I took my car into a local transmission shop because of a problem with the shifter not lining up properly. Cable was just loose, they opened up my console to tighten it. Unfortunately I found they blew a fuse and didn't reconnect a couple of the controls properly when I picked it up. They didn't charge me for the work and they have done a lot of good work on my vehicles in the past. They are down to one employee and I believe the owner is getting ready to retire. For those reasons and the fact I know my car better than they do, I decided to fix the issues myself. I opened up the console to check all the connections. While examining the console area, I noticed a folded laminated card lying inside. When I unfolded it, it was an insurance card with the name of the insured and the agency that wrote the policy.
The effective date was up to Aug of 2001. The timing would line up right with the story I was given when I bought the car. The person I bought my car from bought it around that time and put it in storage. I'm thinking of trying to contact them and learn more history behind my car and possibly see if there are any early pictures when it was new. However its been 17 years, and I am not sure how to approach finding them today. I'm not on facebook or any other social media. My wife is, but she doesn't understand my obsession with a 28 year old car! Any Ideas.

 

Just off the top of my balding head....reach out to the insurance company, seventeen years isn't necessary too long of a time and their insured may still be with them. Don't ask for the owner information directly, try to find a sympathetic employee and give them the policy number and ask them to forward your information to the insured...assuming they are still their insured and maybe, if you're lucky, you'll get a call from them. Might be worth a shot....otherwise google could be another avenue, but I'd try with the insurance company first. Good luck.

 

In your case i wouldn't hesitate to Google the original owners name. Imo, anyone who would have bought one of these cars new back in the day, and kept it that long, i would think have an appreciation for the car. And may wonder where it is today. Heck, i have an owners card from my first car and every couple years i run a carfax to see if it turns up. I wouldn't hesitate to give it a shot. Next time your wife is on Facebook just ask her if you could take a minute and search the name yourself. A lot of us older folks are on there, lol!

 

I'm going to start with the insurance agency. See if they still exist. Who knows where it will lead. At least I have a name now.

 

I would have signs made & staple them to light poles looking for the person.

Kidding of course.... The history part of the car hobby I enjoy just as much if not more than any other part of it.