How to track down previous owner of my GN

[Renthorin]

I am the 4th (and final) owner of the GN. I know who I bought it from......

I have some repair invoices from the original owner I believe as they are when the car had 4k miles on it...etc...

I have the address where he was living at that time but it was in 95.

I suppose I could call him. Is there a way to find out who the 2nd owner was?

I have been wondering if he (first owner) ever wonders where the car ended up or if it is even on the road any more.

Sort of like adoption...but for cars

Anyone ever contacted a previous owner you did not know just to say "hi....I have your car now..."

 

[Renthorin]

Well I used that internet thing and found someone with the same name in the same state..... sent him a message inquiring if he was the original owner.

He said no.... :frown:

I have a telephone number from the repair invoice from 1989...would that be rude to call?

 

[zeus87gn]

I guess you could call. The worst that would happen is that someone you don't know or would ever have to deal with again might hang up on you. You may be calling someone who doesn't give a d@mn.

There is only one previous owner to our GN, and my wife and I get to laugh behind his back every time he comes to pick up my stepchildren. :biggrin:

Yes, she kept the car and got rid of the man. I can't help but love her!

 

[Renthorin]

I called. Got an answering machine. Didn't leave a message as the person saying "you's called xxx-xx-xxxx. I ain't here so leaves me uh message...."

Just didn't feel like I had the right number.

Oh well. No big deal. I just wondered if the original owner ever thinks about his car and wonders what happened to it. I was going to send some pictures, etc.

He had the car from new to 1998 and sold it to owner #2 with approximately 14k-21k miles on it. Owner #2 sold it to owner #3 who only put a few hundred miles on it and then I bought it.

I could check with the SOS but not sure if they keey current contact info.

 

[Little6pack]

Well I used that internet thing and found someone with the same name in the same state..... sent him a message inquiring if he was the original owner.

He said no.... :frown:

I have a telephone number from the repair invoice from 1989...would that be rude to call?

NOPE NOT RUDE. I called on my 86GN & current 87TT.

I was able to get the original owner of my GN. He was happy to hear from me.

As for my T has had about 5 prior owners that I know of The trail goes cold before 1994 in CT/ (maybe an x- trooper car).

I called the the owner 2 back from me to find out it was an 11 second ride then (not now).
He told me before he got it that the car was a hubby/wifey GN & T combo. She drove the T daily in Tewksbury mass until some TURD in Mass stole it. I thought it was Grump but he said no.

I say call & get the info

 

[turbofish38]

Cant you do a reverse number thing through switchboard.com? I know down here in FL you can trace the title history through the DMV for a small fee. If the guy didn't check off the disclosure box on his DL than they will also give you the address assuming he is still a resident.

I'd love to find the previous owners of some of my cars. Only because I'd like to kick their a$$ for screwing up a perfectly good car. Every car I have had I have had to correct somebodies mistakes. This includes my GN. Some are assembly line but most are because some nitwit didn't know what they were doing.

 

[Renthorin]

That gave me three hits. I suppose I could call them all but I feel like a stalker

I could give out his information here and see if anyone knows him....but I have the gut feeling he didn't sell this GN and get another.

 

[DCVING 6]

until some TURD in Mass stole it. I thought it was Grump but he said no.

 

[Renthorin]

Just got this from the SOS:

Michigan law requires the Department of State to maintain vehicle title histories
for 10 years. If the vehicle title in your name is less than 10 years, and the vehicle was titled in Michigan prior to you purchasing the vehicle, a title history may be available. If the vehicle has been in your name 10 years or longer, then a vehicle title history is not available.

So.... seeing as I purchased it in 2001 down in VA... it seems Michigan SOS won't be able to help me.

 

[2QUIK6]

Anyone ever contacted a previous owner you did not know just to say "hi....I have your car now..."

I bought my GN from the original owner 15 years ago just an hrs drive from home. But my TTA I bought in CA, he never titled it and bought it from the orignal owner in NE.
So I got the name off the title when I was xfering it and looked up the guys name on switchboard and called him up to verify the 2nd owners story that I bought it from.
The guy was glad I called and said he really hated to sell the car, but they moved out in the country and had over a mile of dirt roads to drive down to get to their house, so he never drove the car cause it would get very dirty just getting out of the drive way....which is what the 2nd owner told me..and that explained why I would find heavy dust throughout the car in places that seemed odd for such a low mileage car.

When I bought my 10th Anniv TA, I drove it home from MD to TX..when I got home, the seller had already left a message worried about his car and wondering if I had made it back home ok in it

 

[jdpolzin]

When I have sold my prvious GN's and Monte SS's, I stash a card in them somewhere with my name address and phone number. Never know, maybe 30 years from now somebody will call and say they have my car!

 

[Renthorin]

Well I have no such luck. All I have are his original maintenance receipts (with credit card number..probably expired...).

I don't have anything on the 2nd owner but thought he might.

I suppose I could check with the Ohio SOS and see if they keep better records than MI does.

 

[jdpolzin]

Would a carfax show any info? The card idea came from a buddy of mine that sold his 69 yenko Camaro back in 1974. He must have dropped a business card in the car somewhere, last year he got a call from an 18 year old kid that he had his old 69 camaro. Funny thing is, he called his old business and they still had contact with my friend. Anyways, the car had been repainted and the kid had no idea it was a Yenko, he bought it back for $1500. He did a $25K frame up on it and had it appraised for $120,000. Crazy story but sometimes you just get lucky. He doesnt want to sell the car until his son needs to go to college! Good investment!