How do you guys find out the history on your cars?

[MoparMotel]

I've read some great stories on here of people that have tracked their cars history back all the way to when it was new. I plan to keep my Charger forever and would love to do the same thing.

My '68 Charger was purchased by my dad in 1998 as a father and son project- I was only 9 years old at the time. We finished restoring the car around 2004/2005 then I blew up the motor in 2007 and it went through an even more in depth rottissorie restoration that was completed in Dec 2009.

We purchased the car in Madera, California from a guy named William who owned the local Madera Honda Suzuki motorcycle dealership. I had a Honda Trail 70 at the time and we even went to the dealer and bought parts from him after purchasing the Charger. I have since went back to the dealer last week asking for him only to learn he sold the dealership to a new owner about 10 years ago.

When we bought the car I believe he said he had the car for a while and was the 2nd or 3rd owner, making me the 3rd or 4th owner. My car was supposedly purchased new at a dealer in the San Jose CA area.

That's all I know.

Is there anyway to find out anything else?

I have a friend that works at CA DMV but she said their records only go back 7-10 years so that's no help since I've owned the car 16 years.

Any suggestions?

Thank you in advance!

[MoparMotel]

My Fender Tag if that helps with tracking any info-

XP29  =  Base model Charger
62  =  383 4bbl HP
5   =  3-speed 727 automatic
46  =  F70 x 14 whitewall tires
216  =  February 16th, 1968 Scheduled Build Date
077871  =  Vehicle Shipping Number (a/k/a "S.O. number")

2 = 5    Driprail mouldings
3 = 0    Body belt mouldings
7 = 8    Wheel lip mouldings
A = 4    3.23 rear axle ratio, and the lack of an "8" under "X" means it is an open rear end

C6Y =  Gold-colored vinyl bucket seat interior - Charger trim grade
JJ1  =  Medium Gold Metallic
U = J    Gold upper door frame color

A = 1   26" radiator
H = 1   Power Brakes
R = 1   AM Radio
S = 1   Air Conditioning
X = 1   Tinted Glass (all)
Y = 7   White vinyl top

a = 5   center front seat
b = 4   bucket seats
h = 7   hood mounted turn signal indicators
m = 6  driver's outside remote operated mirror

[myk]

Looks like our cars had a similar starting point in life, build-wise.  As for researching I wouldn't know; I've owned my Charger for 20 years so the CA DMV can't help me either...

[fy469rtse]

I would love to know the history on my cars,
Latest one survived and parked and forgotten for over 25 years in barn before I found it, stripped and forgotten because the damage to rear was probably worth more than the car to fix , original owner car was listed and bought by me after his passing

[moparnation74]

    If you have no records with the car on previous ownership, it is almost impossible to find out.  I called DMV in Texas about mine and they stated that any DMV does not keep records over 5 years.  I was fortunate because when my car was purchased from the second owner, I made a copy of that title, which had his name and address.  Luckily, he was still alive and I was able to track him down.  Once I contacted him he gave me the previous owners name and town area he resided in.  The next hunt began and I found him and talked to the first owner.  I then got letters from the two of them signed and dated.
    This info is not to glorify myself but how sometimes some key info or any info can get you in the right direction.  If you even just find a name on an old registration or inspection sheet or any document, pursue it.  If you need any help searching if you find a name, I would be glad to help. 

[ODZKing]

My 67 worked out because I got much of the info from Chrysler Historical. They told me the car was sold at a dealership in NY state to which I traced the car to a fellow in PA not far from the border. There was no info from the NYS DMV because it was never registered here. But PA was able to give me much information and since I knew the car was from an estate, I tracked down the last known address but the PO had moved.
So as far as I can tell other than the guy who flipped the car to me, I am the second owner.

Now my 73 is another story. Sold in CA the car made it to Indiana. Even though I have previous registrations from Indiana, I can not trace the owner. I have made numerour phone calls to no avail.
And California ... forget about it. You would think a state that large would be helpful but just the opposite.  They don't want to know anything.  So on that one, I've given up.

[Old Moparz]

It was a little easier for me to know the history on my '69 Satellite convertible & my '71 Scamp compared to other cars I have. They were both local cars in NJ where I was living back then & were not that old at the time of purchase. Also, NJ DMV used to put a letter either before or after the VIN on the title to designate the number of the current owner. If you were the original owner there was no letter, but the second owner got the letter "A", the third owner was "B" etc.

The '69 Satellite I had bought in 1984 from a guy who said he was the second owner with the first being some woman who bought it new. The same with the Scamp when I got it in 1988 from a friend's Dad saying he was the second owner. Neither could tell me much more than that, & it actually didn't really matter to me because they were simply used cars that were probably going to be disposable daily drivers like other cars I had before them. I never expected to keep a $400 Satellite for 30 years & a $1500 Scamp for 26 years, but glad I did.  

The other cars I have came from out of state & had exchanged hands a few times without ever being titled or registered so these would be tough to track. There have only been three old cars that I bought from the original owners. a 1966 Belvedere Station Wagon from a coworker of a close friend, a 1966 Newport 4 door from a high school teacher I had & a 1966 Sport Fury from my wife's, friend's Mother. There are some cars I am curious about the history of, but not enough to become a detective. I may not want to know either, it could have been a messy divorce.  

The 1971 Barracuda I had for a while was interesting. I bought it from a guy in CT who bought it from someone who dragged it out of a barn there. It was flipped a couple of times before I got it so I don't know how many people owned it. The car had been off the road since the early 80's & had a dealership sticker on the back from the Washington Heights section of NYC. I found a dry cleaners ticket from the 1970's under the carpet from a place in the Bronx. No wonder it had dents in every panel.  

[UH60L]

I got what litte history I know about mine from the guy I bought it from.  He said he got it from a guy who had it sitting in a garage for like 14 years in Twin Falls Idaho (after it got the 318 swapped for a 440).

Beyond that all I know is what the VIN tells me (and what I found under the paint...two other colors...).

I've always wondered if there was an easy way to have the DMV do a historical search of the VIN to see when and where it was registered over the years?

[polywideblock]

try looking from another country      I got told in no uncertain terms that homeland security would not let an "alien"  do title searches  at any  US  DMV

[ws23rt]

try looking from another country     I got told in no uncertain terms that homeland security would not let an "alien"  do title searches  at any  US  DMV

I for one am glad that home land security is on the ball.  I would hate to know that an alien car collector hobbyist could penetrate the fortress that they have built.
We are all safer and comfortable knowing that old car information is restricted for national security purposes.  I sleep well and in peace

Sorry polywideblock--The info we can't get is ours to not get

BTW if you ask one of us to do a search for you that could cause an international incident and divert valuable resources. (this is just between us )

[Challenger340]

I dunno how one would track owners back without DMV records ? Financial Institutions ? Original dealership records ? Private detective ? LOL just kidding, but maybe they have contacts/ways ?

I got lucky,
bought mine from the deceased owners widow, she knew everything about it pretty much back to brand new ? receipts, yada, yada, when the mufflers were replaced, yearly points/plugs/condenser, oil changes..... but it all amounts to is just "nice to know" history, really...."condition" speaks volumes if it isn't "restored", which mine is not.... but it still jives EXACTLY with it's Broadcast Sheet and Fender Tag as the day produced.
Poor thing never got wooped on until I bought it !