Previous MGB ownership history of your car? : MGB & GT Forum : The MG Experience

Previous MGB ownership history of your car? #1
praedewald Paula DeWald Fort Wayne, USA Sign in to contact	Topic Creator (OP) Jan 16, 2011 10:57 PM Joined 15 years ago 11 Posts

So I just brought home my "new to me" 1969 MGB tonight and I was wondering if there is a way to find out the previous ownership history of the car from 1969 until "my previous owner" purchased it in 1997? I tried the FAQ, tried numerous ways to check the SEARCH but to no avail. What's the scoop on this please and thanks.

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Re: Previous MGB ownership history of your car? #2
Starbuck Monte johnjulio Greensboro, NC, USA Sign in to contact 1967 MG MGB GT "Toaster" 1974 MG MGB "The B" 1979 Triumph 1500 1979 Triumph Spitfire 1500 "Shitfire"	Jan 16, 2011 11:01 PM Joined 17 years ago 3,515 Posts

I think British Motor Heritage still has the history search for the construction of the car, etc. (somebody more knowledgeable will pipe in on that)
as for the previous owners, your state DMV will probably be the only source of info regarding that.

"...They say that a man with two restoration projects is a poor man...I now have three...WTF was I thinking!?!?!?!?!?!?!"

1967 MGB-GT,1979 MGB roadster, 1979 Triumph Spitfire 1500 1974 MGB Roadster (retired, giving its life to be a parts car)

My 1974 MGB restoration at: http://mgbproject.blogspot.com/
My 1979 Spitfire restoration at: http://spitfire1500project.blogspot.com/
My 1967 MGB-GT restoration at: http://mgbgtproject.blogspot.com/

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Re: Previous MGB ownership history of your car? #3
Xterrian X T Lacey, WA, USA Sign in to contact	Jan 17, 2011 02:14 AM Joined 18 years ago 600 Posts

Only one previous owner for mine. A young lady owned it for four years while she attended the University of Washington. It was 4 years old when I bought it and now my daughter drives it and is a student at the University of Washington.

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Re: Previous MGB ownership history of your car? #4
John Hamilton Gulf Breeze, FL, USA Sign in to contact 1963 Austin-Healey Sprite 1965 MG MGB "The Great Pumpkin" 1968 MG MGB GT "Buck" 1970 MG MGB "Dad's Car"	Jan 17, 2011 07:01 AM Joined 18 years ago 2,666 Posts

Most of my cars previous owners wish to remain anonymous since there is no statute of limitations for their particular crimes.

If I can't be fast, I'll just be obnoxious!

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Re: Previous MGB ownership history of your car? #5
mowog70 michael long lima, west central ohio, USA Sign in to contact 1970 MG MGB 2008 Mazda MX-5	Jan 17, 2011 08:04 AM Joined 19 years ago 413 Posts

third owner here. purchased in 1973 with 19,000 miles on it from college student's parents. student only had the car about 6 months, was on shock probation and parents took car back. original owner purchased car in England, drove it there for awhile, and had it shipped to the states.

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Re: Previous MGB ownership history of your car? #6
Jim K James A. Krasnansky Liberty, KY, USA Sign in to contact 1970 MG MGB GT "Chloe" 1971 MG MGB GT "Roscoe" 1972 MG MGB "Camilla"	Jan 17, 2011 08:20 AM Joined 22 years ago 11,366 Posts

In reply to a post by mowog70 third owner here. purchased in 1973 with 19,000 miles on it from college student's parents. student only had the car about 6 months, was on shock probation and parents took car back. original owner purchased car in England, drove it there for awhile, and had it shipped to the states.

Michael -
Curious. Is your car RHD?

