For your humor....I bought my 69 Camaro conv last Sept from a dealer in Virginia. I knew it only had two owners with the last one in Fredericksburg, VA having it from 1971 til I bought it. So, I searched for the first owner and found him in Charlottesville, VA. Actually, I found his son first. His father had an unlisted phone but called me. I had the car in Florida for the winter and asked if he wanted to see the car on my way home to PA. He did...when I got there, he had TV camera's there. The local station ran the reunion and then CNN picked up the story and ran it. Here is the video clip from the local station.

http://www.newsplex.com/home/headlines/92358859.html

 

that is cool!!
i was goin through the glove box in my 68 today and found papers with owners name and number from 1978!!?? either 1st or second as im the 4th

 

Thats awesome! GRadz on making headlines!

 

that is the coolist thing you could have done, way good call!!!!!!!!!!!

 

That is cool, I met the first and only other owner of mine 35 years ago when I was born, LOL. It didnt make the news though.

 

It doesn't get much cooler than that.

 

How did you search vehicle records, did you use the DMV or what? The problem I have is that they only go back so far.

 

I bought my car from a dealer who got it from a guy who inherited it from his dad who died last June at age 78. Can't imagine why the son would not want to keep a car his dad had since 1971! Well, I was lucky in that I had a protect-o-plate, but it had a lady's name on it. I could not find her searching phone numbers on the web. I went back to the widow of the last owner and the son remembered the name of the man his dad bought if from and a city he once lived in 1971. I started calling people with the last name in that town and found the first owner's son. I convinced him I really had the car and he called his dad who had an unlisted phone number. He called me asap! He was shocked it was still on the road.

I have searched for prior owners many times on other classics I have had. It was much easier before the privacy laws were passed. Even if a DMV gives you a copy of a title, they cross out the owners name. I have two other cars I am trying to research, but no luck.

Here is a web site that might be of some help but read the directions as there are great limitations on what states participate and how much and how fast they provide info. But, it might give you info on where and when a car was titled. I ran some cars thru it and got some info..but no names of course. You can pay on-line and it is instant. Only two companies are authorized to provide the info it seems, so pick which you want. I used both and got the same info. Some friends have had good luck with a private investigator. It is still good to get a copy of a title from a DMV even without an owner's name because it might have other hits on it like a prior state it was titled in, lien info, etc.

http://www.nmvtis.gov/nmvtis_vehiclehistory.html

Gary