hecko all, Watching the Speed Channel one Day I saw a Show on a Mustang where the original owner found his old registration and with the Vin Number He was able to Find His Car in 24 hrs Online. I'd like to do it the Other way around I'd like to find the Original Owner. I've herd of People who for 5K will track down everything You ever wanted to know about the History of Your Car but I don't know if this is more Rummor than fact. I do have an old Title and I wrote a Letter to the Owner of the Car that was on it but I never got a responce. As the Title was 15 Years old I wasn't that Suprised. My next Idea would be to call the DMV of the Title and see if they have any Info at all Like where the Car came from before. I'm sure alot of You have all ready done this before me have any of You has success??? Richard.....

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My Car...PIC 1     PIC 2

I was able to trace mine back to the original owner thru the DMV. It was an original Indiana car, and I am in Texas.
It cost a few bucks, and took about a month or so to get the info back. It came with copies of all of the title transfers(3, including mine), and registration/tag renewals.
I tried contacting the original owner, who happens to live here in Texas now, but the only response I got at the time was,"I don't know what you want...I bought the car new, drove it for a few years, and then sold it..." on my answering machine.
One day, i am going to drive it out to his place of business, and see if he recognizes it! Maybe then he will be more inclined to discuss the history.

Contact your DNV...what do ya have to lose?

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Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
My Link


(click for Texas-sized view!)             NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

Dude are you the real Gale Banks? The Twin Turbo GURU?

Please do not follow Joel's advice and contact DNV.

!!! WOW! It's only taken you a YEAR to see that, Dennis!! How very observant of you...



By the way...NO, Gale Banks 80 is NOT Gale Banks...but his car is...Adams' Apple2009-01-08 20:31:36

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Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
My Link


(click for Texas-sized view!)             NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

Depending on the name of the Original Owner (if it was John Smith - you're hosed!), you could also try to do some internet searches for the person.  I did the same thing.  I wrote letters to all of the previous owners.  I got a response back from one of them, who was able to give me most of the history of the car.  But I would consider myself lucky

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I wanted a Corvette my whole life, but I never dreamed of all the wonderful people I would meet because of it!

I'd like to know more history about mine, too. It's a great idea!

[QUOTE=Adams' Apple]!!! WOW! It's only taken you a YEAR to see that, Dennis!! How very observant of you...



By the way...NO, Gale Banks 80 is NOT Gale Banks...but his car is...[/QUOTE]

Actually, Joel it's been two years.


Scott

I was very lucky. When my car was featured in Vette Magazine, they mentioned the name of the original owner in the article. Two weeks later he called me on the phone. I was extactic when he called. In fact, his local newspaper then did an article about his car being in Vette. It turns out he is a county judge in KY. He sent me a copy of the newspaper article. He told me his teenage daughter drove the car to school sometimes, what a trusting dad!

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Tom
71 454/365 Mulsanne Blue Convertible

[QUOTE=ranger3]
[QUOTE=Adams' Apple]!!! WOW! It's only taken you a YEAR to see that, Dennis!! How very observant of you...



By the way...NO, Gale Banks 80 is NOT Gale Banks...but his car is...[/QUOTE]Actually, Joel it's been two years.Scott [/QUOTE]


Dang....cain't slip nuthin past you guys!


I wish I could get the original owner of the '74 to talk to me... Some history would be sweet.

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Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
My Link


(click for Texas-sized view!)             NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

I'm in the process of doing this right now. With the recent purchase of my new '82CE, I struck a sentimental nerve. I spent this past Sunday in the barn digging through the archives (I'm a MAJOR pack rat). I found some old registrations, dealer service records, pictures, VHS tapes, etc. of my first '82CE bought new for me in 1982. I sold it in '87. The VIN was 1G1AY0780C5102438.

I'm trying to track down the current owner of this car to see if they'd like copies of this stuff, plus a little first hand history. So far I've located it at 82CEregistry as an E-bay car in New Hampshire. The sellers username was macmulkinchevcadi.

