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What was your 1st car?


wildbill23c

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Location
Southwestern Idaho
Vehicle Year
1987
Make / Model
Ford Ranger
Engine Type
2.9 V6
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
2WD
Total Lift
0
Total Drop
0
Tire Size
215/70-R14
My credo
19K, 19D, 92Y, 88M, 91F....OIF-III (2004-2005)
2G63728 Take it to the tag agent and ask what it would take to find the truck
That would be cool but nobody does that here in Idaho, the plate number is way too old for them to lookup. I don't have anything in the way of newer photos with an Idaho license plate, and since the vehicle was sold in 2003 all of my documents on the truck are long gone....I keep searching and hoping to find some random scrap of paper somewhere with the VIN which is what I need to even being to track it down, but I'm certain by now the truck has long been crushed, and if it does exist is most likely been trashed :(.
 


wildbill23c

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Location
Southwestern Idaho
Vehicle Year
1987
Make / Model
Ford Ranger
Engine Type
2.9 V6
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
2WD
Total Lift
0
Total Drop
0
Tire Size
215/70-R14
My credo
19K, 19D, 92Y, 88M, 91F....OIF-III (2004-2005)
2G63728 Take it to the tag agent and ask what it would take to find the truck
The VIN, they require the VIN to do anything here, and the truck was sold in 2003, so they refuse to give information like that out due to some law protecting vehicle owners from their personal information being found through their license plate numbers....which don't make sense because the license plate number on my Bronco 2 will bring up all my personal information if you search for it on the Amateur Radio database...really secure huh, but the morons at the DMV can't tell me if my old truck even exists because of some nonsense law...must be an Idaho thing because you hear of people finding lost vehicles all the time all over the country. Guess I need to go to a different state, hmm, wonder if I could call a DMV in California with that plate number hmm, I do have a cousin who does vehicle towing, repos, recoveries, etc. wonder maybe if he'd possibly have any connections...I'll have to give him a call too, or at least maybe he'd be able to point me in the right direction.

Thanks, got me thinking of some other ways to find out, at least if its been destroyed it would I guess bring closure, or if it exists it would sure be cool to see it again.

But what if the truck was taken out of the country, like say to Mexico? Would there be any way to know? The guy I sold it to in 2003, was from Mexico and mentioned something about taking it down there, so I don't have any idea.
 

wildbill23c

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Location
Southwestern Idaho
Vehicle Year
1987
Make / Model
Ford Ranger
Engine Type
2.9 V6
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
2WD
Total Lift
0
Total Drop
0
Tire Size
215/70-R14
My credo
19K, 19D, 92Y, 88M, 91F....OIF-III (2004-2005)
Take it to the tag agent and ask what it would take. Funny thing, there was a very good series in the 80s named "the paper trail" ;) Somewhere, there is a record of it
That's what I figure, someone, somewhere should have some record of where it went? If it was destroyed like scrapped, would they be able to find out? I thought once a vehicle was destroyed everything related was pretty much gone?
 

sgtsandman

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Location
Aliquippa, PA
Vehicle Year
2011/2019
Make / Model
Ranger XLT/FX4
Engine Size
4.0 SOHC/2.3 Ecoboost
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
Pre-2008 lift/Stock
Tire Size
31X10.5R15/265/65R17
My first was a P.O.S. 1980 Mercury Lynx (Ford Escort). I absolutely hated that thing. Ditched it after a year for a 1982 Toyota Celica ST. I drove that until the unit body was so rusted out, I was afraid to drive it anymore. I think it lasted 16 years before the road salt finally killed it.
 

Josh B

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Location
Oklahoma
Vehicle Year
1993
Make / Model
Ford Ranger
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
That's what I figure, someone, somewhere should have some record of where it went? If it was destroyed like scrapped, would they be able to find out? I thought once a vehicle was destroyed everything related was pretty much gone?
I think the number would still come up as scrapped if that was the case.
I know what you mean about crapola. People still use tag numbers out of their parking lots to know where there customers come from and use it for marketing purposes, blanket mailers and such.
It shouldn't be impossible if someone just knows how
 

97RangerXLT

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Fishers, IN
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1997
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Ford
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
2"
Tire Size
31"
I think the number would still come up as scrapped if that was the case.
I know what you mean about crapola. People still use tag numbers out of their parking lots to know where there customers come from and use it for marketing purposes, blanket mailers and such.
It shouldn't be impossible if someone just knows how
if you have a license plate, you can do a carfax. if it is scrapped the carfax will come back with a hit on it.

Not sure how far the carfax database will take an expired plate, but that might get you somewhere. it won't tell you where it is exactly, but will tell you how many owners it has had.

AJ
 

wildbill23c

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Location
Southwestern Idaho
Vehicle Year
1987
Make / Model
Ford Ranger
Engine Type
2.9 V6
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
2WD
Total Lift
0
Total Drop
0
Tire Size
215/70-R14
My credo
19K, 19D, 92Y, 88M, 91F....OIF-III (2004-2005)
if you have a license plate, you can do a carfax. if it is scrapped the carfax will come back with a hit on it.

Not sure how far the carfax database will take an expired plate, but that might get you somewhere. it won't tell you where it is exactly, but will tell you how many owners it has had.

