VIN search

I have the body of a 67 Camaro that I bought from a guy in 2002, who bought it from a guy...

Anyway, it was gently crashed a couple of decades ago, when it was just an old car. Now, I'd like to build something out of it. My only concern is the serial number plate on the pillar has been removed at some point. I know the number, as the build plate has the last 6 digits, the same number is stamped in the cowl, and the first portion is easily deciphered from options. GM vintage services in Canada sent me their package based off the number I figured, which matches the car and showed the selling dealer as 125 miles from here. Good enough for me.

I've come up with three scenarios to explain the missing plate- Somebody took it off for some strange, innocent reason, somebody took it off because this car was stolen and they wanted to hide it, or somebody took it because it wasn't stolen, and they wanted a clean number for a stolen car.

I don't want to be involved in one of those stories where a guy gets his car back after 30 years in way, way better shape than it was when his insurance company paid him out for it.

So- There has to be a database somewhere that goes back to ancient times, recording car theft information. Insurance company? Police? Sherrifs department? The Googles?

My Triumph was also missing the VIN plate when I got it, but had the number on a secondary plate elsewhere. I had a title from the previous owner and I knew 100% that it was his car to sell me, but couldn't prove that my car was the one described in the title due to lack of plate in the proper place.

In Kansas, the process was to go to court, appear before the judge to say "this is the car we have, this is the paperwork we have, we're sure they're the same but we want you to say so too", then file an affidavit saying more or less the same and put a notice in the paper for three weeks saying "we have a 1964 Triumph TR4, blue, purchased from such-and-such address, if this car has been stolen from you, please contact the authorities with the proper documentation". After that, we had the Kansas Highway Patrol inspect the vehicle to assert that it was what we said it was, authorize a replacement VIN tag and a reissued title. They even let us use the old VIN number.

Law enforcement should have access to that kind of thing, though you may have to go through Highway Patrol/State Troopers.

The national conglomerate of insurance companies has this service: https://www.nicb.org/theft_and_fraud_awareness/vincheck

People are going to tell you all kinds of stories about how they title cars where they live, but all that matters is how they do it in your province.

I suspect there isn't any available public database that will allow you to trace the car back. In most areas (in the US at any rate, I don't know about Canada) police aren't allowed to search VINs for private citizens. I'd check your local DMV website and/or go to the local office to ask them about what has to be done to title the car. It sounds like you have a lot of substantiating information, which is good.

I have checked every government agency in the province, and nobody has records prior to 1995. As far as they are concerned, the car doesn't exist.

Good enough for me.