[fuji0664]

Hi everyone. Like a lot of folks out there, I am looking for the one that got away and turning to social media/websites for help. I owned a 1976 Formula in the 80's and reluctantly sold it when I went back to school full time. I posted on a few local Facebook pages where I used to live about a year and a half ago, and then had some updates a year later looking for help and while I had some good suggestions, I have been unable to locate it. I also posted the other day on a few Pontiac and T/A related Facebook pages and one member suggested this site as well. It is a 1976 Pontiac Firebird Formula (dressed to look like a T/A....it had a T/A spoiler on the back, and the T/A hood scoop, but did not have the two front fender flares found on T/A's). It was black, with a tan interior and had a 400 engine with a 4 speed transmission.

I lived in Lowell, Mass. when I owned it and sold it to a guy from Dracut, Mass. in September 1986. I was able to track him down and have spoken with him a couple of times over the last few years. He remembers the car well, but does not remember who he sold it to and in what year, but he was living in Tyngsboro, Mass. at the time and thinks it might have been to a guy he hired to do some work on hardwood floors. He did say the motor was replaced at some point while he owned it, which was not good to hear but it is what it is. Not much to go on, I know.

I do have the VIN but it is a thirteen digit VIN and, as many of you know, any websites that provide the VIN lookup do not work as it has to be seventeen digits since 1981. I did hire a private investigator a couple of months ago and he had no luck checking with the DMV or wherever else he checked so my last hope is to rely on good old social media and hope that someone out here knows something or someone who may be able to help.

Thanks for taking the time to read this!

[77 Canamman]

Just a long shot, did you Google your VIN number? I tracked down a couple of my former rides this way.

[fuji0664]

Originally Posted by 77 Canamman

Just a long shot, did you Google your VIN number? I tracked down a couple of my former rides this way.

I Google it from time to time. Never any results. I’ve tried using yahoo and other search engines also. Same thing. Hoping one day, it will show up there. Thanks....good thought though!


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[1969GiPper]

Perhaps the current owner belongs to the POCI? Have you tried contacting the chapter of POCI that covers Massachusetts? Based on this months POCI publication that would be Anne Marie Mandarano. eagle1@broadviewnet.net

[fuji0664]

Originally Posted by 1969GiPper

Perhaps the current owner belongs to the POCI? Have you tried contacting the chapter of POCI that covers Massachusetts? Based on this months POCI publication that would be Anne Marie Mandarano. eagle1@broadviewnet.net

Thanks. I’ll give that a try.


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[John V.]

My sister used to work for an auto insurer. In 2003 I had her run the VIN for the '73 TA I had owned more than 20 years earlier. She got a hit, I contacted the owner by mail, we spoke. 12 years later he called me, he was selling. I bought it back. It is a project and I figure I way overpaid but happy to have it.

She has left the industry so I've lost that resource. My understanding is that when a customer was applying for coverage on a car, the company would run VINs to get history, I suppose get accident history, be sure it was not stolen, etc.

Of course, sharing owner contact info was surely inappropriate. So unless you know somebody, the best you might do is to talk to your agent. I'm guessing the agents won't have access to the database but perhaps he could contact the company to see if the VIN shows up as a registered vehicle. If you can find that out and it is registered somewhere, at least you'll know your search isn't hopeless.

[fuji0664]

Originally Posted by John V.

My sister used to work for an auto insurer. In 2003 I had her run the VIN for the '73 TA I had owned more than 20 years earlier. She got a hit, I contacted the owner by mail, we spoke. 12 years later he called me, he was selling. I bought it back. It is a project and I figure I way overpaid but happy to have it.



She has left the industry so I've lost that resource. My understanding is that when a customer was applying for coverage on a car, the company would run VINs to get history, I suppose get accident history, be sure it was not stolen, etc.



Of course, sharing owner contact info was surely inappropriate. So unless you know somebody, the best you might do is to talk to your agent. I'm guessing the agents won't have access to the database but perhaps he could contact the company to see if the VIN shows up as a registered vehicle. If you can find that out and it is registered somewhere, at least you'll know your search isn't hopeless.

Thanks. Good idea. I will probably give it a try but I hope that is what the private investigator did. That and try the DMV. He didn’t give me any details beyond “it didn’t show up in any of his searches”. I didn’t push for details because he did not charge me. Said he would only get paid if he found it so have to believe he was thorough. Thanks again for the idea!


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[fuji0664]

Originally Posted by fuji0664

Thanks. Good idea. I will probably give it a try but I hope that is what the private investigator did. That and try the DMV. He didn’t give me any details beyond “it didn’t show up in any of his searches”. I didn’t push for details because he did not charge me. Said he would only get paid if he found it so have to believe he was thorough. Thanks again for the idea!


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Oh, and very cool to hear you found yours. Good luck with the resto!!!


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