How Can I Trace the History of a Classic Vehicle?

[pitbulllady]

I've tried several sites that allow you to trace the history of any vehicle via the VIN number, but none of these go back further than 1980, so in the case of a classic car/truck, that's no possible. I would really love to know about the past of my '61 Lark Cruiser-who owned it before me, where it was originally purchased, when the engine was rebuilt, etc. Are there any sites available for tracing the history of a pre-1980's car?

pitbulllady

[studeclunker]

Answer: Not really.
Your local DMV may or may not be willing to help. Some states will provide a list of names and addresses of previous owners. Then of course, there's the build sheet available from the Studebaker Museum.


Home of the famous Mr. Ed!
Lotsa Larks!
K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Studebaker!
Ron Smith
Where the heck is Lewiston, CA?

[studeclunker]

Answer: Not really.
Your local DMV may or may not be willing to help. Some states will provide a list of names and addresses of previous owners. Then of course, there's the build sheet available from the Studebaker Museum.


Home of the famous Mr. Ed!
Lotsa Larks!
K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Studebaker!
Ron Smith
Where the heck is Lewiston, CA?

[StudeRich]

Many states like Calif. still have the old paper records in the basement and will or (DID) search them for you for a fee. Of course you need a clue as to which states the car has been in to see if their Motor Vehicle Dept. can help.

Check for lube stickers or info written in the owners guide in the glove box if it's still there.

Also the production order from the Studebaker National Museum will tell you which State it originally went to.

StudeRich
Studebakers Northwest
Ferndale, WA

[StudeRich]

Many states like Calif. still have the old paper records in the basement and will or (DID) search them for you for a fee. Of course you need a clue as to which states the car has been in to see if their Motor Vehicle Dept. can help.

Check for lube stickers or info written in the owners guide in the glove box if it's still there.

Also the production order from the Studebaker National Museum will tell you which State it originally went to.

StudeRich
Studebakers Northwest
Ferndale, WA

[studeclunker]

Lube stickers, interesting... Bess has one from Cleveland Ohio.


Home of the famous Mr. Ed!
Lotsa Larks!
K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Studebaker!
Ron Smith
Where the heck is Lewiston, CA?

[studeclunker]

Lube stickers, interesting... Bess has one from Cleveland Ohio.


Home of the famous Mr. Ed!
Lotsa Larks!
K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Studebaker!
Ron Smith
Where the heck is Lewiston, CA?

[showbizkid]

quote:Originally posted by studeclunker

Lube stickers, interesting... Bess has one from Cleveland Ohio.

They lube cars in Cleveland? I thought they just squirted oil on the rust there...


[img=left]http://members.cox.net/clarknovak/lark.gif[/img=left]

Clark in San Diego
'63 F2/Lark Standard

http://studeblogger.blogspot.com

[showbizkid]

quote:Originally posted by studeclunker

Lube stickers, interesting... Bess has one from Cleveland Ohio.

They lube cars in Cleveland? I thought they just squirted oil on the rust there...


[img=left]http://members.cox.net/clarknovak/lark.gif[/img=left]

Clark in San Diego
'63 F2/Lark Standard

http://studeblogger.blogspot.com

[sumf]

Just for the fun of it when you have time to waste, enter the s/n into Google. Someone may have mentioned it somewhere along the line, like I have with my '64 GT.

Optomistic Karl

[sumf]

Just for the fun of it when you have time to waste, enter the s/n into Google. Someone may have mentioned it somewhere along the line, like I have with my '64 GT.

Optomistic Karl

[Guido]

With the new privacy rules, I suspect that the DMV's are restricting what information they are now providing. In my prior job I used to sue a number of people for money they owed and once I had my judgment I could go to DMV. For $5.00 they would give me a list with detailed information on every car the debtor owned (with lien data) so I could determine whether to have the sheriff sieze and sell it.

[Guido]

With the new privacy rules, I suspect that the DMV's are restricting what information they are now providing. In my prior job I used to sue a number of people for money they owed and once I had my judgment I could go to DMV. For $5.00 they would give me a list with detailed information on every car the debtor owned (with lien data) so I could determine whether to have the sheriff sieze and sell it.

[pitbulllady]

Everything that I've found in or with the car seems to indicate that it has always been in Ohio, since leaving the factory. The AC was installed in 1998 in some town(I can't recall it at the moment, and the car won't fit inside where I have my computer)in Ohio, and I found a piece of a wooden yardstick in the trunk that has the names of some elevator business in Ohio, complete with a THREE-digit telephone number-not an extension, but the actual phone number! I'll try the Google thing, but I will probably only come up with the car's entry into the Cruiser Registry and maybe an old ad from the dealership I bought it from.

pitbulllady

[pitbulllady]

Everything that I've found in or with the car seems to indicate that it has always been in Ohio, since leaving the factory. The AC was installed in 1998 in some town(I can't recall it at the moment, and the car won't fit inside where I have my computer)in Ohio, and I found a piece of a wooden yardstick in the trunk that has the names of some elevator business in Ohio, complete with a THREE-digit telephone number-not an extension, but the actual phone number! I'll try the Google thing, but I will probably only come up with the car's entry into the Cruiser Registry and maybe an old ad from the dealership I bought it from.

pitbulllady