Hello,

I just bought my first vette and was wondering what is the best method to try to trace the cars history?

Just not sure where I can find information and I knoew this was the place to ask!

Any guidance from the pros on where to begin would be great!

Thanks,

Michael

 

In Texas it is real easy to trace the previous history on our cars. I dont know the exact name of the Tx dept of trans in your area but it is where you would go to get a duplicate title [mine is in Arlington] but go there with your title and pay them $6 dollars and it takes about 2 weeks and you will have a copy of every title and bill of sale and how much people have paid for your car and tax form with the names and addresses of every previous owner as long as they were in Texas. You will learn a lot about your car. I hope this helps you. Good luck on your search

 

I know the car has been at least in IL & KS. So I guess I would have to contact their DMV?

 

I agree, my car originally came from MT. Pleasant TX. Got lots of great info all the way back to 1980 they do not go back further then that at Texas DMV, and if your car left the state you need to chase it to the next states DMV office. Since your in Texas & i presume you bought the car from someone in Texas, start there at TEXAS DMV, i did mine through the mail !

 

First best bet is the seller. You need to determine what documentation the seller has for the car and make every effort to obtain all of it with the car.

Depending upon the laws in your state or the state where the car was registered, you might be able to do a title search through the DMV. This will list previous owners and you might be able to contact them.

As far as how the car was equipped and whether it's original, you will have to rely upon documentaiton from previous owners. No records exist for the 68-76 models. Some of the dealer invoices for the 77-81 models could be available through Allied-Vaughn. The NCM has copies of the build sheets for most (but not all) of the Bowling Green built cars.

Tank Sitcker? Maybe, yes. Probably no. The 68-72 models had a copy of the build sheet attached to the left top of the fuel tank. The format of this document changed in '73 and it began to be taped to the front of the tank. If your car is 68-72, the tank sticker may or may not be there. If you car is '73 and later, it's probably long gone. I do not advocate going to all the trouble to drop the fuel tank only to find nothing is there, or only a little something is there, or what might be there is illegible. BUT if you have another reason to drop the tank, I would certainly take a look-see.

Copies of build sheets have been found tucked in the wiring behind the speedo-tach, tucked in the wiring behind the center cluster, behind either kick panel, tucked in the springs under the bottom of a seat, and under the carpet in the rear storage area. GM had a policy of not leaving any paper in the car at the time it left St. Louis, so you may or may not find copies of the build sheet in any of the locations listed, especially if Bubba has been there before you.

You might also have one of the truly rare oddities. There was a documented LT-1 which was ordered with every available option. The build sheet required two pages in order to list all the options. Someone on the assembly line at St. Louis neatly folded the two-page build sheet and put it in an envelope in the rear storage compartment. It was in the car when the owner took delivery.

Good luck with the hunt.

 

Not all states have the same freedom laws like we do. My car was bought new in Texarkana texas and was sold to a person who lived in Texarkana Arkansas and the car came back into Texas in the early nineties and my trace showed the arkansas owners name and address and there was no trace until the car came back into Texas and I was able to trace all owners and addresses. I called and e-mailed the DMV offices in Arkansas and they told me that law prohibited that kind of tracing in their state. Hopefully IL & KS. dont have the same laws. My car is a 1977 and I just had it done last year so probably changed our laws since 427six pack had his trace. Like I said it took them several weeks to complete the trace

 

I ahve been working mine and have found most DMVs have provisions to disclose the history within that state, but the caveat is that you have to sign an avadavit that states you will not contact any previous owners under penalty of law. Now you at least knwo who owned it, but it gets dicey if you contact the people. If they are cool, no problem, but if they get pissed they could give you grief.