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Trying to find my old car

chad8chad8 Member Posts: 9
edited January 2015 in General
I am trying to locate my old chevelle and have the VIN and a title # but cannot seem to get any of the owner info. I am wanting to contact the current owner to see about purchasing the car back for my son to drive.....any suggestions on how to get this info will be greatly appreciated.......car is titled in Illinois.
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  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Well you could post an ad in Hemmings Motor News but with a common car like this it's a real long shot. If it were a special SS model with a big block, it *might* appear in a Chevelle Club registry but if it's just a regular production Chevelle with no special options there would be no records for a car this old. You'd have to pretty much find the person you sold it to, if you remember, and interrogate them, and they in turn interrogate the next person, etc. Another long shot is to attend car shows in your area....you never know, and if it's a 68 or newer, you can peek at the VIN numbers on the windshield post or dashpad.
  • itochuitochu Member Posts: 107
    Any ideas on how to locate an old car that I had in NY State - I do not have the VIN and there were not titles in 1968. 1968 Camaro SS/RS 396/350HP Convertible with Turbo400, gauges, tic toc clock, butternut yellow and black
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    You could also put an ad in Hemmings Motor News and/or write a letter to Hemmings Muscle Machines. Some auction companies keep a VIN database of cars they've sold but I don't know if they give out that info or not.
  • birdgirlbirdgirl Member Posts: 1
    if anyone can give any help on this please do. im trying to find my dadas 68 bird. it was sold to my cousin who died suddenly. i have the vin # and know what state it was last regiestered in but thats it
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    The DMV of that state could probably trace it but I doubt they would give you such information unless it was requested through law enforcement.

    Otherwise, you have to do a "previous owner" interview, and the owner before that, etc etc., which in your case would have to be someone in your cousin's family.
  • chevylover4chevylover4 Member Posts: 1
    I am trying to find my fathers 1968 Camaro RS but i dont know where to start it has the small block but is running at 550 Horse with a 2000 stall. No stick or paddles to shift it uses the orignal auto shifter which has been made into a 3 speed. It was blue with stripes. He had traded it in 1972 for a yellow 68 convertable vette at the downtown Chevy dealership that is now called Don Wheaton chev olds LTD. but I don't know where to go or what to do.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    You could put an ad in Hemmings Motor News with the VIN # if you know it. If you don't know the VIN chances of finding it are pretty slim. Depends also on how long ago you last saw it. Being a modified car, it could be dead by now.
  • baileymbaileym Member Posts: 1
    My dad used to own a 1970 Dodge Challenger 340 hardtop, but he sold it before i was born. He died 16 years ago and I really want to find his exact car. How can I do that?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Pretty near impossible unless you know the VIN or can at least locate the person who bought it. See post #8. You can always put an ad in Hemmings Motor News giving your dad's name, description of the car and when it was sold. A real long long shot but you never know. People sometimes find notes in bottles washed up on the beach, too.
  • mbw7890mbw7890 Member Posts: 1
    What state do you live in?
  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 19,308
    found

    this whole thing reminds me of a book on cd i bought years ago by some 40+ year old guy who tried to relive his high school years over again.
    one of the the chapters involved him looking for the camaro berlinetta he owned back then.
    2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Yeah, offering a 1/4 million reward could speed up the detective work considerably :P
  • savethecarssavethecars Member Posts: 4
    Hi, Old DMV records wont help. If you know a private investigator or are good friends with your insurance agent, they might help. I have background in law enforcement. A P,I, if they have access, can request a body vin search on the vehicles history records. Ask your insurance agent or a local old car appraiser. they might have access to certain computer records on old vehicles.. It's a monthly fee they pay for the service...

    Good Luck
    Mike

    p/s I bought a 67 chevelle from Spencer, Mass about 8 yrs ago... What was the factory colors of your???
  • savethecarssavethecars Member Posts: 4
    Try Galen Govier, he is a mopar expert and has been keeping records of cars like your dads for years.

    web link; www.gvgovier.com

    Good Luck
    Mike
  • levarlevar Member Posts: 1
    some work but got stoll from my place still looking for it today tags number is jhg 260. md plats washington state if you have info. my email is levarfear@hotmail.com
  • oregonboyoregonboy Member Posts: 1,650
    W'all dem ol' boys dat stoll it ripped out the Kraco sterio an pushed it offin da cliff inta dead mans ravine where its been home ta 27 littr of field mouse. :P
  • fezofezo Member Posts: 10,384
    Hey! That's my Corvair!
    2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    While I can't say that finding a 1964 Corvair is in and of itself a happy ending, I really like the part where he found trinkets and secret keys and other bits of memories.

