Skip Lackie

Here's a random picture.

My 74 also has the hood ornament. When I bought it in the early 1990s, I was told it was specifically ordered that way from Avanti Motors. Here's an old picture of it. (Apologize for the dust on the hood!)

Not gonna debate your basic point, but should note that your statement that Avanti IIs came with Chevy 350s from about 1965 to 1985 is not really correct. The first Avanti IIs came with 327s, and the 1972-76 models came with 400s. And a lot came with 305s after that (too lazy to look up the exact years). Avanti Motors tended to buy whatever Chevy small-block V8s were available in bulk at the time. Chevy 350s were/are truly ubiquitous, but many other variants existed at one time.

Many states have converted their registration systems to standardized software that "require" certain features like the now-standard VIN format. Vehicle serial numbers that were already in the system were somehow grandfathered in by either adding leading zeros or by a software mod that permitted them to exist as is. Most of the DMV people one deals with were not even born yet when the current 17-digit VIN system started in 1981, so they simply repeat the "requirement" that all vehicles have a standard VIN. They are simply repeating the current thinking, despite the fact that virtually no vehicle built before that time had a serial number with the now-standard number of digits. You may have to escalate the battle to a DMV deputy director, or some such. A letter to your local state legislator might help, too.