HELP

[A1968Z28]

Can anyone tell me the procedures to trace a car to its original owner if still living. Even from state to state as a car changes locations in its life.

[6667ss138]

Do you know the state it was purchased new in or the last state it was registered in?  I purchased a 69 hugger orange Z about 2 years ago from a guy in North Carolina. He thought he was the second owner because he had seen the car since he was a young boy in his small town. After many years of trying to buy it and being turned down the owner finally let it go to him. He owned it from 1996 until Feb of last year when we purchased it. I called the N.C. DMV to see if they offered title histories and for $20. I received all there certified info back to the original owner and dealership purchased at new. The guy I bought it from was wrong, he was the third owner. Long story short I have tracked down both owners before him and both were good enough to sign and notarize affidavits for me and I just received pictures from the original owner today showing the car right after he purchased the 69Z new. I'm really excited about it and feel very fortunate. My Z still has the complete original drive train still in. I just had Jerry M. come certify it last month. He is a great guy and it was a great experience meeting him. Also as a bonus the original owner included a picture of him and the next car he purchased back in the day which was a hugger orange Yenko LT1 Nova. I read on the Yenko site were only 10 were sold in 1970 in that color.
So you are doing the right thing in trying. Hopefully you can start with the last state in which it was registered and IF they offer title history it will either take the car back to new or back to the state it came in from. And you just keep going back from there. I know some states offer this and many don't mostly because of privacy acts. Good Luck and let us know.

[lakeholme]

X2 to what has already been said...
Read what William says about the process HERE. He pretty well sums it up.
I would add:
1. Unless you have some information about where the car was first sold, you going to have to trace back one owner at a time. So, did you get any info about ownership from where or whom you bought it?
2. When you write a previous owner or state DMV, if you just say you're looking for the original owner, then you will run right into privacy laws.  I'd suggest you use phrases like "historic preservation" and say you're trying to ID the original dealership.
William is right.  It's mostly a matter of luck unless you have a good lead.
I traced my 68 all the way back to the original owner and dealership for less than $10.00 and with just four letters: one to the state of origin, two to the previous owners, and one to the original dealership.  I did start out well, because the guy I bought it from could tell me the original state.  Along the way, I learned a lot about a previous restoration and got pictures from the original owner.  The original dealership couldn't really help me that much because they didn't keep records that far back, but the sales manager gave me a boat load of info about the dealership back in the day.
In other words, no matter what the results, it's worth the effort.  And who knows, you might get lucky!   

[ds1]

I sent to the Michigan DMV and got nothing.   New York DMV says nothing past 10 years.  I live in PA and after the fire, I think in the 80's, they offer nothing past 10 years.   My car was bought in Grand Rapids Michigan and taken to Syracuse New York and then registered.   At some point it came to PA.   I have talked to the first owner and he has no pictures papers or anything to help.   Only what he bought, the options and the dealer, but no paper trail.    NCRS in April will help a lot.

[z28z11]

State DMV's and DOT's are your best bet in lieu of original paperwork for sure, but it really depends on the state. In Tennessee, you used to be able to track down all the paperwork, including original owner's names, and then the privacy laws kicked in and the offices would redact the names. Later, they stopped looking up any paperwork that had to come from the archives (read as microfiche), that required any overtime or second shift searches, claiming they do not have the money to spend on overtime. I'm right glad I got what I got when I got it, 'cause it just won't happen anymore around here.

Good luck - hope you land what you need to start with from the NCRS. I'm going after info with them, too.

Regards -