Trying to Find a Family Heirloom

[mfisher]

Hi All,

I'm new to the forum after catching the car bug the last couple of years. Right now, my Dad, kids and I are working on a 1959 Austin Healey 100-6 that my Mom bought for my Dad in 1975. It's been in pretty rough shape and sat behind my parent's house for 30 plus years before we started restoring it as a family project. It has been a great time working on it as a family.

But it got us feeling really nostalgic for the car that my dad drove for 10 years when he got out of the service, a 1959 TR3A, white with red interior. He took my Mom on dates in this car before they married, and he drove me, my brother and sisters around in it when we were kids.

Dad had to sell that car in 1972 becuase their young family needed the money for life's necessities. Now I'm trying to find it to buy it back for them. I hope it still exists and is in driveable condition, as I'd love to see Mom and Dad driving it while they are still young enough. But in any condition, I'd like to bring it home.

Dad's always kept great notes in his garage and it was sold on May 12, 1972 to Lynton Bowman in Greenville, Texas.

Motor #: TS 34961 E

Serial #: TS 34522 L

Body #: EB 34517

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to find this car. I've tried googling the buyer's name and location but haven't found anything.

I've never tried to search for a specific car before so am not sure where to go. Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks very much,

Mike Fisher

 

[TR4]

There is a website with registered Triumph owners but I can't remember what the site address is. Maybe someone else remembers?

 

[TR6oldtimer]

Here is one... I have never used it.

https://govdmvrecords.com/Default.aspx?SearchBy=2

 

[TR4nut]

I checked the International TR Registry but unfortunately don't see your commission number.

You might try the local Texas clubs - Red River Triumph Club might have something in their files. I'll check down here in Houston and report back if I find anything in our club archives.

Good luck!
Randy

 

[NickMorgan]

There used to be a list of commission numbers on this site but I can't find it just now. I wonder if it has been discontinued.
It may also be worth checking with the TR Register in the UK as many TRs were re-imported there from the USA in the 80s and 90s. Mine came from British Auto Specialists in Fort Worth.

 

[mfisher]

Thanks guys for the efforts and the tips. I tried the international registry as well and found no matches either. I spent some time on recordslogin.com and govdmvrecords.com and didn't find anything there as well.
I'll try the Texas clubs like Red River next.
I'm concerned it's not been maintained over these last 35 years and may have ended up in a field somewhere.
This may seem like an extreme measure, but I'm going to see if it's feasable to hire an investigator to start in Greenville where Mom and Dad still live and where it was sold in '72. With a date and the name of the buyer a professional would have means of searching I would never think of.
I'd love to find it in driveable condition with an owner willing to sell. But even if it spent the last 20 years in a field, we'd love to resore it.

 

[SteveTR]

Good luck. May you find your Triumph soon and heres to hoping it is in good shape.

Send your hopes to Texas clubs and God willing you will hit the jackpot.

Be well,

Steve

 

[SilentUnicorn]

Sounds like your "on a mission from god"
good luck

this brought tears to my eyes....

vaya con dios

mark

 

[Silverghost]

You have a PM

 

[mredtamu]

I'm in Travis County (Austin), and TXDOT has a form to request that type of information, based on the VIN number of the car (you might have to fill one out for all three numbers, but it's $5.75 each, so it's probably worth it). Here's the link https://www.traviscountytax.org/pdfs/070622VTR275.pdf

This type of information is not public information, so you have to go in to the tax office in your area, and have a legitimate reason for getting the information (to buy the car for your dad doesn't cut it, see the back of the form). There should be some equivalent office in your county, but the form should cover all of Texas.

Good luck with it!

 

[martx-5]

I checked this site, but it wasn't there. :frown:

 

[Geo Hahn]

...Dad's always kept great notes in his garage and it was sold on May 12, 1972 to Lynton Bowman in Greenville, Texas.

