VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Helpful Information & Suggestions Locating your first car

Anybody out there have any suggestions for locating a car once owned?? I have always wanted to find my first car I owned. I have had no luck with DMV searches, and don't have the cash to hire a private investigator. The insurance company did not retain records going back far enough for me to get the VIN. Anyone with a success story??

Unfortunately, I only have my MD plate number and not the car's V.I.N..

The only way I've been able to do that is by contacting whoever I sold it to, then finding out who he sold it to and so on. If you're very very lucky they are still alive and accessible.

Pat's right...Even here in California, if you let your registration expire, they'll erase you from their system...And your screwed...I even went back to the house I'd bought it from and he had moved...So much for that...

Good luck on your quest. I wouldn't want to find my first car. It was a POS '59 T-Bird that had been wrecked and cobbled back together.

Hi styleline51,
Ever since 911(Patriot Act?) DMV's and other previously useful state agencies have severely limited consumer information.Most will only now go back ten years on a title/vehicle history and not provide names or addy's of past owners.
I've personally had limited success by getting a previous owner's last name and working it online to obtain an old address,etc...to politely try and reach out.
The DMV's are of no help beyond 10 years even with if you have a VIN #.In Illinois,on more than one occasion when I've tried to research history of a car...they said try carfax! They only provide carfax type info now.

Recently,I had what I call good luck I was able to get a 20yr history of a 76 Impala I'd purchased,which simply confirmed what the 2nd owner basically told me anyway.But at least I have a documented history back that far now.I was able to get the original owners address,from there it was a 5 minute search on google and I had their name.From Wisconsin DMV Research and Information I was also able to get a copy of the 2nd owner Title,which listed the orig owners name confirming everything I'd been told by the 2nd owner who I bought the car from.For $20 I ended up buying 2 separate reports from the Wisc DMV.I was pleasantly surprised they provided this much info about my car.
The fact that the Impala was reg it's entire life in Wi also helped.
So it is frustrating at best,but without a VIN you're in for a tough go. Good luck,though! Jim

Hi Jim,
Wow--you really struck gold! I assume the 20yr search you did was via Carfax? I'm also amazed you were able to get title and owner info from WI DMV.

As others have alluded, the Federal Driver's Privacy and Protection act eliminated any way to get personal contact information from DMVs. This act came about pre-911 when a high profile movie star celebrity was murdered years ago. The perpetrator of the crime got her contact info from a DMV search.

Unfortunately, I lost the owner's name that I sold the car to.
So I'm up a creek. I thought my old plate or at least the insurance co. would help. I was wrong. I also waited too long.

I do vaguely remember the street but not the house where he lived, so maybe I'll try going back there.

Here's another idea. Search through your old income tax forms if you held onto them. Chances are there is a tax receipt for sales or property tax paid and on it would be the VIN also.

I pitched all my records older than 7 years.

Rick .... What was that first car?

Bob,
It was Brand X--a 66 Mustang six banger. My mom was pretty sharp and knew I'd get into trouble with my first choice--a V8 Camaro--hence she put the kabash on that .
BTW--I got into enough trouble with the cops with that little Mustang 6.
Apologies to the forum for mentioning Brand X.

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