Trying to find father's old 335i

Fritzer · 08-25-2021, 09:59 PM

Back in 2006, my father ordered a 335i at BMW Encinitas in San Diego when the E92 335i was announced. It had to be one of the first 1,000 E92 335i's brought into the US, he got it very, very early. Carbon Black, Coral Red, every option fitted. He was planning on doing a full Dinan package on it. Unfortunately, it fell victim to the HPFP crisis and sat in the dealership shop waiting for parts. After 3 months of driving a X3 loaner, they eventually replaced the car by buying one from a dealership up in Orange County for him. But that 335i was Grey on Black, way less options, etc. He had it for about four years then eventually sold it - hasn't had a BMW since.

Anyway, I want to find that car - the black one. Find out what it's fate was, and possibly purchase it again. I want to purchase it from whoever owns it currently, restore it to how it was when he first got it, then take it to Dinan for one of their packages. Give it to him as a gift for his 60th in about a year. I figured this was a lot more attainable in the short-term rather than the Z8 in bond spec he's wanted since 1999.(thanks, crazy used car market)

He probably doesn't have the VIN still, and even if he did he would get suspicious of my plans. So I can't ask him. Called the selling dealer that he initially ordered it from, their records only went as far back as 2010(what gives?), so they didn't have any vehicle information for me. Can anyone point me in the right direction to find the VIN number for the car? BMW NA, perhaps?

IllSic_Design · 08-25-2021, 11:25 PM

Good luck, if you don't have the VIN or anything from that car, I doubt BMW will give you any information. They usually wont even give info to people with VIN's who are looking for previous maintenance history for a car they are trying to buy.

E93_Savage · 08-26-2021, 01:59 AM

Dmv has records 2$.

Fritzer · 08-26-2021, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IllSic_Design

Good luck, if you don't have the VIN or anything from that car, I doubt BMW will give you any information. They usually wont even give info to people with VIN's who are looking for previous maintenance history for a car they are trying to buy.

I can kinda skirt around this by having the same name as my father, haha.

Fritzer · 08-26-2021, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by E93_Savage

Dmv has records 2$.

Seriously? Never heard of CA DMV giving out records, do you have a link?

BeEmVe · 08-26-2021, 02:43 PM

Talk to your mother about where your father might have such records. The give mom a $100 to take dad to dinner while you toss the house to look for them. If your mother immediate knows where such records are and brings them to you, give mom the $100 and a kiss.

Fritzer · 08-26-2021, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeEmVe

Talk to your mother about where your father might have such records. The give mom a $100 to take dad to dinner while you toss the house to look for them. If your mother immediate knows where such records are and brings them to you, give mom the $100 and a kiss.

If only this was the case. Old man has had his bachelor antlers for years now.

trm0053 · 08-26-2021, 05:08 PM

That would be a challenging task tbh

From what I could find the VINs start around:
WBAWB735X7P031100

The year for this model is recorded as 2007, a "7" in the VIN, although the manufacturing date is 09/2006 (according to Wiki: production started in 09/2006)

Last 6 digits are a serial number (sequential) and have no direct information about car colour or options.
Also it seems that VIN blocks are reserved for different markets. So BMW NA cars will be 031100 and 03XXXX depending on the production numbers for 335's.
For example, WBAWB73597P031900 is a similar spec - Sapphire black instead of Carbon, Coral Red, Automatic, made in 10/2006

VIN decoders have captchas, so trying out every single VIN would not be possible without some computer magic

I was using bimmer "dot" work for decoding.

Now that DMV route doesn't sound like a bad idea...

Good luck with your search!

Fritzer · 08-26-2021, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trm0053

That would be a challenging task tbh

From what I could find the VINs start around:
WBAWB735X7P031100

The year for this model is recorded as 2007, a "7" in the VIN, although the manufacturing date is 09/2006 (according to Wiki: production started in 09/2006)

Last 6 digits are a serial number (sequential) and have no direct information about car colour or options.
Also it seems that VIN blocks are reserved for different markets. So BMW NA cars will be 031100 and 03XXXX depending on the production numbers for 335's.
For example, WBAWB73597P031900 is a similar spec - Sapphire black instead of Carbon, Coral Red, Automatic, made in 10/2006

VIN decoders have captchas, so trying out every single VIN would not be possible without some computer magic

I was using bimmer "dot" work for decoding.

Now that DMV route doesn't sound like a bad idea...

Good luck with your search!

Do you know if there is any public database with the VINs and manufacturing date?

Fritzer · 08-26-2021, 05:30 PM

Update: Called two different dealerships multiple times, called BMW NA, nothing. Dealerships didn't have records going back that far, BMW NA was absolutely useless. Looked into the DMV thing, and I have to jump through about 50 different hoops to get records for someone other than myself.