Mike --

I tried an alternate spelling (Linton) on Google and came up with this for Greenville High, class of '45:

https://www.classmates.com/directory/public/memberprofile/list.htm?regId=371949441

<span style="color: #CC0000">Note from Basil: Good info you provided George, and I've copied and PM'd Mike with the details you posted. I know it's information that is readily available on the internet, but just as a privacy matter, I'm more comfortable providing such personal details (names, addresses, etc.) to Mike via PM.</span>


Good luck.

 

[TR4nut]

Wow Geo- do you hire out?

Randy

 

[Geo Hahn]

Sure. I specialize in ex-husbands who have fallen behind in support payments.

 

[Silverghost]

Geo knows the "people" my "people" know... ...that's exactly the same information I have! The phone number for the Bluejay Drive address is [<span style="color: #CC0000">I have PMd phone number to Mike -- Basil</span>]

 

[mfisher]

Thanks Gentlemen,

I appreciate all the great suggestions, and especially the efforts of Silverghost, Geo and Mredtamu. You guys have gone above and beyond in what you've come up with. I must admit, I never thought about checking a different spelling of that first name. Investigation is obviously not my forte.

I'll be making some phone calls tomorrow and will let you know what I find out.

Hopeful,

mike

 

[Silverghost]

Well........??

 

[Andrew Mace]

Locating the person who bought it from your family might help, but odds are against the car still being in his possession. Since the various online registries haven't helped, either, it might be time to take a slightly more traditional approach: contact The Vintage Triumph Register and the Triumph Register of America and, if necessary, any or all of their various chapters. It's highly unlikely any of them would give you name and contact information if they have the car listed, but chances are they might at least offer to contact the current owner and see if s/he would contact you.

Worth a shot!

 

[mfisher]

Well, what an afternoon and evening.

Thanks to the help of Geo Han and SilverGhost, among others, I had a great conversation this evening with Mr Linton Bowman. He in fact lives on Blue Jay in Austin, Texas and with the phone number you guys provided. I introduced myself and asked if he was the Linton Bowman who used to live in Greenville, Texas 35 years ago. He tentatively said he was (probably wondering what this is about)... I then asked if he bought a 1959 TR3 from Richard Fisher in 1972. I almost dropped the phone when he said "Oh my goodness, yes."

We visited for about 15 minutes and it brought back fond memories of his driving Dad's car for 5 or 6 years before he sold it in 1977 or '78. He remembered exactly to whom he sold it; a used car dealer in Dallas on Lemmon Avenue. His name was Bob (Robert?) Guest. Mr Bowman did not know whether mr Guest intended to keep the car for personal use or sell it on his lot, but he did know that Mr. Guest retired from the used car business some years later and retired to Sterrett, Texas. That's all he knew and apologized for not being more help. I assured him he was enormously helpful in placing the first real piece in the puzzle. And he would love to hear if I find it.

I called phone information for Sterrett, Texas and asked for a listing for Bob Guest and was told that number was unlisted at the customer's request. So I've spent the last couple of hours this evening googling all combinations of this new information and have gone through scores of "hits" to find nothing that plays out.

I also tried information to find a number for Bob Guest Motors, or other versions of the name and had no listings. I was hoping the company lived on the original retired.

Any suugestions how to access an unlisted number? I feel like this is a real lead. Granted, if Mr Guest is still alive, he may have no rememberance to whom he sold that car 30 years ago. But you never know, he may have decided to keep it himself. Or he may have his old companies sales records in his attic. I'm cautiously optomistic about the next step, if only I find a way to contact him.

This town is only about an hour or more from where I live, so I'm ready to drive down there if only I knew how to begin seeking out a particular person.

Any other suggestions?

Andre, thanks for the suggestions on the Registers. I'm heading there next to post my plea. I actually applied yesterday to Vintage Triumph Register to get approved to enter their forum and got approval today.

So we'll see if anyone replies there.

Thanks again guys. I appreciate all your help and suggestions.

mike

 

[apbos]

Possible Grandson Graduated from De Soto HS 1996. Close to Sterrett.
Kind of like 6 degrees to Kevin Bacon.