How can I find a car if I have the VIN?

Author Topic: How can I find a car if I have the VIN?  (Read 2426 times)

Offline ViperMan

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How can I find a car if I have the VIN?
« on: April 30, 2007 - 07:00:19 PM »
Hey all,

I made a post a while back to see if anyone might have my Dad's old '72 340 Cuda.  I never got any responses as I expected, so I talked to him this past weekend and he was able to track down the old VIN code.  I was wondering if anyone might have experience on how to track a car that might be in a different state with the VIN code?  Is it possible?  I read somewhere about someone paying a small fee and being given the contact info for the owner - just wondering how difficult this is to do...

Any advice would be appreciated.  Thanks.

Jeff
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Alaskan_TA

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Re: How can I find a car if I have the VIN?
« Reply #1 on: April 30, 2007 - 07:56:20 PM »
I can check my files for you if you like?

Barry

Offline jeryst

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Re: How can I find a car if I have the VIN?
« Reply #2 on: April 30, 2007 - 10:27:28 PM »
Might be pretty difficult. Some states don't issue titles for cars more than 10 years old, so if it's sitting in someones garage, not registered, you'll never find it. Other states, like PA, will not release vehicle information to anyone but the rightful owner, so that would be a dead end as well. Also in PA, if a car is not licensed for 5 years, it gets purged from the DMV data base, so any info is gone until it is licensed again. If the car is in a salvage yard, you'll never find it either. Your best bet would probably be to check all of the registries, and hope that it is in one of them. You could also run an ad in a national magazine, like Hemmings, offering a small reward for any information. Just make it clear that you are looking for your dads old car, or the current owner might never answer you if he thinks that you are trying to recover the car for someone because of some legal case.

Offline Bearcuda

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Re: How can I find a car if I have the VIN?
« Reply #3 on: May 01, 2007 - 05:02:27 AM »
Let me conjure my spidey senses and I'll get back to you. :thinkerg:
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Offline wiging19

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Re: How can I find a car if I have the VIN?
« Reply #4 on: May 01, 2007 - 07:51:14 AM »
 :dunno:  I was thinking you might use carfax and see what they say about the history of the car?   They might not be able to provide much information but if they do find something the only thing you lost was a little money.  Plus it would be a starting point for you.  Probably a dumb suggestion but you never know until you try.  Anyone else try this route?  Did it dead end or get you some information you didn't have before.  :horse:

Offline BIGSHCLUNK

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Re: How can I find a car if I have the VIN?
« Reply #5 on: May 01, 2007 - 08:15:47 AM »
Carfax is worthless for any older car. In most states vin's are kind of garded secret... to cut down on car thefts and the like. Even I have a title for a 69 Charger all they would tell me is it's still an "active" vin. Good Luck.
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Offline Devil

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Re: How can I find a car if I have the VIN?
« Reply #6 on: May 01, 2007 - 08:59:46 AM »
Well what I did was put a post on every mopar board on the internet, trying to find the car, but you need to put the VIN down.  Then I had a few buddies of mine run the vin through the police computers, put an ad in MCG.  In the end it was a previous owner that found one of the posts I put out there and informed me of where the car was.  Of course it is a Hemi Cuda, but still should work alright.  But you need the VIN.

Ryan
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Offline garrett007

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Re: How can I find a car if I have the VIN?
« Reply #7 on: May 01, 2007 - 10:47:00 AM »
In some states you can pay the DMV $$ and have them find the last known owner who titled the car.  I did this in Kansas and Illinois, I was trying to get a lost title for a car that had been through many owners.
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Offline wiging19

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Re: How can I find a car if I have the VIN?
« Reply #8 on: May 01, 2007 - 02:29:18 PM »
In some states you can pay the DMV $$ and have them find the last known owner who titled the car.  I did this in Kansas and Illinois, I was trying to get a lost title for a car that had been through many owners.

 :wow: That was a good suggestion.  I remember my Dad doing that in the late 80's for some cars he had been gifted.  I forgot about that service.

Offline jeryst

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Re: How can I find a car if I have the VIN?
« Reply #9 on: May 01, 2007 - 07:32:59 PM »
Good suggestion if the DMV will do it. PA will not do it at all. They will not give out any info to anyone but the rightful owner, who already has the information. Catch-22. Just like all the other crap PA is doing.

Offline ted

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Re: How can I find a car if I have the VIN?
« Reply #10 on: May 01, 2007 - 08:48:52 PM »
same is true in NY, Plus i amnot  so sure if i owned the car that i would want DMV giving out that info.

Good suggestion if the DMV will do it. PA will not do it at all. They will not give out any info to anyone but the rightful owner, who already has the information. Catch-22. Just like all the other crap PA is doing.
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Offline Lunchbox

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Re: How can I find a car if I have the VIN?
« Reply #11 on: May 01, 2007 - 11:11:59 PM »
I tracked down my Dads car http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=26632.0 We had no VIN and we were darn lucky to find it, if it would have went to another state or if our state was larger it most likey would have been impossible. Keep your head up and keep trying cause theres nothing better then finding it. :2thumbs:

Lunch

Offline scf100

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Re: How can I find a car if I have the VIN?
« Reply #12 on: May 02, 2007 - 07:58:17 AM »
Try to find a buddy who is a policeman or State Patrolman ....they can run the VIN only if its for a legit legal reason......like my buddy ran one for me on the premise the car was abandoned........it came back with nothing since it had not been registered in years....worth a try........A private investigator may be able to help but will cost you...
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Offline 472 R/T SE

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Re: How can I find a car if I have the VIN?
« Reply #13 on: May 02, 2007 - 01:04:23 PM »
I tried the Oregon DMV to get info on my Charger.  They wouldn't do it.
I'm all for trying to get previous owner info. but there's the other element that uses the info. for the wrong reasons. 
Like what this loser tried to pull on me last Friday.  Who's to say this guy wasn't just trying to get my address for a future engagement.
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Offline scf100

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Re: How can I find a car if I have the VIN?
« Reply #14 on: May 03, 2007 - 09:18:36 AM »
THATS PRETTY SCARY!
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