Tracing a Vehicle's History

[kent_goins]

Hello All:
I have chatted in another thread about this topic briefly as it related to finding the build sheets for our cars via Chrysler history department, etc...Those missing three years of documentation...

More directly, I am trying to find the previous owners of my car and contact them to get information on specifics of the car when they owned it. Turns out they are hard to get hold of and the father/owner passed away in 2001. He had transferred ownership of the car to his son before he died and the son appears to be in hiding due to legal/law issues of some kind. In lieu of not finding the previous owners....I was wondering if there is a way to locate what dealership the vehicle originated from. I am certain of the state and somewhat certain of the city (Iowa City, Iowa). Can I go through law enforcement or DMV to locate point of origin? What other techniques might there be?

Thanks
KG

[Cuda Cody]

If you're lucky enough to have Mr. Norms car then there is a lot of documents available.  But they charge just to look even if they don't have anything.   That kinda sucks.

http://www.mrnorms.com/new/sport_club/Documentation.html

[Spikedog08]

I have found that it is different from state to state . . . some DMV's can search for history, some will only go back 10 years like Michigan and others will not help at all.   

[kent_goins]

Cody...the mr norms documentation I assume is only cars bought at his dealership?

[Cuda Cody]

Yes, that is correct.

Not easy getting past history for our cars.

Cody...the mr norms documentation I assume is only cars bought at his dealership?

[kent_goins]

What I find truly amazing is...I have information for all the family members of the previous owner and none of the emails or phone numbers work for them!!!!
and it appears the dad passed the car to the son, MATT who appears to be in hiding from the law...lots of addresses and phone numbers via girlfriends...no direct contact for MATT!!! Anybody can look me up on intellius or some quick free search on the web and get my phone, address and call me/locate me no problem...These people are something else

[Timbbuc2]

It is very difficult, In Alabama there are laws in place to keep this type of searches from being done. Said to be because of stalkers . But when I registered my car they checked and it was no where to be found. Car was originally owned in Alabama  went to Tenn and then to Georgia back to Alabama. DMV said maybe because the car had been off the road for over 20 years. But you would think that there is title information in the system. The way I got anywhere was back tracking.

[JH27N0B]

If you're lucky enough to have Mr. Norms car then there is a lot of documents available.  But they charge just to look even if they don't have anything.   That kinda sucks.

http://www.mrnorms.com/new/sport_club/Documentation.html

I got my T/As Mr Norms paperwork back in the late 90s from Larry Weiner.  I thought it was overpriced at the time, $375.  Only worth anything to me right?
I held back a while but finally relented and bought it from him.
Probably good I got it when I did, prices have surely gone up.
Crazy thing I heard is that someone bought up the Mr Norms paperwork left for some hemi and V code type cars, and put a price of $25K for a cars paperwork if a current owner was found!
Greed knows no bounds...
I've tried to track down my cars original owner whose name I got from the paperwork.  I think I found his info, living in a not too far from me suburb.  I tried calling and even sent a SASE to the address I found but never heard back.  Finally gave up, I guess I could have camped out on the guys doorstep.

[ChallengerHK]

Hire a PI. They have all sorts of ways, ethical and unethical, of finding people, even if they don't want to be found.

[A.Gramz]

Found this in my driver door when I dissembles it Sunday I can see the remains of the faded phone number.    But I'm too chicken shit too call it.   

[Cuda Cody]

Oh man, you got to call!  At least google the number.

I found a wallet that slide down the side of the trunk in my T/A.  Looked up the owner on Google and called him.  It ended up being the original owner!!!   

Found this in my driver door when I dissembles it Sunday I can see the remains of the faded phone number.    But I'm too chicken shit too call it.