Jim K is a grease-stained wretch

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Re: Previous MGB ownership history of your car? #7
mgb4gary Gary Brown Covington, VA, USA Sign in to contact	Jan 17, 2011 09:12 AM Joined 17 years ago 1,201 Posts

Paula, there was a thread a few days back on this subject,( http://www.mgexperience.net/phorum/read.php?1,1647757,1647757#msg-1647757 ) and unfortunately not a lot of step by step. The best bet is if the previous owner can provide name of who he purchased it from. That will give you a starting point for your search.
DMV's vary from state to state on what info they will provide. Privacy issues come into play here.
The British Heritage Certificate will provide original build info on your car, but no previous owner info.
http://shop.heritage-motor-centre.co.uk/shop/.
Good luck with your search, but above all else just enjoy your car.

Gary Brown

It's the "Little" things.

Although I now own this C, it will always be Pat's MG

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Re: Previous MGB ownership history of your car? #8
hloomis711 Harry Loomis Iron Station, NC, USA Sign in to contact 1974 MG MGB GT	Jan 17, 2011 10:09 AM Joined 20 years ago 479 Posts

I got my info by contacting the DMV for my state, it went back to when the car was imported and the first dealer where it was sold.

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Re: Previous MGB ownership history of your car? #9
Dave Jefferson David Jefferson USA Sign in to contact 1962 MG MGA MkII 1968 MG MGB	Jan 17, 2011 10:21 AM Joined 19 years ago 105 Posts

The DMV in my state keeps records back for only 6 years or so, then they dump them. I was looking for the VIN of my father's '57 MGA. Then I tried to get info from Maryland (where he bought it used) state DMV, but they couldn't tell me if they kept records back to '61 without sending them a request for record and a fee, plus there were some sensitivities about privacy. Good luck.

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Re: Previous MGB ownership history of your car? #10
cfrantz Chris Frantz MS, USA Sign in to contact 1957 MG MGA 1964 MG MGB	Jan 17, 2011 10:29 AM Joined 17 years ago 3,585 Posts

Mississippi didn't require titles on vehicles prior to 1969 (and are still optional now), so anything before would be problematic.

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Re: Previous MGB ownership history of your car? #11
DaSpyda Don Alexander Lakeland, FL, USA Sign in to contact	Jan 17, 2011 10:35 AM Joined 15 years ago 876 Posts

I was able to get info on previous titles in my quest to authenticate actual mileage. The states redacted the owner's info.

Don
1970 MGB

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Re: Previous MGB ownership history of your car? #12
golf bernard lanigan montgomery al, USA Sign in to contact 1976 MG MGB "The B"	Jan 17, 2011 12:13 PM Joined 19 years ago 5,079 Posts

Dont need it.
But i do know most never owned a grease gun,,oil can,,CRC or WD ..

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Re: Previous MGB ownership history of your car? #13
costerhus Chris Osterhus Pittsburgh, USA Sign in to contact 1970 MG MGB GT	Jan 17, 2011 03:18 PM Joined 16 years ago 1,253 Posts

Unraveling the history of my car was easy...my uncle bought it new. Dad bought it from him in about 1980, and I took it over in 2004. Even so, I've noticed that some of my records list the car as a '69 (since it was built in October of that year), but others...list it as a '70. Otherwise, I've been very careful to keep the paperwork (including the bills) together.

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Re: Previous MGB ownership history of your car? #14
SURFIT Mike Schultz Zionsville, IN, USA Sign in to contact 1973 MG MGB 2007 Nissan 350Z	Jan 17, 2011 05:04 PM Joined 20 years ago 1,003 Posts

My previous owner kept immaculate records of all work she had done to it which came with the car. I contacted her - she had a lot of parts left over, tonneau cover, bike rack, etc. The records gave me a good history of the age of existing parts and how often they required replacing.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011-01-17 05:06 PM by SURFIT.

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Re: Previous MGB ownership history of your car? #15
mowog70 michael long lima, west central ohio, USA Sign in to contact 1970 MG MGB 2008 Mazda MX-5	Jan 18, 2011 08:20 AM Joined 19 years ago 413 Posts

James, its left hand drive.

IMG_0156.jpg cropped.jpg 24.8 KB

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