Previous Owner Research

[Lee Weber]

Requested a DMV report wrt owner history from CA on my car -it came in the mail today. Needless to say its about as useful as tits on a bull. Only thing the report generated was a name and date of registration of the original owner. You boys have any luck with using any internet tools in tracking “someone” with only a name? Or, any other suggestions on tracking would be welcomed.

Yes - the proverbial search for answers regarding a 37 year old heap of bolts, metal, plastic and glass never ends.

[Canuck]

I had good success tracing the ownership of my 1960 Chrysler 300F. See story

http://www.chrysler300club.com/stories/martin/300f.html

I used several people finder options on the internet. Tracing history is a little more difficult nowadays as many states have adopted privacy laws that prevent these searches.
I also traced the ownership of my 1972 Hurst Olds Convert by contacting each state where the car had been previously registered (owners manual started the first clue as it had the original selling dealer info) prepare to spend time on the phone and persistance will pay off. Some states such as Michigan do not keep records beyond 10 years.

[Pantera]

You have no idea how lucky you are to be able to get that much info on a old car. I have tried many times and in different states to get that much and so far have not gotten anywhere.

The obvious first thing to try, is a phone book search. When you then find that there are about 300+ people with the same name all over the country, then you might try in the town it was first sold and perhaps the local highschool, college, and or old land records as a place to start.

Good luck you are going to need it.

Pantera

[JChlupsa]

Pantera is right

Very lucky you got that much and the best part is its the org owner. Did it say what dealership or at least the town the org owner lived in? Start your search with the name for the state and then start narrowing it down by approx age of the people you find listed.

[68SSCamaro]

I'm surprised you got that. When I bought my Camaro in 1990 the CA DMV told me all that they would tell me was the previous two owners. I regret not sending it in then but I will give it a try now.

[Lee Weber]

Thanks Gents:

As a FYI - my last three cars (one CA, and 2 TX) allow and provide for a DMV search. Actually, for those who have TX cars the TX DMV report provides the addresses as well as the name(s) of previous registered owners as well as dates...VERY VERY helpful.

Can’t comment on two many other dates, but keeping in step with the post, D.V. CA actually has a form request. Its 5 bucks and provides name and dates for every registered person in D.V. records.

Jeff- Yes, starting from the dealership would be nice but NOT sure the actual dealership. Need to find that original owner...

One saving grace - car is/has always been a CA car and almost positive its always been in the NAPA Valley San Fran area...that’s a start

[Lee Weber]

Martin et al.

WRT CA:
You need to submit form INF 70R (rev 11/2004).
There a few forms on the DMV web site that can be used to submit a request for this data but the clerks will return it with a direction to use the above referenced required form...as me how I know... http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/scholar.gif

[Pantera]

Lee,

I hit a deadend in Texas on both of my Motion Phase III vettes. I know for sure that they both came from Dallas back in the early '70's. Yet TX motorvehicle records can find no trace of them back in 72 and 74 on the cars. I even know the name on the original owner of the 70 vette yet they can find nothing.

Perhaps you are tracing a car that has been continually reg for most of its life there? They cannot find a car that has not been tagged there since 1974, It had no records that they could find. They tell me they can only go back 7 yrs.

How did you get your info?

Pantera

[71 can am]

Lee I did it this way: Went to the court house record books for a time period I knew it was sold, found the vv # Checked the Tittle Archives to see where the tittle came back from, Had a Det. run DMV in all 50 states, ins data base, wreckes,&stolen. If you have te vin # try checking the Colector Auction Co's

[Lee Weber]

Larry:

My last Texas experience was with a 69 chevelle convert. Car belonged to Bill Pritchard who tried to do some owner history research as well...
This particular car came out of CA. I requested owner reg info (same process as listed above) but the car only entered into the DMV there in the ealry 80s..it was title transferred in from Texas.

