Is there a website where I can submit a pre 1980 VIN to get the car’s history. A person on ebay is selling a car and I want to know if the car he’s selling is what he says it is. THe sites I came across will only lookup 17 digit VINS.
Thanks.
You will probably have to find a make/model specific web site, and even then you might have to go to the original manufacturer to get the info. I.E. write a letter and ask them for a copy of the build sheet. Good luck.
Thanks for the fast reply. I was afraid of that but I will keep on searching.
Thanks again.
Alright you got my curiosity going now. What pre-1980 vehicle are you talking about?
There’s not an equivalent of a carfax service for older cars, so there’s no real way of finding the history of the car that way. However, if you’re wondering about the original configuration, most car-makers had some sort of serial number system that would identify specific models, sub-models, engine, trim, options, etc. in the period before standardized VIN’s. Even some that didn’t have such a system can still be identified by their sequential serial numbers. Tell us what you’re looking at!
Perhaps they’re checking to see if it really IS an SS model Chevy. It’s known to happen where someone buys a I-6 Chevelle and changes it to a 396 v8, slaps the “SS” badges on it and tries to sell it as SS vehicle.
Uh-huh, and clones (of nearly all makes and models) by the thousands.
One short story I read a while ago (don’t know if true or not) related to someone who bought a restoration car from a guy for big bucks, found that (after some careful research and help from a pro) the ‘so-called’ numbers match didn’t match after all.
The engine numbers had been very carefully ground off and the block refinished and the so-called matching number engraved on.
Needless to say the guy was a bit pi**ed. When he tried to find the seller, he couldn’t. D’oh!