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Re: Can you know too much history on your car?
The whole concept of salvage and even previous driver history (drag raced, little old lady, etc.) is moot once you have done a full body-off restoration. After all, everything should be in factory new condition, even if some parts are old.
If the car was in a very nasty crash, and now gets a Top Flight, it sounds like it has been restored somewhere in between. -
Re: Can you know too much history on your car?
Glenn,
NO, but sometimes the answers are not what you hoped for. I recently contacted 4 of the last 7 owners of my 63 SW. Traced it back to 1976. Most of them stated they had restored some parts of the car. (none of them admitted to causing the problems!) I have gotten conflicting info on the miles the car has on it. the owner from 1984 is adimant that it had 91kmi on it when he bought it yet the titles do not reflect that 76kmi when he bought it 84kmi when he sold it. (it only shows 88kmi on it now) Not exactly what I want to hear. It aparantly has had 4 sets of seat covers in it in 10 years! I think that the history has added character to my car though. I don't look at it the same anymore. I realize that someone years from now will wonder about what I did to the car. makes my experience somehow richer.
A good movie to watch is "The Red Violin" It follows the history of a troubled violin for over 300 years and all the various owners that new little to nothing about the previous owners yet it touched them all deeply. I always think about the past owners of my cars when I watch it.
The good news is you top flighted the car so it must be in great condition. Isn't that what is most important. So at this point you focus on what it is right now not on what it was. EricComment
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Re: Can you know too much history on your car?
Glenn
I agree with Eric, if it Top Flighted then it is now in excellant condition. Why should you care about the history? Interesting to know, but that's about all it's worth. If the car was owned by that "little old lady" would you enjoy it anymore? Try to remember these cars were "sports" cars, they were bought to be driven and most were driven hard and put away wet. I personally think that the car that has had a rough past and is now restored is just as good, with a much more colorful past, and the trailer queen that has been babied all its life. If the truth be known I would bet that the majority of Top Flight cars have a checked past. Isn't that what "Restoration" is all about? How difficult is it to restore a well kept, babied car?
TerryComment
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Re: Can you know too much history on your car?
Yep. The worst case is to learn your car is an unrecovered "stolen car".
If you share your new found info with law enforcement, your Top Flight will go back to it's former owner of record, and you're left "holding the bag" (out a TON of money and nothing to show for it).
I expect such information would put some people on the horns of a dilemma (Should I do the right thing?...or, forget I ever knew this information?). Such knowledge could cause paranoia, anxiety, and fits of severe depression. It would be similar to being a wanted man on the lam...never knowing when the next traffic stop or next doorbell ring might deprive you of your Corvette.Comment
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Re: Can you know too much history on your car?
Glenn,
When I went hunting for a C2 I looked at a lot of "no hit" cars that weren't.
I was of driving age in the 60's and most of the people I knew that owned these cars had all been in a scrape or two. If your car has been repaired & restored to your satisfaction thats all that counts as far as I'm concerned. Enjoy, it sounds to me like you have a nice one.
WayneComment
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Re: Can you know too much history on your car?
These "unrecovered stolen cars" really tick me off for a couple of reasons.
1. Many were insurance claims, so why are the previous owners getting the cars? Not all were, but many. They had to have insurance to cover the loan, and just how many paid half their annual salary in cash for a car back then?
2. What about the responsibility of the states? When you receive a title from a state, and the VIN is still the correct one to that car, you expect to get a clean title, not one that will disappear in 5 years. I think owners who lose a car bought in good faith and have a clean title from the state should be able to sue the state for not only the value of the car lost, but all costs involved. That would slow up some of this type of junk.
I bought one without a title once. After a check for it being hot, the state issued a title with a surety bond. All claims had to be made on that car within the 3 year period. After that, claims were voided.Comment
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Re: Can you know too much history on your car?
Glenn
I know a Covette yard near me had a ton of left over firewall back bodies from parting out midyears in the 80's - 90's. I was back their in 2000 and all that was left was shark rear bodies and not one midyear. I would guess if they had VIN's and trim tags many are fixed up now. As the price went up more wrecks got fixed.
LyleLyle
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Re: Can you know too much history on your car?
Thanks for all the thoughtful and insightful responses. I feel a little like a guy tracing his family tree hoping to find a nobel laureate but instead finding only career criminals!
But as was pointed out - my example is probably the norm as these cars were not purchasd by little old ladies to Zaino and drive to church.
I have no concerns of the ultimate skeleton in the closet scenario (stolen car) - so I think I will continue to pull at the thread I have uncovered and see where it leads. At this point - I still feel that a "colorful" checkered past is better than no past at all!
I am still curious about some of the "subtle" legalities. I surfed some of the DMV sites and it seems that a car sold off by the insurance companies as a "write off" (which I suspect but have not yet conformed to be my case) can be re-registered after passing certain inspctions/testing BUT with a designation on the registration that the car was "repaired" or "salvaged". I am still wondering how my car was registered with no such designation on the registration? Anyone have any insights on this point?Comment
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Re: Can you know too much history on your car?
Glenn -
There are LOTS of ways to "wash" a salvage title back to normal - happens every day. Just drive it and enjoy it!Comment
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Re: Can you know too much history on your car?
You can get junk from a salvage yard having a ID tag build it up then get a new PINK here in Ca. If it was never registered in the last 7 yearsComment
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