oddscrounger

Was really random for me. I am the third owner and I know the 2nd owner pretty well. He bought it from an older guy in Norwood Park, Chicago. Well my clutch linkage popped in Norwood Park and while working on it with a friend this guy on a motorcycle pulls up and is gawking at my IROC. He says "hey, that's my car!"...

Sure enough he was the original owner who bought the IROC brand new in 87. Goes on to tell me he had the engine bored .30 over, with a crane cam, edelbrock shorty headers, banks hi-flow catback exhaust....

I knew these mods were done somewhat but wasn't sure the brands or the specifics.

Anyways; it was really cool to have this experience and it was quite random and now I know a lot more about my car.

Anyone else have a similar experience?

Thirdgen6.6l

that cool, but also dont tell the guy where you live, he might still have spare key some where

oddscrounger

The look in his eye is the only thing that makes me think you may be right. He would like to have it back I am sure. Sold it in 09 to this kid because he bought a brand new Mustang Bullet... sucker lol

Thirdgen6.6l

lol yub

Van Nuys born

He might have some original documentation for the car ? Window sticker ?
That stuff is easily not kept with cars, but it's nice to have. It can also add value in some cases.

Thirdgen6.6l

I would not keep in touch with preview owner, and he event live closer to you, and if you keep in touch or friendly with him, then every body will think " you drove his old car " , ditch that guy and told him that not his car.

lonestar7

iTrader: (1)

Yes, I bought my 1988 Formula 350 for the original owner. He was moving out of state, didn't really want to sell the car but his wife said it had to go.

oddscrounger

I am not worried about my ego being deflated because he originally bought it and built it up a little bit. It's mine now and so are all of its problems... which are too many to list. But it runs like a beast just need to fix the clutch linkage and I am set for a while hopefully.

I have all the original documentation as far as the owners manual and RPO codes under the glove compartment. I may try to contact him and get the engine build documentation; but I have a feeling the 2nd owner has that still along with another set of 87 IROC wheels I am going to pick up soon. (finally, it's been almost a year since I bought the car)

Van Nuys born

Before the Iroc I had a 35 Ford with a mild 283..... I met and became friends with the guy who originally did the build 25 years earlier.
He was still building cars. I'd run into him at shows, etc.

It was cool to be able to give him a call with a question...... like when I was working on the head lights and trying to figure out why only the high beams worked ? a call told me that's how he wired it, as the low beams on those old stock headlights didn't throw much light.

I did alot of work on the 35 and did alot of stuff that the prior owners didn't do.... kinda continued the journey..... It was nice when I bought it, but was bad axx when I got done with it.

oddscrounger

Yea I don't plan on becoming buddy-buddy with the guy but I don't see any reason not to be friendly or cordial. Obviously the guy knew it was his old car and he just wanted to stop and take a look and talk about it for a while.

Leo1le

[quote= Anyone else have a similar experience?[/quote]




The original owner of my car is dead, GM killed it.
My car was a test and picture car for Pontiac when new and driven by some executive but it was not his car it was Pontiac's car.

cIaRmOaCrZo

had almost the same story. guy pulled out on the road on a harley as i passed by him, and he caught me at the light before i get on to the interstate, and he told me pretty same thing "thats my car". i tried to squeez in a few questions before light turned and its hard hearing someone with a harley running under thier ***. happend again at a gas station but i didnt believe that guy

92GTA

iTrader: (11)

Yup, original owner found me thru my old web site TransAmGTA.com and contacted me a few years ago.

It's not hard to find previous owners guys. When I got my 1956 Corvette, I was able to track down every single owner back to new! I spoke with every single one of them and documented everything. Really help value when I went to sell the car.

Course I haven't done the same thing with my GTA, although I'm only the 4th owner, I do know all of the owners info. I just never plan on having to sell it lol.

And, lol, I have a spare key to my old '82 Firebird S/E I won't be afraid to use if I ever find it again haha! Course I also have spare keys for '91 Firehawk '003 :P Even kept a spare key for my '56 Vette.

Alex

Guest

Yes. I bought mine from the original owner back in 2008 (high school/first car)

She looks just like Joan Jet

I Love Rock and Roll-

Thirdgen6.6l

Haha this is why I denied any one that clame he the preview owner . I don't even let them know where I work or live .

