Since the car has a VIN # issued by the Dept of MV of California, local cops said it is good to go. We'll prolly never know what the car really was/is so going to enjoy it and not worry about it any longer.
Wait, so it has a California blue tag riveted on it as well? If it's got that and the title matches that number it's legal. Or at least it was at one point. You'll never know what it was as far as a RR or not though.
Should be a blue tag riveted onto the driver's side door jamb, and another on the driver's frame rail in front of the firewall. The number won't have anything to do with a standard mopar VIN # though, it should look something like DMVxxxxxCA.