Researching Your Car's Past

by Joe Sikora, Norfolk, Virginia

So you want to trace your car's history? Sounds simple enough. I have
had mixed results with searching the history of my cars over the years; here are
some of the tricks (and lessons) I have leamed along the way. The natural
starting point would seem to be the original, selling dealership, but you can
almost always rule them out for any help.

Unfortunately, even if you are lucky enough to know their name, it is
doubtful that they are still in business. If they are, the dealership has
probably changed hands or names, and it is very unlikely that they will still
have any records or employees from when your car was new.

Given all the pitfalls, the best way to obtain ownership history is still
to contact the DMV directly. Patience is the key here, it may take you a year to
exhaust all the previous records on your car. Start with your present State's
DMV and work the Title backwards. There is usually a minor research fee ($5-50)
associated with this service. Many states only keep records for fixed lengths of
time. As DMV's continue to switch more information over to computer, access to
the old microfiche and paper records is gethng harder and harder to dig up.

Keep going until you complete the search or hit the brick wall.
Regardless of your degree of success with the DMV, it may be next to impossible
to determine all of the "actual" owners of ar car. The DMV only tracks
"registered" owners, and over years, your car's title has more than likely been
"skipped"Ê "passed" several times. Often cars are traded from one dealer to
another without record. Also, a prior owner may never have bothered to get the
vehicle retitled in his name. Any one of these "actual" owners" may have had
more of an impact on the history of your car than all of the "registered" owners
combined! If the prior owner was in the military, veteran organizans keep
excellent records of their whereabouts. Don't forget about a relative, friend or
helpful club member who may live in the area you are researching. Of course,
internet chat groups are a great resource nowadays. I have used private
investigators, but detective work is expensive. Professionals have a lot of
tricks and are privy to information that you just cannot get.

Given the cost of long distance phone calls, and a cross country
trip or two, professional investigators may even end up being cheaper in the
long run! Don't rule out that the previous owner may be dead. A call to the
Social Security Office will not get an address, but can confirm this for you.

Actually contacting these previous owners is another story, and
creativity is the key! Although the internet has made phone number / email
searches a lot easier. It is even worth contacting other people with the same
last name in the town, as they are often relatives or children of the previous
owner. Sometimes calling on a neighbor or the new owner of the home where the
previous owner used to live wili get you some clues. I have found that most
folks are as helpful as they can be, and seem fascinated that I am going to all
of the trouble for an old car. People are so jaded with telephone solicitations
nowadays, so don't waste their time (or yours). Keep your introduction short and
to the point. I write down my introduction, and just say it over and over to
each person I call.

Letters are a last ditch effort, but sometime the Post Of fice can
actually forward them to the previous owner's new address! You can try regular
mail but I always send them certified / return receipt requested. It gives the
letter the priority it needs for the previous owner to take notice and respond.

Remember, although this is very important to you, other than a touch of
nostalgia' or general human kindness, there is nothing in this for the previous
owner. Be polite and provide as much information as you can in your letter about
yourself, and your car to jog their memory and give credence to your request.
Again, folks are so jaded with junk mail, your letter must stand out and not
require to much effort on their part. I hand address them, use a question and
answer form with SIMPLE, yes/ no questions and include a stamped pre-addressed
envelope. Some folks would rather call than fill out the form, so include your
phone nunber and email. Let the previous owner know that |they should call
Collect; this makes it easy for them and willÊ be a permanent record of their
phone number.

Every previous owner, I have ever reached, was more than happy to
talk about their old car, but remember your "pride and joy" may just have been
another car to them! Be patient; your car is fresh in your mind, but you are
asking about details on a car that someone owned a very long time ago. A few
specific questions are ok, but try not to steer the conversation too much.
People tend to remember generalities rather than specifics; try to ask questions
that will just let the previous owner talk.

Don't be disappointed if you can't complete the entire title history of
your car. Historic research is largely out of your hands, no amount of
creativity on your part can ever retrieve information that just doesn't exist
anymore. You should be proud of what you are able to accomplish, not
disappointed by what you were unable to complete. Good luck and remember to
enjoy the adventure!

(reprinted and edited from the Signal Seelcer, the Mid-Atlantic NCRS Chapter newsletter)