The purge was an electronic process of the existing database(s), in which the names and addresses were deleted, and the new database that process created made available to the public. The only difference between the existing NICB database and the national version is that NICB can still see names and addresses as well as police case theft and recovery data which is not in the public database.
Paper records do pop-up from time to time but are rare and again usually they have survived because the vehicle(s) was/were stolen, by an target of a task force, more then likely chopped for parts, or exported overseas etc and was part of an investigation, or special statistical and training project and therefore were protected. The majority of the original paper trails are long gone and if they were never transferred to microfiche but as with most of American archives of the late 60's early 70's statistics were just extracted and loaded first on IBM punch cards then computer tape storage the original paper was considered redundant or obsolete and either destroyed or stuffed away and were never maintained with any preventative care. As the years passed by the acid based paper lacking the protection of a true climate controlled dry storage archival center, but more than likely just left in bankers boxes in some unheated warehouse to be forgotten, would fade and yellow out crumble and flake if not already eaten up by critters, bugs and mold.
Our only real hope would to have GM find a long lost and assumed forgotten and destroyed cache of Norwood assembly records. Unlikely as the factory and the majority of the buildings are gone now, and GM divesting itself of real-estate and facilities during bankruptcy. Still hold out hope that maybe in a non owned GM building, or storage bunker, or basement or attic most likely in the Norwood area something exists that someone authorized or not authorized "took" home with them.