    I'm also amazed the cost of restoration was only $18,000---oh wait, it says he stopped counting at $18,000.

    I figure if I had to pay someone to do most of the work, in California it would be about $50K to do a really nice job.

    But wow, what a co-incidence. I wouldn't mind finding by brother's old 1965 Fitch Corvair!
  • cliffjumpercliffjumper Member Posts: 1
    I am looking for the '55 Chevy that my father traded for an Orange '29 Model A Ford back in '70-'71. This is a very distinctive car. As in when He first built it back in '66 it had a 361 Dodge Engine bored out to 372 c.i., Big Cam dual AFB carbs, Fender Well Headers, Torque-Flite Trans and a Dodge Rear end. The car itself was a 2dr hardtop with a fiberglass flip-up front end. Straight Axle front end with small tires in the front and big ones in the back - like a "Gasser". Painted a beautiful Briarwood Brown Metallic. He lived in Torrance, CA in '71. When he traded it to a guy that was in service (Army?...Navy?...). Would really just like 2 know if anyone knows where it is now!? Thanks in advance for any and all help
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    you should put an ad in Hemmings Motor News and describe the car as you did here---probably that car would have been saved, unless of course it got smashed up.
  • shirleychargershirleycharger Member Posts: 1
    Back in 1976 I bought a 1974 Dodge Charger. I would love to find that car.
    Anyone know where I begin?

    Thank you,

    Shirley
  • ship4ldship4ld Member Posts: 2
    I'm trying to find my first car. 1968 Ford Mustang. I could use some ideas, I don't have the vin number. Thanks
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Pretty near impossible to find old cars like these, especially if you don't have a VIN. Neither state DMVs nor CARFAX keep records that old, and unless the car was a low production collectible, car clubs probably don't keep registries. If you have a VIN, you can try advertising in Hemmings Motor News---a long shot but someplace to start. Besides, chances are pretty slim in the case of a Dodge Dart that it has survived--somebody might restore a '68 Mustang (depending on what it is), but with no VIN, that's a whole lotta cars to track down.
  • ship4ldship4ld Member Posts: 2
    Thanks, My Mustang was the sudan or not a fast back, It had the cougar kit with factory air center consal map lights. My Grandparents ordered it special from the factory. And it had hood without the vents. Has a 289 and automadic trans.I gave it to my brother when I joined the millitary. He traded it in for a 88 Bronko 2 in Scottsdale AZ. I'm still hoping to find it, I would love to take my Grandma for a ride in it again, she really loved her car.
    Have a good one and thanks again.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I wonder, even if by some miracle, the car crossed your path (assuming it stayed local), would you even recognize it after, no doubt, some restoration work?

    I mean, Mustangs were made pretty much like cookies, so if one is the same color and trim as another, it might be hard to identify---unless you made some secret repair somewhere that only you can identify. There are stories about formerly owned cars being identified because of a certain repair weld or customization.
  • mwygantmwygant Member Posts: 1
    I BOUGHT A NEW 1967 CHEVELLE SS 396 IN JULY OR AUGUST 1967.I DONT KNOW THE VIN .IS THERE A WAY TO TRACE THIS CAR?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I seriously doubt it, unless by some fortuitous accident of you knowing and tracking down the previous buyers. How could you possibly know it was your car even if you found a similar one? Maybe if it still had its old plates (unlikely) and you had a photo of the old plates from a snapshot?
  • 49fordman49fordman Member Posts: 2
    I am trying to find my 1st car-1964 Ford Galaxie 500 Fastback, powder blue with a black top bought from then later traded into Crescent Chevrolet (now closed), Des Moines Ia. about 1971. Also trying to find my parents 1958 Chevy Biscayne station wagon, turquoise and white, also traded into Crescent about 1964.
    Any ideas please?
    Thanks!
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Pretty hopeless without a trail of previous owners and without a VIN number.
  • savethecarssavethecars Member Posts: 4
    Ok here are several suggestions:
    Local junk yards(most junks yards are online now-use the internet
    Free ad magazines,
    You can post whatever info you have within 200 miles of where the cars were last seen.