Out of frustration I did a simple google search of "[first name][last name] BMW 335", and I actually f'ing found it. On one of those websites that just consolidates public records. Well, now onto the next part of this journey - sending a few messages to some forum members who can do some digging for me! Thanks for the help everyone. When I eventually buy the car, restore it, etc, I will likely make a new thread detailing the whole process if anyone is interested.

tranquility · 08-26-2021, 05:32 PM

Wow, that's really sentimental.

You could check out the various places he got his car serviced (if any), I'd imagine they would take down such information and have databases on their clients. How about the buying dealer in OC?

GL.

Fritzer · 08-26-2021, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tranquility

Wow, that's really sentimental.

You could check out the various places he got his car serviced (if any), I'd imagine they would take down such information and have databases on their clients. How about the buying dealer in OC?

GL.

Posted update right before you posted, just found the VIN! Now onto the physical search & rescue mission....

tranquility · 08-26-2021, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fritzer

Update: Called two different dealerships multiple times, called BMW NA, nothing. Dealerships didn't have records going back that far, BMW NA was absolutely useless. Looked into the DMV thing, and I have to jump through about 50 different hoops to get records for someone other than myself.

Out of frustration I did a simple google search of "[first name][last name] BMW 335", and I actually f'ing found it. On one of those websites that just consolidates public records. Well, no on to the next part of this journey - sending a few messages to some forum members who can do some digging for me! Thanks for the help anyone. When I eventually buy the car, restore it, etc, I will likely make a new thread detailing the whole process if anyone is interested.

NO FREAKING WAY!!!

That's awesome, man. GL w tracking it down.

Fritzer · 08-26-2021, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tranquility

NO FREAKING WAY!!!

That's awesome, man. GL w tracking it down.

Yep! Pretty astounded myself. Checked the options and spec on bimmer work and it is the exact car I am looking for! Now I’m just waiting on Grip Addict to run it on CarFax/Autocheck for me and then I’ll go from there. I will continue to update this thread until I start a new one, when I am in physical possession of the car.

IllSic_Design · 08-26-2021, 07:19 PM

Wow, didn't think a search like that would work.... Congrats on finding the VIN!!

R3dLeader · 08-26-2021, 09:03 PM

This is cool. Good luck OP!

ramman434 · 08-27-2021, 09:42 AM

I've always wanted to find my '07 E92 that I sold about 5-6 years ago. I honestly wish I'd never let it go, such a fun car. I put on 40k worth of smiles. Jeez, now I gotta go find it!

GL and post some pics and tell us the rest of the story as you go through the search!

trm0053 · 08-27-2021, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fritzer

Update: Called two different dealerships multiple times, called BMW NA, nothing. Dealerships didn't have records going back that far, BMW NA was absolutely useless. Looked into the DMV thing, and I have to jump through about 50 different hoops to get records for someone other than myself.

Out of frustration I did a simple google search of "[first name][last name] BMW 335", and I actually f'ing found it. On one of those websites that just consolidates public records. Well, now onto the next part of this journey - sending a few messages to some forum members who can do some digging for me! Thanks for the help everyone. When I eventually buy the car, restore it, etc, I will likely make a new thread detailing the whole process if anyone is interested.

Wow

Well done! That's amazing bit of luck.
Talking about the needle in a haystack..

Congrats and good luck with the rest of this fun journey! Looking forward to know more, season 1 just started

))

Fritzer · 08-27-2021, 10:38 AM

Thanks to my buddy Grip Addict, got my hands on some auto history reports. CarFax is the most detailed, per usual. Check this out though, it gets pretty interesting. The car was bought back by BMW and branded a 'lemon', ended up at a manufacturer auction in Michigan and sold to a Canadian buyer.

I'm surprised the buy-back happened at such low miles, I didn't recall that. Barely a full tank of gas!

This is what concerns me, although hopefully that with such high miles as well as the age of the vehicle, that it was not major damage and just a total due to the other factors. Trying to find the car through one of the car auctions in Saskatchewan, no idea how to proceed so if anyone has any advice - feel free to lay it on me! Will update in future.

Fritzer · 08-29-2021, 10:24 AM

No update thus far, currently trying to locate which auction/salvage auction the car passed through, searches using VIN gives no results. Seems that these auction websites don't public show auction histories publicly, I would imagine they would have some record of the car being there though. Would have to call around all sorts of different auctions and ask over the phone. I'm thinking if I can somehow pull which company it was insured with last and totaled through, and go from there by finding which auctioneer they use for write-offs. I will update as I find more information, as always - advice, help, and insight is greatly appreciated! Thanks all!

P1 · 08-30-2021, 10:33 AM

Glad you found the VIN. I would have suggested calling your insurance provider since they would have undoubtedly had the VIN.

