More on tracing a car's history
Thanks for the suggestions. I will call Cardiff Classics. Definitely the same location where this car was sold in 1991. Looking at the papers in detail, it looks like the selling dealer, Vintage Motorcar Co (now Cardiff Classics), bought the car from another dealer, Rex Enterprises at 7905 Balboa Ave in San Diego. Today, that location is an ordinary used car lot called US Motors, as it probably was then. So, the trail most likely goes cold there. The car changed hands for 9000 then, but the buyer then turned around and did a 6100 dollar paint job (in 1991 dollars), and did a lot of other work as well. It is amazing to look at the invoices and what he paid for parts. Brand new, seat chrome was $11 for example. Rubber gasket for the door lock, one whole dollar. Most of the little trim items were available new from the dealer, Vasek Polek or from Maximillan Importing, etc. All for a pittance.
I sent a snail mail letter to the man who bought the car in 1991 and did all this work. He very kindly responded, and let me know more details. He drove the car a short distance to work on a daily basis for 9 years, racking up about 30K miles. He was in his early 30s then, now he is in his early 50s.
Sure would love to know more pre-1991.
HBChris, I could not find the plate number in the papers.