    Join Ford and Chevy clubs & post your ad. Most of them are free especially when your looking for cars.

    Log onto auction companies like Barrett-jackson.com and mecum.com auctions. they keep archives on line so you can look for old auctions where they sold cars. If someone restored the cars they might have sold them at on of these auctions.

    Good Luck
    Mike
  • 49fordman49fordman Member Posts: 2
    Thanks Mike for your help, all good ideas.
    I'll let you know what happens.
  • MyPonyMyPony Member Posts: 1
    I'm trying to locate my first car, a 1980 Mustang. Any ideas? I do have the VIN #, I know it was impounded in Provo, UT and never re-registered so my guess is it's sitting in a salvage yard somewhere. All I have called don't seem to be willing to work with me. Is the only way to find it going to be through hours and hours of walking junkyards?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    It's not a car that a wrecking yard or a collector would be likely to save unfortunately, so if it was junked some years ago, it's probably gone. But there's always the one in a million shot of calling the yards in Provo and asking if they even HAVE a 1980 Mustang. They should be able to check inventory pretty easily. Most wrecking yards don't want 80s cars, as there is little profit in keeping them.

    Just for fun, I looked for a fender for an '80 Mustang in Utah by using www.car-part.com, but there was nothing. Maybe you could search for a hood, or other large body part, and see if any '80s come up in Utah.
  • spazzmanspazzman Member Posts: 2
    im in the same position= im looking for my first car,,1967 SS 396 chevelle, yellow org paint w/ maroon front end off my malibu i had but with SS hood,,it was a real 138 vin SS......it was sold in the L.A area in 1988...i believe the person had a second 67 that him or his wife owned
  • spazzmanspazzman Member Posts: 2
    looking for my first car=1967 SS 396 chevelle....my dad bought me the car in 1984 from a junkyard on alameda blvd in carson ca..it was yellow with a smashed front end...i fixed the front end and put it on a 67 malibu..in 1988 my dad sold the SS..damn him...at the time it had a 454 in it,,it was yellow with a maroon front end off my malibu but with the SS hood..it was sold too some that had a 69 el-camino.... he sold to a couple that had a second 67 chevelle..i think he painted it black and i seen the pair at ascot in gardena,ca.....it had a salvaged title
  • daviscamaro1daviscamaro1 Member Posts: 2
    I'm looking for a 1977 Camaro v8 305 ci engine
    Vin# 1Q87U7L626223
    any1 know how i can find it.
    We've been looking for years i'm desperate to find anyway of tracing it.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Well it could be anywhere in the world and sadly, chances are good that that car is already recycled, as these are not highly collectible. However, you could take a long shot and advertise the VIN # in an ad in Hemmings Motor News, and also check the registry of any Camaro club you can find online.
  • daviscamaro1daviscamaro1 Member Posts: 2
    OK Thank You i'll try that and yah i fear that it has been recycled we need to preserve our history!
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,094
    edited March 2011
    The original owners of my '63 Studebaker Lark Daytona found me and we met late last summer. I have production paperwork I got from the Studebaker Museum which showed the owner's name and that the car was picked up by him in person at the South Bend plant. I posted this information on a Studebaker website and the original owner found me by googling his name and coming across the website. It can happen. The story, and some photos, were told on page 42 of Feb. 2011's 'Hemmings Motor News'. I think with a high-volume car like a Camaro, it will be a harder task for you. Good luck!
    2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
  • troubadour87troubadour87 Member Posts: 2
    If you're trying to find your first or favorite car, try First Car Reunion

    This guy has a good list of resources and information. He might even let you put an ad up for you on his blog.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I think he was looking for the car, not the previous owners though.
  • troubadour87troubadour87 Member Posts: 2
    If you find the previous owners, you have a good chance of finding the car.
  • savethecarssavethecars Member Posts: 4
    I'm in the restoration business here in West Palm Bch. Fl., and I have been collecting old cars for many years. Hemmings Motor news is a good source, along with other websites. I just recently found this website called the Lost Car Registry. This is the best resource info I have found so far. The site is about 5 yrs old and growing... Abc news also did a story about this site. I attached both links at the bottom for everyone to share. On another note post your information on facebook.com on what you are looking for and join some of the clubs on there... Good luck

    Website info
    http://the-lost-car-registry.com/

    ABC news story
    http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4232618
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    edited July 2011
    I wouldn't say a "good" chance at all. But at least you have a chance. Also you were incredibly lucky to have even found the original owner's name--this must be unique to Studebaker because all the factory build sheets I've seen just list the DSO or perhaps the dealer it was shipped to.

