How track down original owner
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 4,496
Likes: 856
From: Walhalla South Carolina
How track down original owner
I have the original title number for my 2001 vette and know the state it was purchased in. Have contacted bmv and gotten their form to get this info but unless i am a law inforcement person or legal guardian or a lawyer needing this private info i can't get it. It is considered private info. Does anyone know how i can get the name of original owner. Thanks
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Anymore you may have a very difficult time getting the info - as you mention, privacy laws are pretty restrictive. If you do find a way, I'm sure others would like to know.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 3,399
Likes: 1,339
From: Havre de Grace Maryland
The Window sticker and Build sticker (available from the Corvette Museum) have the name of the dealership where the car was shipped to. Maybe they still have the paperwork and will release the name to you. If not, maybe they would call the previous owner and see if the person will talk with you. I was lucky, my state, MD, would provide me with a copy of the previous owner's title. Good luck on your search.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 24,491
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From: Scottsdale AZ
I have the original title number for my 2001 vette and know the state it was purchased in. Have contacted bmv and gotten their form to get this info but unless i am a law inforcement person or legal guardian or a lawyer needing this private info i can't get it. It is considered private info. Does anyone know how i can get the name of original owner. Thanks
Why not go to a dealership, ask them (or ask a forum member) to run a VIS report on the car that will show the delivering dealer and dealerships where warranty work was done. They may cooperate by helping you locate the original purchaser--but as restrictive as privacy laws are, you're facing an uphill battle.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 4,260
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From: Houston TX
I still think it seems a little weird to just call the original owner out of the blue. If you bought it directly from them and they said to call with any questions, then that would be different. Lots of people trade their cars in to help avoid situations like this. I seriously doubt the dealership will give you their info.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 4,496
Likes: 856
From: Walhalla South Carolina
Dealership may not and that is ok, not a big deal. I have had people contact me in the past about a vehicle i owned and i was happy to talk with them about the vehicle.
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Pro
Joined: Jul 2010
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From: Aurora Colorado
Depending on how bad you want to make contact--you might try these people:
http://www.autoancestry.com/
They research the previous owner history of old cars.
http://www.autoancestry.com/
They research the previous owner history of old cars.
Last edited by phoneman91; Nov 5, 2015 at 03:50 PM.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 4,496
Likes: 856
From: Walhalla South Carolina
Depending on how bad you want to make contact--you might try these people:
http://www.autoancestry.com/
They research the previous owner history of old cars.
http://www.autoancestry.com/
They research the previous owner history of old cars.
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 34,873
Likes: 487
From: Lacey WA RVN 68-69
NCM Sinkhole Donor
Most all states prohibit giving out vehicle registration information. Even if you found the name of the selling dealer, I would expect that they would not share purchaser information with private individuals.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 4,496
Likes: 856
From: Walhalla South Carolina
Depending on how bad you want to make contact--you might try these people:
http://www.autoancestry.com/
They research the previous owner history of old cars.
http://www.autoancestry.com/
They research the previous owner history of old cars.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 4,496
Likes: 856
From: Walhalla South Carolina
I had a buddy that just bought a 66 ss and it had all the paperwork with it to include orig. Owner. He contacted him in tn. And went by and chatted with him. Nothing sneaky or creepy, just shared their passion for the same car. Pretty cool i think. Like i said n an earlier thread i had a guy buy two of my previous trucks and i enjoyed sharing with him. We aren't talking nuclear secrets here, just a corvette. I understand the privacy thing and lie i said no big deal, life goes on. Thanks for all the suggestions, i still hope the selling dealership can get me the info without me actually contacting to org. owner.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 950
Likes: 100
From: Lehigh Valley PA
2022 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
State privacy laws probably won't allow it unless it's part of some sort of litigation.
Why not go to a dealership, ask them (or ask a forum member) to run a VIS report on the car that will show the delivering dealer and dealerships where warranty work was done. They may cooperate by helping you locate the original purchaser--but as restrictive as privacy laws are, you're facing an uphill battle.
Why not go to a dealership, ask them (or ask a forum member) to run a VIS report on the car that will show the delivering dealer and dealerships where warranty work was done. They may cooperate by helping you locate the original purchaser--but as restrictive as privacy laws are, you're facing an uphill battle.
I spoke to Kerbeck who took delivery of my 97. They barely gave me a minute of their time. Basically, no against the law. Sorry. Go away.
While they are a huge corvette dealer, I won't buy from there, Sorry, I'll go away.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 6,644
Likes: 479
From: OK
Wanted to know more about the history of our 73 Big Block 4spd car...I talked with the guy I traded with for the car and he told me about the individual that HE bought the car from... told me the individual was going to OU Law school... and I had a Name... I started looking for lawyers with that name, where and when they went to school... on a long shot I found one that went to OU about the same time that Ross bought the car...gave him a call. and sure enough he was one of the previous owners... took his wife on their first date in it... she wants it back. Not sure what happened but, never heard from him again, which was fine. Didn't want to sell it anyway.
You may just have to start back tracking... from wherever you bought the car... I know the dealership where we bought are car was willing to contact the previous owner to answer any questions we might have about our C5...so, I assume you could request THEY make that contact and see if the previous owner would be willing to contact YOU.
Good luck...
You may just have to start back tracking... from wherever you bought the car... I know the dealership where we bought are car was willing to contact the previous owner to answer any questions we might have about our C5...so, I assume you could request THEY make that contact and see if the previous owner would be willing to contact YOU.
Good luck...
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 6,835
Likes: 302
From: Columbia SC
I bought a real low mileage 1971 Detomaso Pantera thru the US Marshal's service and have always wanted to know what was behind the history of the car. That was about 26 years ago. Never found any drugs and it was never "taken" apart from my restoration inspections. Could have been taxes or a lot of things. Anyway, I was luckier that they were.
Mr. Sam
Mr. Sam
Pro
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 590
Likes: 57
From: Aurora Colorado
I lucked out on my C5--I found the license registration under the driver's seat--had the original and only previous owner's name and address on it--and the price he paid for the C5 when it was new!
Last edited by phoneman91; Nov 7, 2015 at 07:02 PM.