Well, my better half is from San Antonio, TX. When we were there visiting family, I took the title and what not into the local DMV (in Alamo Heights - just outside San Antonio) and gave the clerk my info and request. Cost me something nominal...she took my request - rapped a few times on the computer and generated a list for me...car was owned originally from a guy in Messquite Texas (not sure on the spelling). BUT, only thing I got was address and name..tried called and of course, my luck would have it, guy no longer resided there....
That's my TX DMV experience in a nut shell. Now, with the Patriot Act and all other post 911 information policy modifications I'm not sure if there has been changes (Pause about an hour.......) to aquiring such data
Why the hour delay - no crap..

JUST got off the phone with original owner...NO S%$T! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif Off the DMV report I cold called (using 411 for info)a few numbers and actually left a msg with his sister-in-law (not knowing it off course). She called him and passed my number.... http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif

After an hour on the phone....man - DO THESE CARS HAVE SOME HISTORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Lee Weber]

Hows that for luck http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/haha.gif http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/haha.gif

[Pantera]

Well I did it on the internet and sent them the $$$ but they didn't come through for me that way. Had a few long talks with a nice guy in the dept but no info was located. I will try it your way next time i am in TX.


Thanks
Pantera

[Belair62]

Lee...I found the owners of my Y Chevelle...I had the name and just did white pages searches in the Louisville area and bang...I founfd them...it was a lucky shot but if the owner is still in the area give it a rip !!! Yahoo and AOL white pages.

[Mr70]

That's how I found my original owner.

[Bill Pritchard]

Lee, you are one lucky guy!!!! Now, of course, we want to hear all the details on the history of the car http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/scholar.gif

[Lee Weber]

Bill –

OK…I’ll call you and chew on your ear for about an hour…Marilee wont mind will she?! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

No surprises too many here but these cars circa 1969 certainly did not have the life of glamour that they have come to enjoy today. To be honest kind of a weird phone call, but I'll ramble with various points I found interesting..
Traded it at one time with a neighbor to get a van so he could work his construction job..Bought it back 2 months later. Was purchased from EZ Davies Chevrolet out of Redwood City CA. Car has been in CA for 37 years..up until a month ago (Now it’s in OH). Guy suffered from alcoholism BIG TIME… http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif use to store the crushed beer cans under the back seat made reference it would stink up the car and you could smell it coming for a mile. For the longest time when it was put up to sit (about 15 years ago) DOGS lived in it – yes dogs... Was actually a camaro dog house if you will – http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif that’s why my interior looks like mice ate it? http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif Lost the original carb at a race night – someone stole it from the parking lot. “Bumped” into a few things here and there over the years after a few too many. A few months after he brought it home, he and his body tried adding the X-style stripes…(I was curios were those strips came from??). Broke the tranny about 1975 hence my non numbers match tranny (only piece that’s not original) – he may still know the location of the original tranny casing – (hoping). http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/naughty.gif Took his buddies M-21 out of his 65 Chevy. He swapped the 3:73 gears out and put 4:10s in for the track – tossed the original gears. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/no.gif At one point he was getting water in the trunk so he bought some weather stripping but it did not hold up well (he applied it upside down)…still got water in the trunk so he drilled a few holes (2-3) to let the water drain… http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif all kinds of stuff –again, kind of weird talking with him.
As you know Bill if these cars could talk – wowie. I did take a page out of your book and asked them for a written dialogue - sort of neat to have I think. The part I found amazing was how not that long ago these cars were heeps of metal owned by average "Joes." Now, for the most part, they’ve become somewhat of collection pieces to be admired rather than used. Mixed feelings on that one. We’ll chat Bill…now that I can’t call and bother you about your/my old vert; I’ve needed a good excuse to call…Now I have one!!
http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif

[Xplantdad]

So is Bill's Black 'vert you former car? http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

[Lee Weber]

Close Bruce....

I owned a Chevelle vert once owned by Bill. He actually owned it before he landed his black survivor car...

I know - some guys consider themselves blessed to have ONE vert - Bill just happended to have had at least TWO http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[Xplantdad]

Cool! Bill is a cool guy. Hey he should be out here in suuny AZ this Friday!

So, do we get to see some pics soon? http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif