title searches: nationwide by county and state

[lemish]

Has anyone found any place (company, website, private investigator) that will do nationwide records search for older car (non-17 digit) VIN's ???

 

[c5vetter]

none available - you need to contact EACH individual DMV or whatever each state calls their Motor Vehicle Registration office - many only keep records for 10 years from the last time a vehicle was registered - so for instance, the last time my 1963 Z06 was registered in any STATE in the USA was in 1963, and of course Virginia doesn't have records that far back - then it went to Switzerland

 

[lemish]

Rick,

I think I am screwed then. The car is a midwest car and ohio only keeps records for 5 years and Indiana for 7. What is it with everyone and not keeping records? (I recently went through a Top Sescret background investigation and found out that several places I used to work at only kept records 5 - 10 years.)

Anyway, for this car, I have the list of owner names but just want to gather any paper I can!

 

[c5vetter]

Mick,

since you know the owners - have you contacted each to see if they have any papers? perhaps, if they still live in the state where they were the owners, maybe there is something they can do? just thiniking out loud here

 

[lemish]

Mick,

since you know the owners - have you contacted each to see if they have any papers? perhaps, if they still live in the state where they were the owners, maybe there is something they can do? just thiniking out loud here

Owner #1 is dead, no relatives in same city know anything about the Corvette - no more leads to follow. Supposed original selling dealer in that city has no records that far back. That particular county has no records that far back.

Owner # ?2? says he has some paperwork like previous owner info, previous storage info, bill of sale, etc. but seems I have lost communication with him. Once I asked for copies he stopped taking calls and returning e-mails. I dont understand why so many people want to hold on to precious paperwork when the dont have the car anymore! (I hade the same problem with the guy who I bought the car from, not wanting to provide the Bloomington Awards and Judging sheets.)

** The real reason I want to collect the paperwork is there may be some indication that there is another owner between the #1 and #2 guys I have names for.

I think I have to settle for what paperwork I do have.

 

[JohnZ]

It's a challenging project, and sometimes you get lucky, most of the time you don't. I've traced my '67 back to owner #2, who is alive and kicking, but refuses to answer my letters or phone calls in spite of sending him addressed and stamped envelopes, asking him to call me collect, etc. Other folks I've talked to who know him say they know for a fact that he bought the car from the original owner, but they say he's a bit "eccentric" :eyerole

 

[koolaid117]

Rick,
What is it with everyone and not keeping records? (I recently went through a Top Sescret background investigation and found out that several places I used to work at only kept records 5 - 10 years.)

Storage space is the main reason. Most companies are just getting around to putting things on computer and they are only required by law to keep things for a certain amount of time and after that, C-YA! Sorry about your frustration. Hope things work out!

 

[lemish]

It's a challenging project, and sometimes you get lucky, most of the time you don't. I've traced my '67 back to owner #2, who is alive and kicking, but refuses to answer my letters or phone calls in spite of sending him addressed and stamped envelopes, asking him to call me collect, etc. Other folks I've talked to who know him say they know for a fact that he bought the car from the original owner, but they say he's a bit "eccentric" :eyerole

Why do individuals have to be that way? Every vette I have sold has included all the paper work, down to cancelled checks and creditcard receipts for service work (as long as the account numbers werent still active.)

The state DMV records, I understand -- but I have to say libraries convert to microfilm, why cant these vital record related govt agencies?

 

[c5vetter]

because it costs money and no one has asked them to - no legal requirement to maintain, just like GM not maintaining the records