Second Owner

This is the majority of the story. Full names and exact locations are vague to protect privacy. If the car is ever sold, complete information will be provided to the new owner, with phone numbers, addresses, etc. 

I am working with cryptic, year-old notes, so some details may change slightly. I plan to contact the second owner again to verify everything is accurate and have an affidavit signed.

The 'second owner' was really a family - the car was passed down to the eventual seller. I had an extensive conversation with the surviving daughter and she provided this information. She was a very pleasant and had a keen interest in the car staying original and not "torn up".  

Her father purchased the car about 1976. Up to this point, the car had spent its entire life in Southern California. He saw the car for sale by owner and bought it for her mother. He already had a red '68 RS convertible and wanted a "twin sister" for his wife. At the time of purchase, the car had approximately 26,000 miles. In 1978, he passed away. 

Her mother drove the car occasionally, but not very often. In 1982 or '83, she had a fender bender with a sign or a light post (I can't find it in my notes). The damage wasn't too bad and it was repaired by a local Chevrolet dealer. The driver's side fender and hood were replaced with GM OEM parts. Since it was only these two parts, it couldn't have been too bad - I found no evidence of damage to the sub frame, only a slight tweak in the core support, and all original RS equipment in place. 

Her mother was elderly and after the accident, she was forced to stop driving all together. The car sat until 1991 when the car was moved to the daughter's house in southern Nevada. Rose (the daughter/seller) started driving the car off and on until 1994, after that it was a rarity. In 1997, her mother passed away and the car was transferred to her possession. The car mainly more or less stayed parked.

A longtime friend and local mechanic kept after her to sell him the car. In August, 1998, she finally gave in and sold it to him. At the time of sale, the car had accumulated 44,781 miles.

She gave me a tip that her brother still has several boxes of her father's personal belongings and papers. She provided his name & number and I will be seeking his help to see if we can uncover any documentation related to the car. I'll keep my fingers crossed!