[mreid]

Car forums for that model are generally the way to go. If it is an older model and there is a club, they often can even tell you specifics about a particular vin. However, be wary of info on a general forum that happens to have a section about the make you are interested in buying vs. a forum dedicated to that make. For example, on Expedition Portal (a fantastic site for overlanding and outdoor adventure) there is a Land Rover forum that is some what helpful, but there are Land Rover forums like Defender Source that specialize in a specific model (in this example Series and Defenders) that will drill right into the good, the bad, and the ugly of that model. Regardless of how you proceed, take all advice on the internet as input and use it to do your own research as often the advice is worth what you paid for it.