Shot in the dark - Are any of these cars still out there?

[Ron42Dodge]

I just recently visited my dad and he handed me a folder which contained reciepts of cars he purchased a traded in on other purchases.  I am curious if any of these cars are still out there.

 

He started out with a 1937 2 door Ford that he bought when he got out of the war.  That was registered to the engine number 303369.

 

He traded it in on a 1949 Mercury Sport Sedan which was Alberta Blue.  It also was registered to the engine number 9CM 216 43.

 

Next he had a 1956 Ford 2 door serial number A6GV180535.

 

That was traded in on a 1959 Pontiac Catalina Sport Sedan serial number 159P-30197.

 

Then he bought a 1962 Oldsmobile Cutlas Coupe serial number 621M. 24840.

 

Then he bought a 1965 Mercury Montclair 4 door serial number 5Z52H 530059, Onxy in color with the breezeway window.

 

After that he bought a 1969 Mercury Monterey 4 door sedan serial number 9Z44X, engine number 501177.

 

Then he purchased a 1973 Mercury Monterey 4 door Sedan serial number 3Z44S 500408.

 

Then he moved on to a 1979 Buick Electra Limited, 4 door sedan light blue serial number 446979H624255

 

Then he had a 1987 Mercury Grand Marquis serial number 2MEBM75F7HX646294.

 

He always wanted a Cadillac so he finally bit the bullet in 1991 buying  a Sedan Deville, serial number 1G6CD5386M4253207.

 

Next he bought a 1998 Mercury Grand Marquis but that one got totaled out in 2004.

 

Does anyone recognize any of these as still around?

[Dave Mellor NJ]

As you must know, the chances of any of the cars having made it till now are extremely slim. None of them are special most being four door models that wouldn't be saved when they're used up. The picture of the 56 Ford interior actually looks like the 49 Merc.

[8E45E]

If these cars were used in the Rust Belt; slim-to-none.  The farther west, the better their chances of their survival, but as the poster above stated, being rather ordinary sedans, there would have been little incentive for any subsequent owner to preserve any one of them.

 

Craig

[Guest AlCapone]

What Dave and Craig say makes good sense. It is difficult to trace a rare car let alone a common car. If you have documentation with numbers that would be the system to start the trace, good luck! Wayne

Edited December 8, 2015 by AlCapone (see edit history)

[Graham Man]

Unfortunately the odds are not in your favor.  I looked for fun for a survival rate of collector cars, my best guess is it is under 1%.  That said don't give up yet.  It took me 6 years to find my Grandfathers 1933 Graham.  You have numbers, you are way ahead of me.  I had to go to the WI historical society and look up the license plate number from his 1949 WI plate to get the engine number (the book also listed my Grandfather as the owner).  I would start with the rarest car, if it did survive most likely it is close.  My Grandfathers car was 20 miles away from where he lived tucked away in a shed.

 

Good luck, the hunt is the best part, talk to anyone who likes the marquee you are looking for, and all the local collectors.

[Ron42Dodge]

I realize to chances are slim but I thought what the heck. You never know. I have more hope for the older ones as my dad had more great memories of these.

[jeff_a]

If there was a universal system of tracking antique cars it would be easy. Every beef and dairy cow in the country is tracked from birth to death, partly to manage vaccinations and herd health, but it's too hard for us to do that for antique cars. All 50 states have different ways they deal with old vehicle records. Some get rid of them, some will give you data, some will but only to law enforcement agencies. It seems to be very random.

 

Just for argument's sake, if we had a system where the feds cared about old cars because of their historical importance and to assist the business of auto restoration (according to SEMA that's more than a million dollar industry) it would be great, and someone like you could punch in the numbers for those 11 cars and they could tell you 6 have been cubed, 2 are in junkyards and 3 are in Ludlow, CA. If I were a skeptic, I'd say the feds, states and 4,000 counties aren't interested in old cars unless they're stolen. Realistically, most of them are strapped for cash and would look at tracking several million more cars(all cars, forever) as something they'd have to spend money on.

Edited December 9, 2015 by jeff_a (see edit history)

[plymouthcranbrook]

But then there is the guy and his wife that I was in a car club with who managed to find every car his family owned from the late 30's to the 50's. So don't give up. It's not impossible, just improbable.

Edited December 10, 2015 by plymouthcranbrook (see edit history)

[8E45E]

But then there is the guy and his wife that I was in a car club with who managed to find every car his family owned from the late 30's to the 50's. So don't give up. It's not impossible, just improbable.

Exactly how many cars did his family own during that time?   Do you mean actually found every entire car complete, or simply obtained 'closure' on their fate, as whether they survived or not? 

 

Craig

[Restorer32]

Do you really want the feds having a data base of every car and its history of ownership in the country?

[John_S_in_Penna]

Ron, you have some nice family pictures 

that include the cars.  Obviously, someone

was a bit of a car fan in your family.

 

I don't have any experience in tracking,

but I hope you're able to find some!

[plymouthcranbrook]

Exactly how many cars did his family own during that time?   Do you mean actually found every entire car complete, or simply obtained 'closure' on their fate, as whether they survived or not? 

 

Craig

He has a pole barn full of them. I don't know exactly how many. I believe it is in Door County, Wi. I can PM you his  name and where to go for a couple of pictures if you would like.

[ScarredKnightfan]

I realize to chances are slim but I thought what the heck. You never know. I have more hope for the older ones as my dad had more great memories of these.

 

Precisely ... you just never know.  The more you get the word out ... the greater your chances are, slim as they may be!  Have you posted your search on other message boards, too?

 

 

Cort www.oldcarsstronghearts.com

pigValve, paceMaker, cowValve | 1979 Caprice Classic  (awaiting new owner)

"May your days be merry and bright" __ Irving Berlin/Bing Crosby __ 'White Christmas'

[Bleach]

There's a chance the 56 Ford could have had a better chance at surviving as the vin indicates it was a two door hard top. It had a six but that could have been swapped out later and it might even be a hot rod or a gasser.

 

[Pomeroy41144]

As to the 1937 Ford:  303369 is not a Ford number; Ford numbers were seven digits for 1937 (i.e. 3514381)   and were stamped on the trans and on the frame.  Ford never stamped the engine block in the prewar years.  The 303369 number was likely stamped on the engine after the car left the factory or the engine might have been a service replacement.

. 

[Paul Dobbin]

Cars like all the ones you listed are still out there and you can probably see most of them at AACA shows around the country.

if you need the actual cars you father owned, good luck.  They could be street rods, Toyotas, school buses or rail road track by now.

Enjoy the AACA shows and you'll probably see better examples of the cars your father owned than you could find in museums.