    The rarer the car, the better your chances, oddly enough. Case in point, the story in the link about a lost car found---it was a very rare W code Fairlane.

    People tend to hold onto, or at least preserve, rare and unusual cars. But as you say, a mass produced Camaro with the usual options is not likely to survive. And old 4-doors, practically never.

    It really helps if you had the VIN. This allows you to check club registries and auction archives.
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,094
    edited August 2011
    Here's a copy of the "Drive Away Shipper" for my old Lark:

    http://www.studebakerskytop.com/jtskyktopShipper63V5224.jpg

    The original owners found the car, and me, not vice-versa. In fact they wanted to buy it, but I wasn't ready to sell then.

    Also, the 'drive away shipper' showed the original owner's name only because it was a retail delivery at the plant. However, for Studebakers it is possible to determine name, address, and occupation of the original owner, and what he traded in, for Studes bought from Sept. '63 through after the end of production in March '66. This info is on file at the Archives of the Studebaker National Museum. Covers the production years I like best, but certainly not enough!
    2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
  • codanforcodanfor Member Posts: 1
    Austin Area, Texas. I grew up learning how to drive on my family's ranch in this truck. It was a 1992 k2500, long bed, Silverado extended cab that my dad drove every day and towed the horse trailers with. It is/was white with tan interior and a wood center console. The rims were painted black and it had a ranch hand brush guard and tool box at the time. I believe it had duel exhaust, but I was young and I just remember my dad telling me "I tell your mother the glasspacks are for gas millage, but I just like the way they sound." The original stuffy tbi 350 was stroked out to a 383 for towing, and it was sold shortly after. I loved this truck and it was a part of my childhood anyone with any tips would be of great service. The defining characteristic is the non-original 383 stroker and newer model leather interior.
    PLEASE HELP!
    much thanks Colton
  • suej1suej1 Member Posts: 1
    I bought a 1974 Dodge Challenger new, had to sell it around 1995 (divorce!), and I'm trying to find it. I know it initially went to NJ, and it was being restored. I have the VIN #, original window sticker and spare set of keys..plus lots of picts.
    It was a 360 4 BBL, rally, 4 speed....
    Last digits if VIN are: 279629...would love to buy it back. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to find it? I did post on NJ Mopar club sites, but so far no results.
  • omarmanomarman Member Posts: 2,702
    Ever look at the Hamtramck Registry site? May not have the VIN for your car in their database but lots of info for all Mopar including Challengers. If you click on the Found link on the left side of their home page, it brings up an interesting VIN search page. Apparently they even have a big collection of old build sheets, window stickers, etc. which can be claimed by the current owner of the car it originally came from! Looks like they update their site frequently and Mopar mysteries seem to be a serious hobby for these guys. If they don't have something useful there, maybe one of their affiliate links or direct contact with their site may help. Outstanding Library link by the way...I counted 19 categories of factory/dealer books, catalogs, etc. for the 1970-1974 section alone. Sounds like your car would be something special to Mopar fans so you're on the right track by hooking up with the car clubs.
    A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing.
  • passat40passat40 Member Posts: 1
    We are looking to locate my Dad's first car a 1950 Oldsmobile Coup customized. A 3 speed 39 Lasalle transmission. A 389 cubic inch engine. Custom Green exterior, with custom leather interior. We have very little data however we do have an original picture we can send. The car was last seen in Libertyville IL back in the 1960's. Does anyone know how we need to proceed from here.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Pretty tough without a VIN or other data. You might contact the various Oldsmobile Club of America regional clubs in the Ohio area:

    Olds Clubs Eastern Great Lakes Zone
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