One of the problems is that the tag on the A-pillar of a '72 does not contain a VIN. Not in the form that software programs at most, if not all, state DMV computers look for. That form is a 17 character string, mandated in the US since 1981. (BTW, the 17 character VIN was definitely not used by Volvo in 1972, so you can quit searching for more numbers... what you see is what you get.)

If I were searching a registration database for your subject 13 digit "VIN", I would start by adding four leading zero's, maybe four trailing X's, to the 13 digits... something to make it a 17 character string. There is at least a chance this is how they satisfied the registration database computer when it was registered the last time. And maybe they already tried this in their searches, but thought I'd toss the idea out there.
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Gary L - 142E ITB race car, 73 1800ES
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