Classic Car VIN Search

Hi folks. I was wondering if there are any classic car aficionados on the forum who can give me some advice.

I’m trying to locate my mother’s old car, a 1975 Pontiac Firebird Formula. The guy who bought it from my mom can’t remember to whom he sold it, so the trail has gone cold.

To make matters more frustrating, the VIN has fewer than the standard 17 characters [[VINs went to the standard 17 characters in 1981), so none of the online VIN search sites are of any help. And, CarFax only goes back to 1981.

I posted on an online Firebird forum, & the folks on there suggested doing a DMV search. I tried checking Michigan’s Secretary of State website for how to do a VIN search, & there is nothing on there. I sent them an email asking about what to do, but I don’t expect to hear back any time soon.

Anyone have any thoughts or suggestions? Thanks in advance.

The Secretary of state transffered their old data bases by using an outside contractor, who trashed all of the old data, so I think you are looking for a needle in a haystack. The only thing the SoS can tell you is if there is a car with that VIN registered in their system.

My mom sold it within the last 10 years, & the buyer then sold it a year or two later, so I’m guessing the info is in there, unless they trashed everything in the last 10 years.

BTW, I registered this afternoon with the site http://www.the-lost-car-registry.com/, so we’ll see if that bears any fruit.

Other than factory configuration and seriel number, I believe that further data [[as in carfax histories) are not available for models prior to the early eighties.

Purchase an issue of Hemming's Motor News to find out how many clubs there are that deal with Firebirds of that vintage. Then contact the club and let them know you wish to purchase an ad in their classified section of their newsletter. You can also put your ad in Hemming's. In that ad you would post what you are looking for. Being that the car was still in existence with in the last ten years it is likely that someone purchased it as a collector item and it should still be around and not in a junk heap somewhere.

Be careful. You may find it and never wish you had.
Most vintage cars sold in the last few years have been heavily modified and are no longer factory correct.You may discover it has a bigger engine, custom interior, and new color. It'll be a totally different car.
Good luck, and let me know if you find a way to locate the car. My mom wants to locate the '53 Chevy she had as a kid and was interested in doing something similar.

Sometimes that is good, and sometimes bad.

My experience is that the older vehicles aren't discoverable with a few clicks over the internet. You have got to look into it the old school way.

Aw, Please post your experiences. Have you had luck finding the car?

Not really [[by car, you mean the car's history, I presume). Just had to make some phone calls, get photocopies, etc.

If you think the car is still in Michigan, 'Requesting a driver or vehicle record';
http://www.michigan.gov/sos/0,1607,7...7635--,00.html

Alex.

That doesn't go back far enough.