Does anyone know a source to look up VIN's for older vehicles? I tried CarFax, but they require a 17-digit number and don't go back further than 1981. I want to know if my wagon is a '74 or '75.
The guy I bought it from said it was a '75, but it was manufactured in 5/74, which seems a bit early for a '75 model, but I'm not sure. [EDIT: I originally had written, "The front page VIN look-up says it's a '74." I must have deleted back over that when I proof read.... :-[]
I checked the tail lights because sometimes they have the year on them, but they said "72." They could have been replaced; however, I doubt this since both say 72 and there appears to be no damage in the light area requiring replacement. Probably because the Pinto design didn't change, they just kept the same numbers on the lights from when the wagon was introduced to the line.
I guess it doesn't matter too much, but I am curious.
The guy had lost the physical title, but I'm not worried about the car being stolen. I've enough substantiation that he was the rightful owner from several sources, and I have a bill of sale from him (so if it were to wind up "stolen," I have a paper trail back to him).
I will apply for an abandoned vehicle title when I have the car in running condition to drive it out to the HiPo office to have the VIN # checked.
have you tried the VIN number thing on the front page? I'm pretty sure it gives you the year. not sure though
Yeah, it says it's a '74. Is there another place I can double-check? The first number in the VIN is a 4, so that makes sense on the year being '74, but I can play around with letters and numbers in the code and come up with "non-existant" vehicles.
For instance, I can come up with a 1971 wagon, a 1974 wagon built with a 1980 2.3L engine, and a Pinto wagon built at the Wixom Lincoln Mark V plant.
Thus, I would like to be sure that the code on my car is deciphered the way the program does it.
I guess I deleted the part of my original post that I originally said I'd checked the front page VIN lookup when I was redoing a paragraph. :-[
my next guess would be the local dealership.
Call Ford and get a History 999 report. It will take 2-3 weeks to get the letter but it is well worth the wait. They basically give you the breakdown of what was on your car from the factory. I had it done for my 79 wagon and 67 Mustang. Best of all it is free! call this number 1-800-392-3673. You will have to provide the make and model of the vehicle, vin number, and your name and address. I think you can do any vehicle from 67 and up as long as it is at least 10 years old (94 and earlier)