Thanks for the link to the ECR page. That was an excellent primer on the topic, and it didn't support your premise that this is not a Federalized vehicle, it merely said that it is difficult, and must be done by one of the "Registered Importers" listed.
Of all the things that would cause me alarm, the VIN issue is the last. I would be more concerned about the eBay account the vendor is using hasn't had a transaction since March, and never as a seller only buyer. Further he only has 5 feedbacks, not suffincient for me to send >$30,000 to.
Having said that it remains to be seen wether the vehicle does or doesn't have a DOT certificate. It is completely possable that he has petitioned for a "VCP" or "VSP" certification as outlined on the
NHTSA Site here.
In the interest of making an informed comment on wether this is DOT certified I have sent an e-mail to the vendor asking:
"Dear sailingrovers,
Will the vehicle be supplied with the DOT importation sticker required for registration in the US and Canada?"
I'll post the response, if any.
In any case, obtaining the necessary DOT certification would probably have been done by the Military if it was to be driven on the street. I would think Land Rover Special Vehicles would happily add the necessary components if a deal with the US military were in the balance. What may not be cost effective for a few hundred civilian sales, may make a lot of sense for the scale and profile that a US military sale would represent. Adding air bags, cats and couple of other items would be small potatoes when compared for some of the things Land Rover have done.
Victor