Vin Scratching
Just take some light sand paper and clean the area then take a pencil and shave it half way open on one side so you can see the lead (or graphite now) and rub it across the plate with a piece of white paper over it. youll see the numbers. and that also should be acceptable.
My 1st 1st Gen
I have been building Big Blazers, Jimmys, Jeeps and the small Trackers and Samurai's my whole life and always wanted a 1st gen runner. Finally I found one that wasn't rotting off its frame or better yet the frame rotting from under it.