Well, I tracked this down to be Mac Mulkin Chevrolet and Cadillac. I called and talked to a salesman who said they sell used inventory on E-bay and he'd do some checking. No call back. I called again and spoke to a sales manager who told me that they have never sold cars on E-bay. I'm starting to think that I'm not a high prioity there.

The CarFax report says it was last titled in NH in 2007, but I don't know if that was from the E-bay buyer, or the person who traded it to the dealer. Next step is probably a check with the NH DMV.

I did found a picture of it at www.corvette.pl, a Polish Corvette site. Pretty cool to see it again after all of these years. Man, if that interior could talk....

all i know is the i am #4 owner. the guy i bought it from had the car for 18 years and the last 15 years of him owning it, it was sitting in a barn/garage in a corner covered over collecting dust. the guy had gotten in an accident and was unable to handle the bucket seats and how low the car was.  I have some documentation on the car but have to research this further. i never really thought of doing this idea till i read this topic on here.

Unfortunately with the privacy laws these days it makes it harder to get information.

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Tom
71 454/365 Mulsanne Blue Convertible

 It's cool tracking down the original owner. I had a 1968 427/435 coupe that was a "Motion Catalog Car" from back in the day.

good luck on trying to track down previous owners / registration.

Let me tell you about my efforts. We have a '77 C-3 which we bought in November of 2007. We have some friends who own a Harley dealership in Southeastern Missouri, and they got this car as a trade in on a new Harley. So, we bought the car and were given the title from the previous owner, another a S.E. Mo. resident. Called & talked to him, not much to say but he did tell me where he had bought it. Contacted that used car dealership, in Cape Girardeau Mo, who said he had bought the car in Arkansas. Called Arkansas motor vehicle registration dept, and was told that they could not / would not release any info because a few years ago the Federal Gov't had imposed a secrecy / privacy act. He hinted that the car came from Texas but that was all he would reveal. He did say that a auto dealership could obtain this info, as they have a ID number which allows them access. Have been stymied since then. Now, let me tell you another story:  In 1993 I drove to S.E. Kentucky and bought a 1931 Ford coupe, brought the car home with a Kentucky title, contacted Ky motor vehicle registration, and received a copy of the last title from North Dakota. I called North Dakota motor vehicle, and was sent a copy of their origional 1948 title. On an off chance, I called the telephone information, and got a # for the owner in N.D. I called and he was home! we chatted for 1/2 hour and he told me how he got out of WW 2, got a GI loan, started a body repair shop, found this car in a junk yard, and towed it home. He & his son worked on the car in spare time, put a transplant  1939 Ford V-8 (60 hp) engine, '34 tranny, front seats out of a Waco airplane, '50 Buick tail lights, and painted it Caddilac anniversary gold. He said the only time he ever took the car out was on weekends, if not raining, except when he drove his daughter to her wedding. So, the effort to research  previous owners is worth the effort. Yes, I still have the car, it's nickname is "moneypit"  good luck ,  Cary

I think that I am the third owner of this white Lady.  Not sure but I will write my DMV and not the DNV to find out!! 

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(click to see a larger image)

I'd be skeered to know the frightening history of mine... I bought it from a fast talking East Tennessee meth-head who made the tires shine with brake fluid....

Dave

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I found this interesting. When I tried to run a carfax on my 78, car fax would not take the VIN, as it only has 13 characters. Is there a trick to running a car fax on an older vehicle?

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Car Fox will not be able to help  with an older car like ours. Your only avenue is what has been mentioned in the posts in this thread....unless you happen to actually know all of the previous owners...

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Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
My Link


(click for Texas-sized view!)             NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

Cat Fox is Sierra Hotel ... it is the atiquated carfax app that is useless.  J chased all the DMV records for my pace car and got pretty close but there is still a large gap ... chased it back to New Mexico but their records are on microfiche and could not be used.  Good luck and holler id you come up with any silver bullets.

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