it. No more driving around. Right after that the VIN was revoked... thus the snafu begins.

Interesting Greybeard.

I did watch that TV show “Rides” and the build of the HHR’s , Chevy gave four aftermarket customizers 6 weeks to complete a wild HHR build-off. The customizers were allowed to apply styling and performance changes anyway they wanted. These customized Chevy HHR's will be featured on The Learning Channel "Rides" program to air later that summer. They were to be displayed at future events around the country.

The cars were customized by Teazer, YearOne, Darkside, and Unique Performance. and there was the chopped roof one from West Coast Customs , it was crushed by a tree


https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.che...a9f5f45a3.jpeg
The HHR built by Darkside
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.che...3dd2980f4.jpeg
The Teaser build
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.che...2e5c32302d.png
Some photos of the WCC build

Interesting all of a sudden you remember this Build-Off.. LOL. I don't see the Year One Panel in your pic gallery ?

That was the only one I liked cosmetically.

I already posted a photo of the Year One ride.

look in post #13

Please don't tempt me...
 

I haven't even bought/picked one up yet and I'm drooling over the prospects. I promised myself that if I get one of these, no major stuff done to it - it's for utiiltarian purposes only - but after looking at this thread, it's going to be hard to resist the temptation. I just got rid of a 2000 Acura TL, possibly the most boring car I've ever had, and I took a loss on it because I couldn't resist the temptation of painting it, adding wheels, upgrading the sound system, blah blah blah. I'm really digging the old school wheels on this one:
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.che...5af955a85.jpeg