Title searching question - How do you find previous owners?
 

Has anyone ever tried to trace down all the previous owners of their truck? This is something I've wanted to do for awhile now but don't know how to go about doing it.
I would assume that with the VIN number there has to be a way to search for previous owners. Any tips?

My girl friends sister works at a licensing place and I will ask her today and post the info.

Thanks! Better yet, tell her thanks too! I'd really like to know who the owners of my 68 were.

Odds are they are lot going to give you any info. New privacy laws in many states prevent this from working.

i got lucky, on my old longhorn, I was able to contact the widow of the original owner. I sent her pictures (from BEFORE the accident) and she was tickled to death. She said that she wish he never got rid of that sucker. She sent me all the service records, the oil chainge dates/mileage...ect. it was pretty cool.

I tried to get that info at my local treasurer's office (that's where vehicle records are in my county and state) and they would not tell me who the previous owners were. Mine is a local pickup and if I asked did so-and-so own this pickup they could say yes or no, but that was all.

it may be a long process, but you could go through the phone book and start reading off names till you got all of the P.O.s :D

Geez...Doesn't sound like I have much of a chance.

pull up a title search?

Yeah, but how and where do I do it at?

depending on what state, a title search may not be even remotly close to what you are wanting to do. (again...depending on state)
Around here, if you own a vehiocle, and can not locate the title, you go to the BMV and do a title search. The state has a title to your vehicle in your name on hand. (basicly a copy of the title you already lost) they thrn dig that out, look at the info on there title, and look at the info on the paper you filled out, and if they match and you are in fact the true owner, then they will send you a new title.
I had to do this when i was in high school, and I found out that I was unable to obtain a copy of the title since it was in my dad's name...so he had to go and do it.

I got lucky and was given the original protecto plate (warranty card) with my 72. I have often thought about seeing if I can locate the original owner. The truck was bought in Phoenix.