Maybe it's better at this point to go the Z8 route again?

Tommy-G · 09-04-2021, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fritzer

Seriously? Never heard of CA DMV giving out records, do you have a link?

Didn’t you see Gone in 60 Seconds?

08-25-2021, 09:59 PM	#1
Fritzer No one sleep in Tokyo 960 Rep 1,506 Posts Drives: 2011 E90 328i//1995 E34 530i Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: San Diego, California -> Austin, Texas iTrader: (3)	Trying to find father's old 335i Back in 2006, my father ordered a 335i at BMW Encinitas in San Diego when the E92 335i was announced. It had to be one of the first 1,000 E92 335i's brought into the US, he got it very, very early. Carbon Black, Coral Red, every option fitted. He was planning on doing a full Dinan package on it. Unfortunately, it fell victim to the HPFP crisis and sat in the dealership shop waiting for parts. After 3 months of driving a X3 loaner, they eventually replaced the car by buying one from a dealership up in Orange County for him. But that 335i was Grey on Black, way less options, etc. He had it for about four years then eventually sold it - hasn't had a BMW since. Anyway, I want to find that car - the black one. Find out what it's fate was, and possibly purchase it again. I want to purchase it from whoever owns it currently, restore it to how it was when he first got it, then take it to Dinan for one of their packages. Give it to him as a gift for his 60th in about a year. I figured this was a lot more attainable in the short-term rather than the Z8 in bond spec he's wanted since 1999.(thanks, crazy used car market) He probably doesn't have the VIN still, and even if he did he would get suspicious of my plans. So I can't ask him. Called the selling dealer that he initially ordered it from, their records only went as far back as 2010(what gives?), so they didn't have any vehicle information for me. Can anyone point me in the right direction to find the VIN number for the car? BMW NA, perhaps? __________________ 2011 E90 328i, 1995 E34 530i, 1992 E32 740i, 1991 E34 525i Last edited by Fritzer; 08-27-2021 at 10:46 AM..
	Appreciate 2 tranquility3472.50 PhaceN52177.50 Tweet Quote

08-25-2021, 11:25 PM	#2
IllSic_Design Colonel 2125 Rep 2,759 Posts Drives: 12 E92 328i Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: Northern California iTrader: (1)	Good luck, if you don't have the VIN or anything from that car, I doubt BMW will give you any information. They usually wont even give info to people with VIN's who are looking for previous maintenance history for a car they are trying to buy.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-26-2021, 01:59 AM	#3
E93_Savage Private First Class 153 Rep 108 Posts Drives: 73 240z , 09 335i Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Oakland, CA iTrader: (0)	Dmv has records 2$.
	Appreciate 1 Fritzer959.50 Quote

08-26-2021, 02:43 PM	#6
BeEmVe Lieutenant 280 Rep 589 Posts Drives: '14 X1 x28i M-Sport Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: on the road to perdition iTrader: (1)	Talk to your mother about where your father might have such records. The give mom a $100 to take dad to dinner while you toss the house to look for them. If your mother immediate knows where such records are and brings them to you, give mom the $100 and a kiss.
	Appreciate 1 tracer bullet3750.00 Quote

08-26-2021, 05:08 PM	#8
trm0053 Private First Class 34 Rep 113 Posts Drives: ///M3 Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: GTA iTrader: (5)	That would be a challenging task tbh From what I could find the VINs start around: WBAWB735X7P031100 The year for this model is recorded as 2007, a "7" in the VIN, although the manufacturing date is 09/2006 (according to Wiki: production started in 09/2006) Last 6 digits are a serial number (sequential) and have no direct information about car colour or options. Also it seems that VIN blocks are reserved for different markets. So BMW NA cars will be 031100 and 03XXXX depending on the production numbers for 335's. For example, WBAWB73597P031900 is a similar spec - Sapphire black instead of Carbon, Coral Red, Automatic, made in 10/2006 VIN decoders have captchas, so trying out every single VIN would not be possible without some computer magic I was using bimmer "dot" work for decoding. Now that DMV route doesn't sound like a bad idea... Good luck with your search!
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-26-2021, 05:30 PM	#10
Fritzer No one sleep in Tokyo 960 Rep 1,506 Posts Drives: 2011 E90 328i//1995 E34 530i Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: San Diego, California -> Austin, Texas iTrader: (3)	Update: Called two different dealerships multiple times, called BMW NA, nothing. Dealerships didn't have records going back that far, BMW NA was absolutely useless. Looked into the DMV thing, and I have to jump through about 50 different hoops to get records for someone other than myself. Out of frustration I did a simple google search of "[first name][last name] BMW 335", and I actually f'ing found it. On one of those websites that just consolidates public records. Well, now onto the next part of this journey - sending a few messages to some forum members who can do some digging for me! Thanks for the help everyone. When I eventually buy the car, restore it, etc, I will likely make a new thread detailing the whole process if anyone is interested. __________________ 2011 E90 328i, 1995 E34 530i, 1992 E32 740i, 1991 E34 525i
	Appreciate 5 tranquility3472.50 IllSic_Design2125.00 Germanauto9843.50 tracer bullet3750.00 Fakemike372.00 Quote

