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Car enthusiasts are very good at abusing the internet. Whether looking for the best price on parts, searching ‘For Sale’ sites for their next car or reading about the latest supercar out of Italy, we dominate Google searches for whatever it is we need. Hand in hand with that is searching new and used car values as well as digging for recall information for friends and family. You can now add VIN checks into the mix.

Whether you use some of the free services available or pay a price, VIN checks dig up a treasure trove of information about a car you are considering buying. VINCheckPro.com is one such site with a huge up side – its services are free.

You begin by either entering a car’s specific VIN or doing a more general search by year, make and model. Once the search is complete, VINCheckPro provides a detailed data sheet on the car.

First, it provides a basic description of the car which includes the make, model, body style, engine size and type, country of origin and its age. In addition and a definite plus, VINCheckPro lets you know right at the top of the report whether or not there is a recall on the car. If you are car shopping and found a car you are interested in buying, you at least know immediately whether or not there’s a recall. If so, you can check with the dealer or seller, asking them if the recall repair has been made. It goes without saying information like this can make or break whether or not you buy a car.

The data provided by VINCheckPro is impressive. After searching for a car, the car specifications that are presented is very detailed, showing you the car’s dimensions, drivetrain and fuel capacity, among other things.

The free VIN check itself is very detailed and includes everything listed here:

• Vehicle Specifications
• Safety Report
• Environmental Report
• Recalls & Defects
• Manufacturer Info
• Alternate Listings
• Bill of Sale Service
• State Documentation
• Accident History
• Title Information
• 60+ Vehicle Problems
• Odometer Readings
• Taxi, Lease, Police Use
• Structural Damages
• Total Loss & Theft Check
• Junk & Salvage

This is a great summary of information, including whether or not the car is salvaged and if it’s ever been reported as a total loss. The report even tells you if the car has ever been used as a taxi or for police use. Last but not least, you know from this report what you can expect your maintenance costs to be and what the true market value is of the car.

In addition to searching for a specific VIN, you can search by year, make and model as well as by license plate number and state. For example, if you find yourself working with a private seller, you can simply search the license plate number from the car you are considering buying. VINCheckPro decodes it and knows how to link to the car’s VIN. The result? It generates the exact same report for you as if it searched using the VIN.

One more option available through VINCheckPro is to search by year, make and model. But in a nutshell, it doesn’t matter how you search the car you are interested in. Whether by VIN, year, make and model or license plate, it leads you to the same result…a detailed report about the car.

And to reassure sellers, VINCheckPro doesn’t reveal any personal information. When car shopping, it would probably be a nice gesture to let the seller know you would like to run a VIN check on their car and the tool you will be using is secure and won’t reveal any confidential details about them. Just their car.

Are you looking for a car to restore or something ready for the road? The information in the report helps you decide what you can expect to invest in the car to get it in the condition you want. This is all great information for the enthusiast looking for their next driver’s car. And it can also help if you are tasked with helping a friend or family member. Knowledge is the best medicine here and gets you on the right track to finding a great car.

Any car enthusiast will gladly excuse you for thinking the American Motors Corporation (AMC) was the red-headed stepchild of the motoring world.

Not to make a long story even longer but AMC came about with the merger of the Hudson Motor Car Company and the Nash-Kelvinator Corporation. Nash-Kelvinator was even an oddity. It was a merger between Nash Motors and the Kelvinator Appliance Corporation.

AMC had a successful run, riding the popularity of its economical Rambler models. While the Big Three automakers focused on manufacturing large cars, AMC concentrated on the compact and fuel efficient, to the extent Ramblers gained enough market share to be ranked third among domestic car sales.

Unfortunately for AMC, keeping up with the Big Three took its toll. By the mid 1960s, AMC was struggling with quality control issues for some of its new models and dealing with a decline in sales of the dated Rambler.

In 1967 a new management team took over AMC tasked with turning the company around and regaining some lost market share. With a younger buyer in mind, AMC entered the muscle car era with the AMX and Javelin. Ford launched the “pony car” with the introduction of the Mustang and AMC needed to take advantage of the new performance minded buyer.

And with that, the idea of the AMX was born. Gerald Meyers, the new vice president of automotive development and manufacturing, headed the push towards performance with the idea of developing a mid-engine sports car. The job of fleshing out an idea went to Richard Teague, who was the head of design, and Bob Nixon, the chief designer. Their creation was called the AMX/2.

Upper management at AMC liked what they saw but wanted to take it a step further. A final design would come from the result of a design competition between Teague’s team and Giorgetto Giugiaro. Yes, that Giorgetto Giugiaro, the hottest car designer of that era and recent founder of ItalDesign. Whether or not Giugiaro was fully vested in the project is another matter. He presented a Styrofoam model in November of 1968, only to be easily outdone by AMC’s design team, which created a fiberglass replica of their creation, the AMX/3.

Hemmings Daily has a more complete story about the AMX/3, which further chronicles BMW’s involvement from doing initial quality checks to a full partner in developing the car. A fascinating story that bears a full read.

The 1969 AMX/3 pictured will be offered at the Gooding & Company auction in Scottsdale, Arizona, January 20-21. The Gooding auction is part of Arizona Auction Week, with enthusiasts visiting the sunny southwest for a break from winter cold and take in some great automotive auctions and events.

You’re on the quest for the perfect used car, and you’ve heard you need to do a VIN number check to make sure the vehicle you choose is the best value for your dollar. So

what is this VIN check and why is it necessary before buying a used car? It turns out the VIN reveals plenty of information about the history of the car that is helpful in determining the car’s value and its potential for major headaches down the road. We’ve got the tips you need for using a VIN number check to become a savvy used car buyer.

What is a VIN? This graphic explains what all those numbers mean.

What is the VIN?

The VIN, or vehicle identification number, is like a person’s social security number. Each number is unique to a specific vehicle and provides an interesting history of what has gone on with that vehicle up to the point where you are thinking about becoming its next owner. VINs on cars purchased before 1981 may be anywhere from 11 to 17 digits. Numbers on cars made after 1981 have been standardized to a 17-digit system that is easier to decode and understand. A free VIN number check reveals information unique to that particular vehicle, just like a social security number can give you important facts about a person.

Why do I Care?

While we like to think that all sellers of used cars are honest individuals who only want to provide the best deals to those of us buying a used car, that is unfortunately not always the case. Sometimes, sellers may be trying to make an extra buck by tinkering with the odometer to make it look like the car has fewer miles than it has really travelled. They may neglect to mention important facts like the car has been totaled, salvaged or repossessed.

In some cases, they may not honestly know the entire car history or they may truly forget some of the seemingly minor details about the vehicle. When you purchase a car under these circumstances, it could be the beginning of a really big headache. You may discover all too soon that the awesome car you thought you were buying is really a total lemon, a lemon you are now stuck with.

Protection on Paper

That is where a VIN number check comes into play. By running a simple online search, you can discover most of a car’s history, from how many accidents it’s been in to how many times it’s been sold. Just a few minutes and a few bucks can transform you into a smart car shopper with the power of negotiation on his side.

Check out these nuggets of wisdom you can glean from a quick VIN number check:

• How many times the title has been transferred
• The true mileage of the vehicle
• Whether the car has been reported lost or stolen
• A service record that includes maintenance and repairs
• Lemon history and total loss accident history
• How the vehicle was used (rental, lease, taxi, etc.)

Most of us would love to get these facts before buying a used car, which is why a VIN number check is such a valuable tool for the used car shopper today. With a simple online tool, you can discover everything you need to know to give you confidence and peace of mind in the purchase of your next used vehicle.