Vin# Search

[Harold #43147]

Any one know if a Vin# can be traced Previous owners to Dealership of Origin?

[Kevin M.]

No *NM*

[Mike Cobine]

Re: Vin# Search

Sorry, Kevin, it can. However, rarely on any as old as we are playing with.

The state won't trace it back, but you might get lucky and hit owner after owner who actually remembers who they bought from or have paperwork from them.

But Kevin is basically right in that you shouldn't plan on being able to. Many people hunt for years before giving up.

[Kevin M.]

Re: Vin# Search

OK you right it can, I didn't want to get his hopes up. The one thig you forgot to tell Harold is to place an ad in Driveline that's one of the standard replys to a post like this. If it's a 67 or later you might find a build sheet on top of the tank for 67 stuffed in the passenger compartment on later models. I take it your car didn't come with the protecto plate or warrenty book this has the owner name and dealer. But as far as getting info from the state good luck.

Kevin

[Wayne M.]

Nobody has mentioned NITB

Or whatever the acronym is for "National Insurance Theft Bureau" (?) database. They've tightened up access considerably in the last 10 years, but prior requests by a "friend" in law enforcement would result in the original dealer to which the car was delivered and the anticipated date of arrival.

For unknown or unreasonable bureaucratic reasons/excuses, this approx. 40-year old info is off-limits to the restorer community.

I got both of mine so the rest of you can go pound sand

[Brian M.]

That's NICB

National Insurance Crime Bureau. I tried joining, they wouldn't have me.

[Michael W.]

Re: That's NICB

You're lucky you made into Vetteheads.com. Very exclusive you know.

[Harold #43147]

Vin #

Can some one in the Police Department be able to access this typ of Info? I had owned a 76 Lincoln with I sold about 5 Yrs ago and was contacted by the Gary Ind. Police asking me if I owned this car that they found it abandoned with no Plates on it. I live in Il. so this ionfo must be availably.

[Patrick H.]

Re: Vin #

Currently, you cannot access the NICB data unless you are a police officer AND have a current case number and other info to present to NICB, as well as reasons why you need the info.

Now, if your contact can get away with using a case number to access the information, you may do well. I keep bugging a friend to make the call for my 71 Corvette the day before he retires from the police force next year.

VIN numbers and history can be traced back for a limited number of years by the police. Also, if the owner after you never registered the car, you're still the last one with a title.

Patrick

[Harold #43147]

Vin #

Is this NICB part of the CIA what do they think car restorers are going to do with this info.
Thanks Harold

[G B.]

Ah, the NICB. We hardly knew ye.

About 5 - 7 years ago I called up the NICB office where they had the VIN delivery records stored. I talked the phone receptionist into putting me through to the mid-level manager who controlled the records.

He was nice enough on the phone while I explained why I thought everybody in the hobby wanted to know where their car had been shipped initially. He didn't get it at first.

I suggested that he meet with some of the NCRS members to talk about selling the NICB record searches. It wouldn't generate significant cash for the NICB, but I thought it might be harmless good publicity for them. (If somebody knows how fifty year-old car shipping info can be used in a malicious way, please enlighten me.) He was cold to the idea until I told him I would gladly pay $20 to $30 just to know where my car had been delivered new. I thought 5 to 10,000 other car owners would pay for a record search each year, and that would fund the company picnic or something.

He was willing to consider it at that time. But the other NCRS members that I asked to join me in visiting him thought the NICB data was essentially worthless. They didn't want to bother. You know what? They were right. Most members don't care. This is the first mention of the NICB shipping records I've seen on this Board in long time.

But wait! This Forum doesn't really represent the core of the NCRS. We all know only .0008% of NCRS members even own computers, let alone finish reading my posts. Maybe the great Silent Majority out there is getting ready to rise up out of their Barcaloungers and fire up the Town Car! The NICB is going to be approached by a legion of NCRS Faithful standing tall in their walkers and... and...

Aw, to hell with it. I'm going to bed.

[Rick S.]

Re: Vin #

Patrick,
Misuse of the LEIN (Law Enforcement Information Network) is a crime (misdemeanor) and the agency could lose their LEIN priveleges as well. Too much on the line to lose a retirement check with 1 day to go.

[Mike Cobine]

Just who is the NICB?

If the NICB is private, then we should be able to approach them as individuals like any other business, and put the same incentives in front of them to assist us as any large group would.

If they are government, then under the Freedom of Information Act, we should be able to get a lot of that information.

And if law enforcement is using that database to track cars in current cases, then there is a lot more than simply the 50 year old shipping and delivery records on each car. There would have to be every registered owner from the time of delivery on, unless they purge older data.

Maybe it is about time the NCRS, the organization, rather than NCRS, each individual, begins to pursue this.

Maybe a limited access could be obtain, if they don't want to give a full history, something along the lines of for Corvettes only, at least 25 years old, delivery and owners for the first five years or such.

[Mike Cobine]

Re: Vin# Search

True, his hopes will probably be cut short. Not to be negative, but the world really is against you.

States - most hold their records for 10 years only. Occasionally you will find something further back, but a lot depends on how helpful the clerk wants to be. Show up in person with a smile on yor face at a slow time of day and results will be much better.

Driveline - the ad is just more "networking" such that you have as much luck that someone who remembers the car sees the ad as someone who actually owned it. The Driveline is actually more useful to search for when the car may have been sold once or twice before you. Of course, you need a stack of old ones to do that.

What paperwork you have now - use it to locate an area and people to search. Then use what you get from them to get another search area further back in time. Slow, hit and miss, but occasionally you get lucky.

Good luck.

[Harold #43147]

Vin #

Jerry I am on board with Ya I think the origin history is the most important you may be able to contact that Dealer and get information on a car. Even if the Dealer is no longer in business any more maybe one day if GM ever gets there there archives in order it would be easier to find information if you know the Dealer of origin. Also it would keep the knock off guys from ripping people off. I think there are more 67 427 cars out there than GM produced. I contacted the GM media archive people and told them if they would put to gether a Pictorial on the assembly line from start to finish per year of car they would sell a Ton. I told them just the Vett guys would swamp them let alone all other makes. I even offered to help them N/C. I recieved a call bout 3 Months ago from A person in marketing and layed it out for him he thought it was a great idea never heard any thing eles I think I just got some lip service. I don't know maybe not that many people are intrested in Stuff like that.