08-26-2021, 05:32 PM	#11
tranquility sportscars only 3473 Rep 3,269 Posts Drives: 2011 Z4 sDrive 35i Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Montréal iTrader: (0)	Wow, that's really sentimental. You could check out the various places he got his car serviced (if any), I'd imagine they would take down such information and have databases on their clients. How about the buying dealer in OC? GL. __________________ The richest one percent of this country owns half our country's wealth, five trillion dollars. One third of that comes from hard work, two thirds comes from inheritance, interest on interest accumulating to widows and idiot sons and what I do, stock and real estate speculation...It's bullsh*t. I create nothing. I own. We make the rules, pal...Now you're not naive enough to think we're living in a democracy, are you buddy?
	Appreciate 1 Fritzer959.50 Quote

08-26-2021, 07:19 PM	#15
IllSic_Design Colonel 2125 Rep 2,759 Posts Drives: 12 E92 328i Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: Northern California iTrader: (1)	Wow, didn't think a search like that would work.... Congrats on finding the VIN!!
	Appreciate 1 Fritzer959.50 Quote

08-26-2021, 09:03 PM	#16
R3dLeader Second Lieutenant 163 Rep 228 Posts Drives: e92 and e93 335i Join Date: Feb 2021 Location: West Coast iTrader: (0)	This is cool. Good luck OP!
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-27-2021, 09:42 AM	#17
ramman434 Lieutenant 716 Rep 539 Posts Drives: F30 335i Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL iTrader: (0)	I've always wanted to find my '07 E92 that I sold about 5-6 years ago. I honestly wish I'd never let it go, such a fun car. I put on 40k worth of smiles. Jeez, now I gotta go find it! GL and post some pics and tell us the rest of the story as you go through the search! __________________ '07 Montego Blue/Saddle Brown E92 335i - 6spd. - SOLD '16 Carbon Black Metallic F10 535i M-Sport - TOTALED 11/21/21 '13 Black Sapphire Metallic F30 335i M-Sport - unknown charge pipe, MSport Exhaust, 20" 405M wheels, $61k MSRP, CF M4 Mirror caps & Spoiler, NGK plugs, Dinan Coils, BMS intake
	Appreciate 1 Fritzer959.50 Quote

08-27-2021, 10:38 AM	#19
Fritzer No one sleep in Tokyo 960 Rep 1,506 Posts Drives: 2011 E90 328i//1995 E34 530i Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: San Diego, California -> Austin, Texas iTrader: (3)	Thanks to my buddy Grip Addict, got my hands on some auto history reports. CarFax is the most detailed, per usual. Check this out though, it gets pretty interesting. The car was bought back by BMW and branded a 'lemon', ended up at a manufacturer auction in Michigan and sold to a Canadian buyer. I'm surprised the buy-back happened at such low miles, I didn't recall that. Barely a full tank of gas! This is what concerns me, although hopefully that with such high miles as well as the age of the vehicle, that it was not major damage and just a total due to the other factors. Trying to find the car through one of the car auctions in Saskatchewan, no idea how to proceed so if anyone has any advice - feel free to lay it on me! Will update in future. __________________ 2011 E90 328i, 1995 E34 530i, 1992 E32 740i, 1991 E34 525i
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-29-2021, 10:24 AM	#20
Fritzer No one sleep in Tokyo 960 Rep 1,506 Posts Drives: 2011 E90 328i//1995 E34 530i Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: San Diego, California -> Austin, Texas iTrader: (3)	No update thus far, currently trying to locate which auction/salvage auction the car passed through, searches using VIN gives no results. Seems that these auction websites don't public show auction histories publicly, I would imagine they would have some record of the car being there though. Would have to call around all sorts of different auctions and ask over the phone. I'm thinking if I can somehow pull which company it was insured with last and totaled through, and go from there by finding which auctioneer they use for write-offs. I will update as I find more information, as always - advice, help, and insight is greatly appreciated! Thanks all! __________________ 2011 E90 328i, 1995 E34 530i, 1992 E32 740i, 1991 E34 525i
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-30-2021, 10:33 AM	#21
P1 Lieutenant General 11734 Rep 11,191 Posts Drives: 2004 3/4 ton Duramax Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: United States iTrader: (1)	Glad you found the VIN. I would have suggested calling your insurance provider since they would have undoubtedly had the VIN. Maybe it's better at this point to go the Z8 route again?
	Appreciate 0 Quote