Original owners

[ThunderChicken]

If you're not the original owner of your GTA, have you ever talked to or found the original owners? Emma had the warranty booklet and owners' manual with her when she got to me, and the original owners had written their name and address on the book front cover.

Well, on a whim today, a friend looked them up and I got their phone number. I dialed the number while my heart was pounding in my chest, and held my breath while it rang. A woman answered the phone and I asked if it was the name on the booklet. I told her who I was and that I thought I had their car, and lo and behold, I was right. We talked for a good 45 minutes about the car...why they sold it and how they bought the car. The original selling dealership is still in business and the owners still live in the same house. They traded the car in when they could no longer get in and out of the car easily.

I was amazed...I went out on a limb and was quite pleased with the response. The original owners live only a couple hours from me and have friends that live about an hour south of me. So, it's likely that we'll get to meet. I sent them photos of her in her current state and we're going to keep in touch. She had a very high opinion of the GTA and said she still considers it a muscle car.

Anyone else have interesting stories about the original owner of your GTA?

[FearThisGTA]

Other than the guy that originally owned my car, worked for a company that I sold parts to at that time. Not to mention, I think I saw it one time at a traffic light in front of me, but I cant be sure.

[BigBadGTA]

Thats sweet! Well I didn't get to meet any owners because I bought it from a bodyshop that happened to sell used cars. I did find the friend of a previous owner on an internet forum and pictures of the car from about 2004. The friend told me that the a previous owner got drunk one night a long time ago and put the car over a curb. He never got around to fixing it so he sold it. The guy he sold it to fixed it up right (I have not found any damage what so ever on the front end) and apparently the other owner wanted it back so bad he traded two cars for it back. All this happened in the 90s or so and I don't exactly know the story. I tried to set up a meet between this guy the previous owner and myself so we could chat and he could see the car again. That kinda fell through, and now I am on the other side of the country so I don't have a chance anymore to meet him. Sucks for me I guess, but the car is almost perfect anyways, I don't need to find anything out. Just would have been cool to hear stories of the car in its previous life...

[FrankieRider2]

I know the original owner of my car quite well....

[Wes]

Originally Posted by BigBadGTA

Thats sweet! Well I didn't get to meet any owners because I bought it from a bodyshop that happened to sell used cars. The friend told me that the a previous owner got drunk one night a long time ago and put the car over a curb. He never got around to fixing it so he sold it. The guy he sold it to fixed it up right (I have not found any damage

Have you ever run a Carfax on your car? Usually, when bodyshops sell cars, they are cars that they buy, repair in their shop and then put up for sale.

[Jack's GTA]

Cool story. I don't even know where to begin on finding the original owners. I know my car has been wrecked in the front end and that there were at least 3 owners before me. That's all the info on my GTA.

[87bucketgta]

Originally Posted by Jack's GTA

Cool story. I don't even know where to begin on finding the original owners. I know my car has been wrecked in the front end and that there were at least 3 owners before me. That's all the info on my GTA.

I agree, I wish there was a way to find who bought my car new, just would enjoy talking to them.

[mr.turbota]

I'm with Frankie.....
I know the original owner of my car very well.

George

[90 L98 TransAm]

Me too. He's one hell of a nice guy!!!

[BigBadGTA]

Yes, I do have the car fax from when I bought the car. It said there was an accident, but the car was in such awesome shape I bought it anyways. Like I said I have not found any damage on the front end so I dont know what the extent of it was... I do know that the body shop didnt do anything to the car, not even a tune up. The way they got it was what I got. I know the car was repainted in the 90s and it was taken very good care of cause the paint looks new still. It runs and drives like a new car. I am going to have the front end rebuilt and alinged anyways because while there is no damage, the stuff is just worn out. Im going to get a wonder bar, new springs and struts as well.

[Black92GTA]

The car fax of the '92 shows about 6 or 7 owners before finding me. I tried calling the original dealer where it was sold, but they would not give me any info on it. My '84 and '85 have only had 2 or 3 owners but no luck on them either.

[87bucketgta]

Car fax shows owners?? The times ive did it before it just show me like reg. renewals and soforth

[Rodimus_Prime]

seeing as how I was 11 years old when the last one was made, not really a possiblity for me lol

[Wes]

Originally Posted by 87bucketgta

Car fax shows owners?? The times ive did it before it just show me like reg. renewals and soforth

It shows you every time a new title was issued or a lien was taken out.

[irritated_cube]

I have the original owner's name on all of the dealership paperwork but never bothered to try and call her. I do know that she financed the car back in 1989 with $3,000 down and $18,000 financed over 5 years. I forget the interest rate at the time but she ended up paying over $30,000 for the car.

I did however talk to the 2nd owner who imported the car from the US into Canada and learned so much about it. He was a mechanic from Hamilton Ontario who cherished that car like one of his kids. I even talked to his wife about it and she said she missed it so much. They had it listed for sale in 2002 for upwards of $11,000 Can with 30k miles. They didn't get one serious offer for almost a year. Ironically there was another Red 1988 down the street that had been beat on and in pretty rough shape for $9,000 Can. with 3 times the miles that sold in a few weeks. He still laments selling it.

I am the 4th owner having bought it from a guy who owned it for a few years after he bought it for his wife. He then sold it for a 67 GTO.

I have owned it for 4 years and have not had a single issue with it other then the spoiler cracking. I love my car, it was my first car and its the one I've wanted since I was 16.

[Black92GTA]

Your correct, I should rephrase, title transfers not owners.