[TR] Narrowing in on a lost commission number

[nwolf at u.washington.edu]

Happy holidays, everybody!

   Some of you might remember this thread from 1.5 years ago, when I was trying to find the true identity of my '62-ish TR4 that had somehow acquired TR4A commission and body number plates.  Presumably, some unscrupulous person years ago had a rust-free TR4 with no title and a rusted or smashed TR4A with a good title, and they just swapped the plates.  I was able to trace the car back to a defunct Portland, OR repair shop in the 1990's, but no farther.
   I initially assumed the engine was also wrong, since its number (CT10205E) seemed too late to match the car's early body tub (folding boot prop rod, etc).  But this fall, I sent it to BMIHT anyway, and I'm glad I did.
   Their records match the car perfectly: Red paint, black leather interior, overdrive, 48-spoke wires, and the kicker... port of delivery was Portland, OR.  "Date of Build" is given as Jan 1, 1962, but the "Date of Despatch" is more than 6 months later (June 7).  Build date matches the body, and dispatch date matches the engine and number plates.  Odd, but seems plausible.
   Next, I wrote to the Oregon DMV and had them do a title search on the commission number from BMIHT, which is CT 9945 LO.
   The results arrived yesterday.  Oregon titled the car as a '63, and their records place it in the Portland area from 1963 through 1974, with no records after that.
   The DMV report blanked out all personal info except for birthdays.  Interestingly, the second owner seems to have received the car as a 21st birthday present:  On May 9, 1966, the title was transferred to someone with a birthday of May 8, 1945.  Cool, huh?  =)

   Anyway... I'm guessing the car got neglected after 1974, and sat in a shop or warehouse for a few years while the title got lost.

   Here's my big question for the list:  Is there any safe, legal way for me to get the correct commission number back on the car?  I'm 99% sure this car was never stolen, because the Oregon DMV would certainly have said something.  But, the title could have a lien on it or something.
   I live in Seattle, WA.  What's the worst that could happen if I just wander into the local DMV and tell them my story?

   It would be SO cool if somebody on the list recognized the car!
   Let me know if you've ever owned a "1963" TR4 in Oregon and you have one of the following birthdays:

May 8, 1945
Apr 29, 1949
Sept 5, 1950
Oct 22, 1942
Aug 29, 1946
Dec 28, 1948
Oct 20, 1929
Feb 11, 1953
Aug 6, 1947

   I promise I won't turn you in.  =)
   Cheers!
-Nick Wolf
'62 TR4
Seattle