Tips for locating the history of your vintage ride
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Tracing the history of a classic car can be a frustrating task, but here are a few quick tips so you can get the most information about your vehicle as possible.
Contact the experts
This one is tough because it is not available for all makes and models. Pontiac owners have it pretty good, considering the Pontiac Historical Society maintains records that can be accessed by providing a VIN and $75. Chevrolet owners are not as fortunate, as many of the muscle-car era documents were lost to a fire.
Google the VIN
20180426175934 "1987 Porsche 959 Komfort VIN plate")
A quick online search can reveal previous sale listings, allowing you to find contact for the person selling the car who can potentially have more info about the car’s past.
Using online tools to decode a VIN can also assist your search by telling you specifics about the car. For example, where it was built or any odd or interesting options can help narrow down a search area or make your car stand out from a larger number produced.
Join a national club
Join a national club coinciding with your car’s make and tell the story of you and your car to anyone who will listen. Spreading the word that you’re looking for details about your specific car could turn up some valuable information. Longtime club members might recognize the car and know of former owners. Adding it to a club registry can also help not only you, but future owners as well.
Contact the person who sold you the vehicle
Never discount that the person before you might have researched the car. Perhaps in your excitement to purchase it you did not get all the information they had. Reaching out to the previous owner can possibly get you one step closer to knowing the original owner.
20180426175606 "Contact the person who sold you the vehicle")
Search the car itself (under seats/carpet/in the trunk)
This one only works some of the time, mainly if the car has not been restored or significantly taken apart earlier in its life. An original car will often contain interesting pieces of history stashed in places that are rarely touched. Build sheets, old insurance ID cards or registrations, old school papers, even movie tickets can help locate a car and set up a timeline for ownership.
Visit the DMV
With the Driver Protection Act in effect, it is very difficult to get previous owner information from the Department of Motor Vehicles, as most information concerning registration is viewed as private and cannot be disclosed. In some states a private investigator can make a request for ownership history of a vehicle, but often they are required to provide the reason for the request.
Persistence
Finding out information on a car that has traded hands a dozen times over the last three decades will be frustrating. The biggest key to gathering information will be to keep looking, even after hitting multiple dead ends.
20180426175505 "Full documentation for your Pontiac")
This site was not useful and did have any information past the last renewal. A disclaimer should be listed this is not classic cars. Just a waste of $5.
Which site are you referring to? This article was free and did not include any links to anything charging $5 for information.
Where to find the VIN for 1928 Pontiac 4 door sedan?
Looking for any info on my 440 1970 Plymouth GTX that I am restoring, vin number RS23UOE101217, appreciate any help please,
Hello Frank,
My dad gave me one of his antique cars, a 1934 Sedan. It has been in several Bonnie & Clyde movies/documentaries, hallmark hall of fame movie, and tv series “silk stockings.” My question is: I know the last two owners. Dad had it 32 yrs and the gentleman before him had it around 31 yrs. And there is where the problem begins. Records only show back to 1991. We know the man who owned it before my dad got it in Missouri. How can I get a complete record of my cars journey? I named the car after my granny, “Winnie,” and my dad was born in 1934…it just seemed right.
Hello,
I am trying to determine whether my 1969 Bronco is a Brass Hat vehicle. I’m the second owner. The original owner thought so. The window sticker says “190 L 361 Metzler Spcl. Dlr. Acct. Adj. Cr.” The original owner knew a dealer in Fremont, CA who ordered the Bronco new for him. Kevin Marti, Marti Auto Works, cannot help me. Neither can the current dealer, as dealer ownership has changed over the years. I’m about to sell, and I’d like to state it was a Brass Hat vehicle, if that is so. I can provide the VIN if necessary, and a copy of the window sticker. The Bronco was ordered with several off-road and heavy-duty options, including oversized tires. According to Mr. Marti, it is a one-of-one for the 1969 model year. These facts seem to support it may have been a Brass Hat vehicle. I don’t know how to go about further proving or disproving it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.