Johnny Blaze

iTrader: (15)

What?

92GTA

iTrader: (11)

Lmao, I would NEVER do that for real lol. Besides, my '82 SE was scapped I'm pretty sure, the Vette in France, and the 'Hawk is in Europe now too

Thirdgen6.6l

haha dam dude u really keep up with your car, myself I do find old key from time to time, but I just break it and throw away.

IROCZTWENTYGR8

iTrader: (1)

I might try to contact mine.

oddscrounger

^^^Based on the grin you're the original owner?^^^

IROCZTWENTYGR8

iTrader: (1)

No, but I have all the records from when the car was bought and am probably gonna try to track them down sooner or later!

87 mm5

I would love to find my old IROC. Ive tried several times with no luck. I've ran the carfax and even had my buddy who works at a car dealership and has acess to DMV computer look up the VIN and it comes up as last time registered in 2002. I would think if it was junked it would come up somewhere. Maybe I'll offer a reward for whoever finds it???

Johnny Blaze

iTrader: (15)

The last time I registered my iroc was in 2002, maybe it's your old one.

jermdm

How would be the best way to try and find the original owner or previous? This has been on my mind for a while now. According to carfax and one other link posted on this site, I am the estimated 3rd owner of my iroc. I bought it off a dealer lot back in 96 and the salesman told me it was a one owner car. The free site that was posted here that's like carfax said it went thru an auto auction sometime before 96. Cant remember if carfax stated this. It also said that it was registered in PA before the auto auction.(I bought the car in Cincinnati OH with 44k miles) Registration in PA was also stated in the carfax report when I ran one a long time ago. All other info after 96 was me in the reports. I work for a ford dealer and asked one of the salesman about the estimated 3 owners and he said that the dealership I bought it from would be one of the owners since they took possession of the title. Appears they were the ones that bought it from the auction. So it seems that the salesman I bought it from was correct that it was a 1 owner car if you take the dealership out of the picture. Always wondered about the original owner, if he ordered the car or if it was just sitting on the lot. He might be able to answer other questions I have.

IROCZTWENTYGR8

iTrader: (1)

I really don't know. If I wasn't equipped with names and addresses I don't think I'd have a shot unless there's a service out there that you can pay to find this kind of info.

Thirdgen6.6l

why some you guys want track down all preview owner ? for interview ?

usc iroc

I am the 2nd owner of my 89. After I purchased it I found a pic in the storage compartment in the trunk. I didn't recognize him but some family did. One day I was in my buddies yard working on it and the original owners dad rode up on a horse because he recognized the car when riding by. He bought it new for his son when he turned 16 and when he turned 20 they parked it under a barn and bought a truck. So it sat till 96 when it was pulled out and put it on a family friends car lot. I rode by and the heavens parted, angels sang, and I knew it was meant to be. Traded my Z24 and a little cash and the rest is history.

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

I bought my 89 formula350 from the org owner in 91 or 92, I've had it since.

jakemussman

iTrader: (3)

I can't as my Camaro was originally a fleet vehicle for state farm if I recall.

Motown

I would love to meet the original owner of my car. According to Autocheck records, my car is originally from Mansfield Ohio. PM me if you think this might be your old car! I would love to have the window sticker!

jharrison5

I was the 2nd owner of my '85 Z28 and ran into the original owner at the parts store here in town. He knew the car the minute he pulled into the parking lot and told me he traded it in on a brand new '97 Ford Aerostar van! I almost wet myself!

Why would you trade in a camaro, with only 47,000 miles on it, after owning it for eleven years?!

Sadly though my camaro got totaled in '98.... but I have owned 3 camaros and 2 GTAs since then and they have all been 3rd gens. Now to get my '87 IROC back on the road.

87 player bird

Had beers with the fellow that raced mine in the players series. Gave me the old racing jacket. Pretty cool.