AJ
Apparently the old plate number is way too old for Carfax to use, just tried that one LOL. Unfortunately I don't recall what the Idaho plate number was, and have yet to find anything with the vin on it.
 

cbxer55

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1998
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Automatic
1978 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. Second was a 1970 Pontiac Firebird Formula 400.
 

Josh B

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Location
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Vehicle Year
1993
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Ford Ranger
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Apparently the old plate number is way too old for Carfax to use, just tried that one LOL. Unfortunately I don't recall what the Idaho plate number was, and have yet to find anything with the vin on it.
That's why I suggested the tag agent, they have records, it just depends on how you approach them and how they feel that day :/
Don't give up man, you can find it, or as you said, maybe find closure :/
I'll be looking forward to your build thread :D
 

MXGerry

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Vehicle Year
2003
Make / Model
Ford
Transmission
Automatic
My first was a P.O.S. 1980 Mercury Lynx (Ford Escort). I absolutely hated that thing. Ditched it after a year for a 1982 Toyota Celica ST. I drove that until the unit body was so rusted out, I was afraid to drive it anymore. I think it lasted 16 years before the road salt finally killed it.
My uncle is looking at a Celica as next project. We'll check it out right after we finished installing the brake kit and ironman tires on the current Ram project. The Celica got 130k original miles and has been garage kept for about 8 years but with only minimal rust.
 

85_Ranger4x4

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Location
SW Iowa
Vehicle Year
1985
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
V8
Engine Size
5.0
Transmission
Manual
That topper was a Stockland, and it had the boot between the shell and truck cab, and had a rubber seal between the bed and the shell, that thing never leaked, the only truck I ever had with a camper shell that the shell never leaked anywhere....they sure don't build them like that anymore...I found a Stockland camper shell 2 weeks ago on a Ranger at a pick a part yard, at first I was oh hell yeah I found a shell for my current Ranger, hopes were quickly dashed when I realized it was for the 6-1/2 foot bed not my 7 foot bed :(. I swear nobody made a 7' camper shell for the Rangers I've yet to find one anywhere, and sadly the pick a part would have sold the shell for $50.
They are out there... it took me like 4mo to find mine. It is off a third gen if that helps you broaden your search.

 

alwaysFlOoReD

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Location
Calgary, Canada
Vehicle Year
'91, '80, '06
Make / Model
Ford, GMC,Dodge
Engine Size
4.0,4.0,5.7
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Hmmm, I will have to take a closer look at the topper on my 87 Mazda b2600. It has the gasket to the cab and as far as I can see doesn't leak. It is the first one I've seen like it.
 

Grumpaw

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Location
Virginia
Vehicle Year
2009
Make / Model
Ford Ranger XL
Engine Type
2.3 (4 Cylinder)
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
2WD
Total Lift
Stock
Total Drop
Stock
Tire Size
Stock 225/70/15
My credo
I don't count birthday's anymore...just happy to be looking down at the ground instead of looking up
First car I had was my dad's 1960 Chevy Biscayne 2 door post, 6 cyl with a powerglide. Learned to drive in it and got my learners permit (daylight driving only) at 14. Got that in 1963.
First car I ever bought on my own was a 1964 Ford Falcon Sprint. Wanted a new Mustang, but at the time every Mustang in area was spoken for , for at least 6 months, so I setteled on the Falcon.
Dad had to co-sign, but I made payments and insurance was mine as a rider on dad's policy.
Had the Sprint until I went into Navy in 1967.
Grumpaw
 

Saddle Tramp

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Location
Florida
Vehicle Year
2011
Make / Model
Ford Ranger
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
2WD
Mine was a 1983 Dodge Aries K wagon with a manual transmission.
 

19Walt93

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Location
Canaan,NH
Vehicle Year
1993
Make / Model
Ford Ranger
Engine Type
V8
Engine Size
351
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
2WD
Total Drop
3"
Tire Size
235/55R16
My credo
If you don't have time to do it right will you have time to do it over?
My first car was a 52 Chevy panel truck that I bought from my cousin for $15 in 1966 when I was 12. He'd cut the body off behind the seat and there was nothing back there but the chassis. I had to replace the clutch before it would move. He burrowed around under his father's workbench and came up with a clutch. He told me I could either pull the engine or transmission and after seeing the torque tube driveshaft I pulled the engine. I raced it around on a 1/10 mile track I built around my folks' land for 2 years until my neighbor gave me a 58 beetle he'd taken apart and couldn't put back together. I got it running and ended up transplanting the engine into my father's 62 beetle that he drove 35 miles each way to work while I rebuilt his engine. I was 14. The 62 beetle got rusty and worn out so I got it, did a lot of crude body work and rebuilt the front end and it became the first car I drove on the road. I rolled it over but avoided running into the illegally parked Dodge wagon that was facing me coming out of a corner. Unfortunately, the owner of the wagon moved it before the cops got there and denied it have ever been in the road. The new 68 Toyota Corona(Camry today) that my neighbor bought to replace his 58 VW rusted out in 2 years and he replaced it with another beetle. He didn't try to fix the new one.
 

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