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Finding out the past owners of my 1970 Firebird??

22 messages,  Last post on Jul 10, 2012 at 12:35 PM

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Messages Page 3 of 3

#13 of 22 Re: Finding out the past owners of my 1970 Firebird?? [texases] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Jun 10, 2012 (1:54 pm)

Replying to: texases (Jun 10, 2012 1:17 pm)
Not a good idea. I think the Studebaker museum should discontinue this practice personally. I'd be totally PO-d if they did that to me and gave out my name without my permission.

#14 of 22 Re: Finding out the past owners of my 1970 Firebird?? [Mr_Shiftright] by uplanderguy

Jun 10, 2012 (2:33 pm)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Jun 10, 2012 1:54 pm)
Whatever. I don't see it as much different that having old paperwork in the car and going to any public library and looking through their old city directories for addresses and phone numbers. I can say unequivocally that I have not heard one single complaint about it.
 
As I posted, the one guy who was contacted by someone I don't know, is from my hometown, and he was amused about it all. And the guy is now 80 years old and was never a Studebaker hobbyist.
 
Ancestry.com can give similar information on people from the past and is doing a booming business now.
 
Personally, I have written one person based on original ownership information I found at the Studebaker Museum. It was about a Lark with supercharger and factory sunroof...a two-door sedan with the complete "Super" package. I wrote politely and included a S.A.S.E. I did get a reply in shaky handwriting that he was friends with his hometown Stude dealer but did not remember owning that particular car!
 
As I've mentioned on Edmunds before, the original owner of my former Stude contacted me, although I knew his name beforehand from production paperwork on my car at the Museum (they did not have a retail sale card for my serial number there, but since my car was picked up at the plant it had the owner's name on the build sheet). He looked me up and drove from Detroit to NE OH to meet us and see the car. He is not a hobbyist per se but we had a wonderful visit.
 
I think there is nothing that would keep someone from getting a build sheet for their Pontiac from PHS that would have a dealer name on it, along with the town, and spending a few minutes online getting a similar name there now and writing that person.
 
Do you feel it would be bad for the Firebird club to give information someone had on the car he's looking for, back to the original owner if someone knew it?

#15 of 22 Re: Finding out the past owners of my 1970 Firebird?? [uplanderguy] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Jun 10, 2012 (3:41 pm)

Replying to: uplanderguy (Jun 10, 2012 2:33 pm)
I think you're confusing public records vs. private information. If I go to a car dealer today, and ask them about the car owned by Mr. Uplander, and could I have his name and address to talk to him about the car, they would say no, and I agree with that.
 
If I found a slip of paper in the car with a receipt to Mr. Uplander, and I looked his name up in a public directory, I have no problem with research like that.
 
when I buy items today I do not expect that transaction to be distributed to the public. "Hey, Mr Shiftright, how do you like that smart phone you bought last week? Costco gave me your name..."

#16 of 22 Re: Finding out the past owners of my 1970 Firebird?? [Mr_Shiftright] by uplanderguy

Jun 10, 2012 (4:30 pm)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Jun 10, 2012 3:41 pm)
In our hometown of Greenville, PA, Dart Chevrolet-Cadillac, where my Dad always dealt, actually wrote the last name of the previous owner in the upper right-hand corner of the "OK Used Cars" tag that would hang in the left quarter window, along with the asking price of the car. I can remember two occasions when folks called us asking about the car. Dad obliged and was fine with that.
 
But then, we were from a small town and friendly like that.

#17 of 22 Re: Finding out the past owners of my 1970 Firebird?? [Mr_Shiftright] by blh7068

Jul 05, 2012 (9:36 am)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Jun 09, 2012 6:30 pm)
you are correct Shifty, PHS packets wont show buyer, but a copy of the billing card will show where it was originally delivered to and when the car was built( helpful if the door tag is gone).

#18 of 22 Re: Finding out the past owners of my 1970 Firebird?? [blh7068] by uplanderguy

Jul 05, 2012 (10:59 am)

Replying to: blh7068 (Jul 05, 2012 9:36 am)
There was never any question that PHS didn't provide the owner's name, but I was saying earlier that it wouldn't be hard to, minimally, get the name of the dealership and Google people with the same last name in that town. At least with the destination of the car available, the original poster might be able to ascertain if it was possible that the car was the one he was inquiring about.

#19 of 22 Re: Finding out the past owners of my 1970 Firebird?? [uplanderguy] by blh7068

Jul 09, 2012 (6:13 am)

Replying to: uplanderguy (Jul 05, 2012 10:59 am)
I get what your saying. I was just clarifying what is shown on the billing card.
 
IMO, he should get the packet regardless. I have a 71 'bird myself with the the PHS packet. It has a lot of neat info.

#20 of 22 Re: Finding out the past owners of my 1970 Firebird?? [blh7068] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Jul 09, 2012 (8:38 am)

Replying to: blh7068 (Jul 09, 2012 6:13 am)
I think the PHS document might show the DSO and not the dealer---depends---still it would be nice to have the packet for old time's sake.

#21 of 22 Re: Finding out the past owners of my 1970 Firebird?? [Mr_Shiftright] by blh7068

Jul 10, 2012 (9:18 am)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Jul 09, 2012 8:38 am)
Shifty- It does indicate original selling dealer.

#22 of 22 Re: Finding out the past owners of my 1970 Firebird?? [blh7068] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Jul 10, 2012 (12:35 pm)

Replying to: blh7068 (Jul 10, 2012 9:18 am)
It should but don't count on it. Some went to districts as inventory and I've seen some where the copy is so bad the dealer's name is simply not legible.

Messages Page 3 of 3

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