IMissMy86TA

I am 4th owner. spoke on phone with first since I had documentation and bought from 3rd owner who had it since 90

whyt86roc

iTrader: (13)

I am the second owner of my 92 RS.. The original owner worked at the Van Nuys plant and bought it for his wife. She drove it for a few years and then he got her a 95 Z28 so then he started driving it... I met his daughter thru Yahoo and started chatting with her.. After I had flown out there and saw the car, I asked him to let me know when he decided to sell it that I was interested in it.. A few months later after I had moved out there, he told me that he was selling it and gave me a price on it...needless to say I was driving it the next week
He told me when he worked at the Van Nuys plant he delivered alot of the engines to the line to be installed in the cars. He would bring about 6 engines up to the line with a forklift.
What was also unique is that I worked at Rydell Chevrolet there in Northridge which was Competition Chevrolet prior to that. That was were he had ordered it at... I still have the window sticker and most of the paperwork on it I got to go into one of the buildings there close to the plant before it was demolished. Rydell used it as a storage lot for the cars they got in. I think it was an Emissions Lab. There wasn't much inside as it was mostly used for a couple of the offices.

Jason444

iTrader: (6)

I am the third owner of my '92 TA vert. The second owner was the insurance agent of the first owner, who both live in a town 150 miles from me. So tracking the original owner was not a problem. He bought it in California when he lived out there, moved to Texas for a few years, and brought it with him then to Georgia. Then he sold it to his insurance agent who then sold it to me. To me its always good to be able to track the lineage of an older car.

okfoz

My friend bought his car brand spankin new in 1986 and still has it... Stolen twice... broken into 3 times.

Van Nuys born

Sounds like he was ment to be the owner .... It keeps coming back.

IROCZTWENTYGR8

iTrader: (1)

That was a common story of Third Gens when new, they were the most stolen car of the 80s! There can be downsides to popularity lol.

TEDSgrad

iTrader: (4)

I see him in the mirror every morning

Bought Aug '89, took 3.5 weeks vacation in Dec. and drove out to Santa Barbara, CA and drove up and down PCH from Oregon to Mexican border (walked across) - 5 months old in these pics.

Here's two pics from '89 - Santa Barbara and Avenue of Giants (drove it into a tree ).

Third pic is 1.5 weeks, ago. Car looks better than the guy in the mirror

okfoz

Although I am the third owner of my 87 Formula I actually Know who the original owner is, his address, and everything. When I bought the car off the second owner, I found a pouch in the rear locking compartment that had information on the original owner.

I have a registration from 1990, The extended 6/60 Warranty information book with his name and address on it. I got his current address from doing a little research (he moved about 2 blocks from the paperwork) and I have considered over time sending him pictures on the car he once owned... But never did it.

As for the second owner, I bought it in Indiana, and I drove it down there and showed it to the guy I bought it off of... I have a copy of the title, Info on new tires he bought in 1994 and some other odds & Ends...

Shane B

I bought mine from the original owner back in 99.It was an older womans DD and her husband just bought her a new TA doo she was selling the RS.I hadn't thought about it till a couple years ago and thought I would try to get in touch with her/him again.I was able to talk to the husband and I sent him a couple pics of the car which I haven't changed anything cosmetic on it.He said he was actually disappointed that they sold it but was glad that I still had it.He was shocked that it looks as good as it did when I bought it lol.She put 120,000 miles on it in 7 yrs,I've put 50k on it in 14 yrs.

Veaceonee

iTrader: (1)

Im the 10th owner of my car. Any records of the original owner are long gone. I kept in contact with the PO until I discovered what he did to the engine harness to rebuild the top end. I have no more nice things to say to him.

navy02ws6

I'd like to find the original owner of mine so I can punch them in the face for letting it catch on fire and burn to a crisp when it was 3 months old...

Z28Disaster

I bought my Z28 from the original owner in 1996. He was 35 and still living at home with his parents. I asked for any original paper work and the dad had thrown it out right after the car was bought.

okfoz

I am the third owner of my first Formula. I actually have a lot of the original paperwork from the original owner of my first Formula. It was stowed away in the back compartment when I got the car. I have the name, address and information of the original owner. I have considered contacting him several times over the years, but never have done it. The car is completely different than what it was when he had it.

His address has changed, but he still lives close to where he had the car originally registered in Meadville, PA.