Carfax data for an '81 SC
 

I've run a couple of Carfax reports recently on '81 SCs. These cars have the standardized 17 digit VIN so Carfax supposedly has data on them. And it does have some, but it only seems to have data back as far as 1992. Has anyone seen Carfax data for an '81 all the way back to new? Do any of the other Carfax-like services have better data on early '80s cars?

Hi Logan, You've hit on a "hole" in this information age, I don't think the other services will be any better. I can relate an unfortunately "all to typical" experience using ebay's Auto Check service that provided spotty and incorrect information (it also happened to be a 81SC)...in this case it was Carfax that had the correct info! It was a crime...literally....what happened to many of the cars from that era. I'm working on an idea to help...if anything comes of it I'll be sure to post it here....now that I've joined the fun!

Carfax reports the records that are available. Some states purge their old records after a certain length of time. I've had this same problem with cars from California. Blame the California DMV. If it's not their fault (and it likely is) they deserve the blame anyway. :p

JR

Carfax will not replace a good PPI, and owner documentation & service records.

Data from the 80's & 90's just wasn't collected, computers/networks were in their infancy.

My 1981 Engineering Class was still learning Fortran on Punchcards.

Agreed, there's no substitute for a good PPI. It's just one extra bit of good news when the Carfax comes back clean, despite the fact that it's been known to be wrong. Oh well, yet another reason to hate the California DMV :D

IMHO people are putting too much emphasis on CarFax reports for the reason listed above... an accurate and thorough PPI.
If I were buying a newer car instead of the '81SC I bought, I wouldn't even consider the CarFax or any other reporting service route. It'd be those eyes, ears, hands and brain of a couple of techs in this town that can tell me more than a service ever could.

I only use Carfax to see if there's a problem, such as odo turnback or accident or salvage or...

Always do a PPI anyway.

All you are really looking for on a Carfax is anything bad.

If there's nothing bad, the Carfax is fine. Then you move on to the condition of the car, as determined by an inspection of it.