Stolen 40 years ago

[ehawkins1971]

So, this is a long shot, but here it goes. When I was a kid we moved to near St. Louis, MO, my Dad had a 68 Charger, then around 1973 or 1974 it was stolen on Easter Morning from our drive way. Car was never recovered, never any news about it at all. Last year, my dad was in a pretty bad car accident, and going through documents I found the title for the Charger. I was surprised he still had it. Dad is well and still with us (broken neck that will never heal because of his age and in a collar for the rest of his life). So, I started wondering if I would be able to find the Charger, the vin is XP29G8B308510. I have tried searching for it online, but no luck.

So, my question or questions...What are the odds of finding it? Where would be a good place to start looking for it? Am I expecting to much to even find it at all?
I know more than likely it was chopped, especially since it was the early seventies, and we live so close to St. Louis.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

[shorty442]

FYI...some of the Mopar oriented forums have a vehicle registry section.

Odds are if it wasn't chopped, then the thieves registered it under a different VIN, or someone did.

Good luck regardless,
Randy

[Baldwinvette77]

Hmmm this could be fun  , however i have to agree with the worst, without a title noone would have bought it, I.e. it likely wasn't sold as a whole, perhaps it was parted out, or who knows maybe it had its vin swapped with a wreck, but then ofcourse you may never track it,  , i'd keep an eye on ebay, alot of titleless cars end up there and vins are usually listed, Goodluck!  

Also, anymore info on it? colour, trim? anything to help identify it visually?  

you know, another tragic thought (i know its not what you want to hear) perhaps it ended up as one of the 300+ dukes of hazzard stunt cars 

[XS29L9Bxxxxxx]

Maybe it's in the 1969 Registry?

[ehawkins1971]

Color wise, if I remember correctly (I was like 3 or 4 at the time) it was green. It wasn't a convertible, but I think it had a black vinyl top. On an even sadder note, I am thinking it was 1973 when it was stolen, and he had had it payed off for about 3 months. I figured it would be a long shot to ever find it, but thought it would be interesting to try

[Baldwinvette77]

defiantly fun to try, who knows, but yes like others have said there is a registry for 69 chargers, not all of them are listed obviously, but its a place to look

[ehawkins1971]

oops, it was a 1968 not a 69, oh my fat fingers...lol. It would be really cool to find, but I don't even know what sort of legal battle would happen if I did find it, especially if someone had spent a lot of money restoring it, I could imagine how ticked they would be.

[ws23rt]

If there is any thing these folks can help with I think this ranks high. We/they would love to help find the answer what ever it may be. Any and all information you can find about your dads car will help.
I wonder if someone looking in here remembers something but hold's back. If so the time has come to make it right.

[Baldwinvette77]

oops, it was a 1968 not a 69, oh my fat fingers...lol. It would be really cool to find, but I don't even know what sort of legal battle would happen if I did find it, especially if someone had spent a lot of money restoring it, I could imagine how ticked they would be.

Well isnt that fun, i have a 68 charger that was chopped up that used be green, possibly not your car though, i have no vin number plus the car i own was painted red and black overtop of the green exterior and interior, which indicates it was on the road for a while, i dont know the history of it though. PLUS most 68/69 chargers were green 

[ehawkins1971]

Dad's memory is fuzzy, but I will ask what he can remember. It was a green 1968 Charger, no vinyl top, vin# XP29G8B308510, Illinois title # K92456 and issued Jan 22 1973. We lived in Cahokia, IL at the time...it's right across the river from St. Louis. It was stolen easter morning of 1973 or 74, pretty sure it was 73. I remember waking up and asking if dad was at work because the car was gone. Dad had worked at Chrysler in Detroit, as did my Grandmother, Grandfather and Uncle...and everyone had a Charger, my Dad and my Grandfather, and my Uncle. That is one reason we moved to St. Louis, my Grandmother and Grandfather came to St. Louis when the plant was opened here, then my Grandfather got ill, so we moved here to be close to him. Now this was all before East St. Louis had gotten really bad, if any of you know about East St. Louis Illinois.

[Baldwinvette77]

that defiantly narrows it down, i think only 25% of chargers in 68 didnt have a vynil roof

I'll admit i HATE doing this, But check out this car, its a stripped green 68 no vynil roof

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,101925.0.html

i like this guy, so im really hoping its not the car in question 

[1974dodgecharger]

that defiantly narrows it down, i think only 25% of chargers in 68 didnt have a vynil roof

I'll admit i HATE doing this, But check out this car, its a stripped green 68 no vynil roof

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,101925.0.html

i like this guy, so im really hoping its not the car in question 

funny that he said, 'I have to steal some of those while no one is looking. Ha!"

[Ghoste]

It isn't in the 69 Registry.

[tan top]

 interesting story  , sorry to hear about your Dad  , hope you find it  ,  but like whats been mentioned prolly wearing a different vin   

[Old Moparz]

As for tracking down the VIN, if the original is still being used on the car, I don't think there is any national agency like a DMV that anyone can simply contact to check. The VIN tag is only riveted to a dash frame that's bolted into the car so a swap can be done & go easily undetected. I've read where people who have friends or family in law enforcement can get favors done, so maybe that's an idea. There are stories of people getting cars back that were stolen many years ago, so anything is possible. The other thing about that is, if your Dad's insurance company paid his claim after it was stolen they technically own your Dad's Charger, not him. If it's a rusted out basket case they will easily let your Dad buy it from them but if it's a restored vehicle in excellent shape they will probably auction it to make some money.

There is a 1968 Charger Registry, but I don't know if it's up & running.   

[mauve66]

do people have to register race cars with NHRA or someone else??  that would be an easy place to get rid of a stolen car, turn it into a race car for the rest of its life.  some states issue VIN's for vehicles without them so even if they sold it later they could just say it never had a VIN

[Brian in GA]

It's a long, long shot for sure. 

Try this:  http://www.vehiclehistory.gov/

I can tell you it's never been registered in Georgia.  That just leaves the rest of the world.

[71 SE3834V]

Dad's memory is fuzzy, but I will ask what he can remember. It was a green 1968 Charger, no vinyl top, vin# XP29G8B308510, Illinois title # K92456 and issued Jan 22 1973. We lived in Cahokia, IL at the time...it's right across the river from St. Louis. It was stolen easter morning of 1973 or 74, pretty sure it was 73. I remember waking up and asking if dad was at work because the car was gone. Dad had worked at Chrysler in Detroit, as did my Grandmother, Grandfather and Uncle...and everyone had a Charger, my Dad and my Grandfather, and my Uncle. That is one reason we moved to St. Louis, my Grandmother and Grandfather came to St. Louis when the plant was opened here, then my Grandfather got ill, so we moved here to be close to him. Now this was all before East St. Louis had gotten really bad, if any of you know about East St. Louis Illinois.

Small world...sorry I can't help you w/the car but my wife & I have an interesting connection. I grew up & still live in a suburb of Detroit where your family started and my wife grew up in Belleville, Ill. near where you moved. Needless to say we are aware of E. St. Louis.
Good luck w/your search.

[Old Moparz]

It's a long, long shot for sure. 

Try this:  http://www.vehiclehistory.gov/

I can tell you it's never been registered in Georgia.  That just leaves the rest of the world.

I was looking at that site too, but it appears to work like carfax in that you have to pay a fee.