How do you search a car's registration history?

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James43

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Hello,
Does anyone know where you can search the registration history of a classic car?

At the most basic level, it would be nice to confirm a car has been a 'California' car when someone makes the claim but has no proof. At best, it would be great to find past owners to confirm that current descriptions of work are accurate.

Thanks in advance...James
 
Difficult unless the owner saved the registrations as proof or you know a previous owner. Have you looked for the VIN in the CS Registry?
 
As you probably know, may get something of value from Carfax and its competitors. That is if the car has been on the road in relatively recent years. Shows when titles/registrations are processed, some accidents and savage. Carfax is spendy for what you get unless you have a connection with someone with a subscription (I don't)
 
James43 said:
Does anyone know where you can search the registration history of a classic car?
Click to expand...

The State of California won't help you - I doubt they maintain registration records going back to the 1970's, and even if they did, disclosing who owned what car would expose the State to all sorts of liabilities (like does the DMV really want to certify that a Datsun 510 on Craigslist is really worth $500,000 because Steve McQueen once owned it?).

Any seller asking a higher valuation because a car spent time in California ought to show prior registrations to support that claim. If they can't do this, their statement is like saying the air conditioning "just needs a recharge".

For what it's worth, cars rust here in California, just like they do in the other 49 states. A positive PPI report is worth a lot more than an old registration showing that the coupe in question spent a few years in California.
 
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@Adawil2002- The VIN is not there but there are a few close to it.

@jmackro- the car looks good and PPI is set up, I just want to build the story for or against this car. I don't need an owner but simply confirming 'it was owned in CA for 25 years' would provide some level of reassurance. Confirming this also lends credibility to the seller.

Thanks guys- keep the ideas coming!

James
 
Does it have an old reg document or title? Still have a blue plate in the trunk? It might be in the CA smog database, what is the VIN?
 
Like fine art, provenance comes in the form of solid documentation. Examples include purchase documents for each owner, service records, registration cards for those years when the car was registered here, etc. If the seller has none, a prudent buyer should consider the seller's comment puffery. Furthermore, even if a car has resided in the Golden State since new, it could have been a beach car in which case it most likely has significant rust history due to the salt air at the coast. Last, but not least, if the car was neglected during its life such as being parked under a messy tree, years of soggy mulch in the cowl area can really do a number on sheet metal.

The point being, without solid documentation it really has no provenance and one should rely on the car's present condition more than where it was driven/parked during its life to determine if a premium is appropriate.
 
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