UPDATE:
A while back I ponied up the $5 and sent off my check and completed form using the above link. About a month ago I received a letter from California DMV. You can imagine my excitement as I was opening the letter. Sadly, they returned my uncashed check and included a form letter that my request was not processed because I did not complete the correct form. Thankfully they included the correct form, which was identified as "REQUEST FOR VR/VESSEL RECORD INFORMATION".
In the form's instructions, it sounded as though they would only process my request if I met their requirement for having a legitimate reason. After reading over the choices they listed, I wrote that I was restoring a former CHP vehicle and I needed to ensure that the vehicle was never reported stolen.
So yesterday's mail bought me another envelope from California DMV, but this time they had processed my request and included the vehicle registration information for my car's time in California.
I blocked out the first part of my VIN, and I also removed the names of the previous owners (except the CHP of course). But I learned that I am the 8th owner of my car (I bought the car from the brother of the last name listed).
But of more importance, as Ken said in earlier posts, the records include my car's CHP unit number and its first license number. For those CHP-owning members here who do not know their CHP Unit Number, they may benefit from getting a copy of their vehicle registration record from the California DMV.
stadair, is the form I posted the same one you received for your car? It would be nice to solve the mystery of your car.