You should not regulations out of context, because they can be misleading.
(B) a person who repairs such vehicle or part, if the removal,
obliteration, tampering, or alteration is reasonably necessary
for the repair;
(C) a person who restores or replaces an identification number
for such vehicle or part in accordance with applicable State law;
(D) a person who removes, obliterates, tampers with, or alters
a decal or device affixed to a motor vehicle pursuant to the
Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Act, if that person is the owner
of the motor vehicle, or is authorized to remove, obliterate,
tamper with or alter the decal or device by -
(i) the owner or his authorized agent;
(ii) applicable State or local law; or
(iii) regulations promulgated by the Attorney General to
implement the Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Act.
First part states that it may be removed to necessitate repair of part which should actualy limit it to the the upper cowl and dash. What it does not say is how much of the rest of the car can be replaced at the same time.
Second, and part C & D which you brought up out of context, says I can remove it as the owner or agent of the owner, but State laws still apply. So what might work in your state, may not work in another.
Where this will get hairy is if someone buys one of these bodies to fix there car, then they sell the car without telling the purchaser that the body had been replaced, then the seller could be held liable for criminal fraud because he tampered with the vin tag and cowl tag.
If it were me, I would buy one in a heatbeat for a race car. I would rather cut one of these up than an original. BTW, we still don't have pics.
Mike