How do I find my old corvette???
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
How do I find my old corvette???
I'm looking for my grandparents old corvette that was bought new in 1972. I have all of the documentation to the car. Window sticker, bill of sale, warranty book w/protecto plate. It was red w/t-tops. Car was sold to a next door neighbor in 1976. They have long since moved.
Does anybody know of a website where they locate old cars? I've tried all the VIN search companies and they all want the new VIN's which are 17 characters from 1981 forward. And of course the 72 only had 13 characters. I am willing to pay for services rendered. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Pierre
Does anybody know of a website where they locate old cars? I've tried all the VIN search companies and they all want the new VIN's which are 17 characters from 1981 forward. And of course the 72 only had 13 characters. I am willing to pay for services rendered. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Pierre
Racer
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 492
Likes: 31
From: NJ
I have the VIN of my dad's original 1970 Chevelle that I am desperately attempting to locate. There is a small chance that the car even still exists, and an even smaller chance that the car is 'ok' enough to want to explore buying, but it's worth a shot. I've heard so many stories about that car growing up and I was the reason (needed a family car) that he had to sell it in 1974 so my dream is to find it for him and get it back to the original owner! 
If anyone has suggestions, please let me know!
If anyone has suggestions, please let me know!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 6,640
Likes: 287
From: Ann Arbor Michigan
You can try is site.
http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/...php?cmd=indexb
Also put an ad in the monthly NCRS publication.
http://www.ncrs.org/drivelinead.html
http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/...php?cmd=indexb
Also put an ad in the monthly NCRS publication.
http://www.ncrs.org/drivelinead.html
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,259
Likes: 2
From: MS
Write a letter to your state's main office DMV and ask for a title history on the VIN of the car. Privacy Laws have made this lesss productive than it it used to be, but depending on your state you may get a list of owners and addresses or you may get nothing. Obviously, they will only have records of their own state, but it should show the first time the car came into the state from what state it came from; and then just do it again with that state. Can also contact the Corvette Clubs in the city where trail runs cold and see if anybody there remembers the car. Since most cars were sold locally back in the day, you could also drive to the city of the farthest back registered owner, and spend the day at the library looking at microfilm of the local newspaper classified section and write down the phone numers for all the Corvettes for sale fitting your description around the time the car was registered. You may get lucky and find the original ad for your car and the previous owner who sold it. Long shot but not impossible.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 8,800
Likes: 1,943
From: LONG ISLAND
2025 C3 ('68-'73) of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2023 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
Put A Photo Of It On The Back Of A Milk Carton 
Last edited by 427SIXPACK; Jan 7, 2007 at 11:23 AM.
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Team Owner
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 31,497
Likes: 1,313
From: Huntsville AL
Would be much easier to track down the people the car was sold to. Do you know their names? Check the courthouse records for the transactions related to the sale of the house they lived in.
Private detectives do this stuff all of the time. You could consider hiring one, but I would do some leg work first.
If you know the name of the buyers, google it, then try switchboard.com, whitepages.com, etc. You will be surprised how much info is on the net these days.
Private detectives do this stuff all of the time. You could consider hiring one, but I would do some leg work first.
If you know the name of the buyers, google it, then try switchboard.com, whitepages.com, etc. You will be surprised how much info is on the net these days.
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 201
Likes: 0
From: michigantown IN.
an officers help
I was able to track down and buy the object of my childhood obsession(69 black 4 speed coupe)with the help of an wonderful"unnamed" police officer who happened to be sympathetic to my plight.If you have the VIN and the car is still registered any "willing" officer has the capability to locate your car.
Racer
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 488
Likes: 0
From: Fremont,CA
I'm looking for my grandparents old corvette that was bought new in 1972. I have all of the documentation to the car. Window sticker, bill of sale, warranty book w/protecto plate. It was red w/t-tops. Car was sold to a next door neighbor in 1976. They have long since moved.
Does anybody know of a website where they locate old cars? I've tried all the VIN search companies and they all want the new VIN's which are 17 characters from 1981 forward. And of course the 72 only had 13 characters. I am willing to pay for services rendered. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Pierre
Does anybody know of a website where they locate old cars? I've tried all the VIN search companies and they all want the new VIN's which are 17 characters from 1981 forward. And of course the 72 only had 13 characters. I am willing to pay for services rendered. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Pierre
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 5,447
Likes: 3
From: Syracuse NY
Cruising
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
Looking for my dads old Corvette
I am looking for my dad's old Corvette. VIN 1G1AY0780E5120389 A 1984 red on red C4. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you. michael@aliano.com
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 38,923
Likes: 1,482
From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
I am looking for my dad's old Corvette. VIN 1G1AY0780E5120389 A 1984 red on red C4. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you. michael@aliano.com
Last edited by Easy Mike; Apr 1, 2014 at 10:51 AM.
Racer
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 470
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I just tried this through our DMV with the '69 we bought. I filled out the forms, sent my $5.00 check and waited for my results. What I got back was disappointing, they sent me the information of the man we bought it from and our information, gee, I already knew that! The man we bought it from purchased it from the original owner in 1978 (we had that title) and the DMV only keeps records for 10 years so it did me no good but maybe your state is different.
As for finding the family, try FaceBook. I found several friends there and you might be surprised at who has a FaceBook page these days.
As for finding the family, try FaceBook. I found several friends there and you might be surprised at who has a FaceBook page these days.
Administrator
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 53,986
Likes: 6,212
From: About 1100 miles from where I call home.
I am looking for my dad's old Corvette. VIN 1G1AY0780E5120389 A 1984 red on red C4. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you. michael@aliano.com
