The 'tracking down car information using Internet tools and apps' thread.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

I often look up old car registrations from old photos/film to see if they're still registered. I get the impression that several others on here do the same! 

I know there was a thread on here with links to sites which provide information, but I don't think they're particularly up to date. 

There are two main sites I use, and one app. 

The sites are:

https://www.carbaba.co.uk/

https://www.checkthecar.com/

The app is 'Vehicle Smart'

Between them, they give a pretty good picture of car info and MOT history detail. 

 

Earlier, I shared a shot of my father sat on one of my Lambrettas from years back, 2003 specially, to family on WhatsApp. My brother spotted a blue Defender in the background and looked it up. 

It's currently registered to a 1990 Vespa, and carbaba doesn't suggest it's ever been registered to anything else.

I would assume the owner had stuck the plate onto a Vespa at some point, but there's no mention of it ever have being attached to anything else. 

Any ideas? 

Feel free to add your own mysteries, questions or suggestions...

[LightBulbFun]

there is already a thread for this FYI

https://autoshite.com/topic/27069-information-sites/

really should be be part of the stickies, not sure why its not LOL

(edit: ah I see you noted that )  

 

but while im at it here is all the ones I use or have used, some of them like "CarDataChecks" will give you previous plate history if you go digging in the website source code for it (note I have noticed that sometimes plates from other vehicles can bleed over, usually if they share a common VIN number)

https://vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/

https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/

https://www.cardatachecks.co.uk/carcheck/lookup.php

https://www.carlogbook.co.uk/

https://totalcarcheck.co.uk/

https://cazana.com/uk

https://www.vehiclecheck.co.uk/

https://www.motorcheck.ie/

https://www.carbaba.co.uk/

https://isitnicked.com/

https://ownvehicle.askmid.com/

 

[lesapandre]

  On 25/10/2020 at 19:36, Dick Longbridge said:

I often look up old car registrations from old photos/film to see if they're still registered. I get the impression that several others on here do the same! 

I know there was a thread on here with links to sites which provide information, but I don't think they're particularly up to date. 

There are two main sites I use, and one app. 

The sites are:

https://www.carbaba.co.uk/

https://www.checkthecar.com/

The app is 'Vehicle Smart'

Between them, they give a pretty good picture of car info and MOT history detail. 

 

Earlier, I shared a shot of my father sat on one of my Lambrettas from years back, 2003 specially, to family on WhatsApp. My brother spotted a blue Defender in the background and looked it up. 

It's currently registered to a 1990 Vespa, and carbaba doesn't suggest it's ever been registered to anything else.

I would assume the owner had stuck the plate onto a Vespa at some point, but there's no mention of it ever have being attached to anything else. 

Any ideas? 

Feel free to add your own mysteries, questions or suggestions...

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I did this for an 80's Classic and Sports Car mag I bought - I did a brief thread. Surprisingly (to me anyway) most of the cars photographed were still taxed etc or appeared to be in use. Most of them were pretty posh - but just goes to show how the 'classic car movement' has led to the long-term persevering of a particular tranche of old cars. 

[Mudster]

Is there any way of checking a car if the current plate is unknown? My old car is BK56GNY but I think it's been put on a cherished number now.

[Ghosty]

Don't forget cartell.ie. 

[LightBulbFun]

  On 26/10/2020 at 18:21, Mudster said:

Is there any way of checking a car if the current plate is unknown? My old car is BK56GNY but I think it's been put on a cherished number now.

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if you take said plate and stick it into something like carbaba.co.uk

and it brings up your car but with messages like so

then yeah the car is then likely wearing another registration mark and its original  mark has been automatically put on retention

(and the same goes if theres personal plate thats on retention, it will show the last car it was on with the same messages)

 

if you have access to a commercial tool then you can then grab the VIN number of the last car it was on and shove it back into the tool and get the current VRM that last vehicle now wears 

(sadly you cant track what vehicles prior to the last one its been on, a private plate has been on or at least not reliably)

[Jerzy Woking]

I watch a few motoring related programs on Talking Pictures. One was a short film from the 1940's on the London to Brighton run. 75 years on, a lot of the cars in that film still survive today.

[LightBulbFun]

if you stick a reg in here https://www.mycarcheck.com/

and look on the right where it tells you how many similar vehicles have been looked up, it includes the keeper count of whatever vehicle it is your looking up ( @Schaefft is this what you where looking for? ) 

[Schaefft]

  On 21/09/2024 at 18:35, LightBulbFun said:

if you stick a reg in here https://www.mycarcheck.com/

and look on the right where it tells you how many similar vehicles have been looked up, it includes the keeper count of whatever vehicle it is your looking up ( @Schaefft is this what you where looking for? ) 

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I was looking for the link that would tell you changes in ownership and the dates. I had it about a year ago and then lost it again.

[Jenson Velcro]

Was it Carbaba, mentioned above? Although I don’t think it works/gives you free access anymore 

[JJ0063]

  On 21/09/2024 at 19:12, Schaefft said:

I was looking for the link that would tell you changes in ownership and the dates. I had it about a year ago and then lost it again.

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Whats the reg? I have found a new tool but I don’t want @LightBulbFun to run 3 million Invacares through it and it get removed. 

[Schaefft]

  On 21/09/2024 at 20:07, JJ0063 said:

Whats the reg? I have found a new tool but I don’t want @LightBulbFun to run 3 million Invacares through it and it get removed. 

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Try t306 btf, not sure if I had a chance to check that one.

[JJ0063]

  On 21/09/2024 at 21:58, Schaefft said:

Try t306 btf, not sure if I had a chance to check that one.

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All I can get is 

last owner change 12/11/23

5 owners

5 v5’s issued 

 

[Schaefft]

  On 21/09/2024 at 22:02, JJ0063 said:

All I can get is 

last owner change 12/11/23

5 owners

5 v5’s issued 

 

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Yeah, there was a link that would give you a printout of what can only be an extensive database entry from the dvla. In there you'd find the dates at which those v5s were issued which was quite useful for figuring out the history of the car if it came without paperwork.

[loserone]

Ukvehicledata.co.uk?

[Schaefft]

  On 22/09/2024 at 08:14, loserone said:

Ukvehicledata.co.uk?

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It must have been something someone on here rigged up to get access without the need for a paid account. Which I'd remember much of it!

[loserone]

  On 22/09/2024 at 08:53, Schaefft said:

It must have been something someone on here rigged up to get access without the need for a paid account. Which I'd remember much of it!

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There's a page somewhere you can get a trial

[angle]

  On 22/09/2024 at 07:59, Schaefft said:

Yeah, there was a link that would give you a printout of what can only be an extensive database entry from the dvla. In there you'd find the dates at which those v5s were issued which was quite useful for figuring out the history of the car if it came without paperwork.

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Try https://www.carsnitch.co.uk/ - you have to give an email but it gives you what you're looking for I think.

[Schaefft]

  On 04/03/2025 at 23:56, angle said:

Try https://www.carsnitch.co.uk/ - you have to give an email but it gives you what you're looking for I think.

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Not the website I remember but gives you dates for keeper changes which is exactly what I was looking for, thanks for sharing!