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...

[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! 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....

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