Posted by Eric B. on Monday, November 18, 2002 at 8:11PM :
In Reply to: Re: 1956 C4PW ON EBAY ENDS MONDAY posted by Jim bowie on Monday, November 18, 2002 at 6:59PM :
If you think you can trace the history of the title on an old truck you are DREAMING!!!
I tried to research the title on my 64 PW TW, it was last titled in 1972 in CO, I had the owners name, and the name of the owner before him on the title I got, and I had the plate.
The guy I bought it from was the second or third owner since it was signed by the last offical owner in 1983. There was no way to trace all of that, but all the numbers matched.
I called the CO DMV, and they could not help me on the phone, no problem, I requested the correct request form, and sent off my money.
You want to hear my answer?
After 2 months I got a reply that all records that old are gone, and no history was avilable.
So I had my title from WI, a copy of the 1972 title from CO, and the previous owners(the one before 1972) name when I sold the truck.
No way to trace any futher.
Is that proveable history?
I found the same sort of thing when I tried to trace other trucks, if they had not been titled in 20 years(not an uncommon thing) I was OUT of luck.
I would bet you could only trace the history on a 1946 WDX back into the 80s, no matter what state you are in.
How does that help with the history? I know plenty of trucks that were swapped around to keep them on the road back in the 60s and 70s.
No record of that exsists, and there is little way to prove it.
As in all cases, buyer beware, and look carefully at anything you buy! I know enough to tell if I truck I buy has been modified in an obvious way, but if it was done 40 years ago, I might miss something subtle.
I plan on taking a couple of rusty trucks I found in MN, and WI, and rebodying them, I will tell the buyer this, and I will have all the correct tags, frame numbers, titles, etc. Is that so bad that I would be better parting out the trucks and taking one more 57-60 PW off the road? I know it is not "original", but consider it nothing more then major bodywork!
Good luck to all on your PW purchases, and please, let this drop!
Eric
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