[HM666]

Have you tried just adding some code to the template instead? There must be code somewhere for then thread starter to just add in that tidbit into the template. possibly something in this template code can help you add this info to your search template:

<div class="threadmeta">				
					<div class="author">
						<vb:if condition="$show['rmanage']">
							<span class="rmanage"><a href="{vb:raw $vboptions.vbforum_url}{vb:if "$vboptions['vbforum_url']", '/', ''}postings.php?{vb:raw session.sessionurl}do=editthread&amp;t={vb:raw thread.redirectthreadid}">{vb:rawphrase manage}</a></span>
						</vb:if>						
						<vb:if condition="!$show['detailedtime']">
							{vb:rawphrase started_by_x_y_z_a, {vb:link member, {vb:raw thread}, null, 'postuserid', 'postusername'}, {vb:raw thread.postusername}, {vb:raw thread.startdate}, {vb:raw thread.starttime}, {vb:stylevar dirmark}}
						<vb:else />
							{vb:rawphrase started_by_x_y_z, {vb:link member, {vb:raw thread}, null, 'postuserid', 'postusername'}, {vb:raw thread.postusername}, {vb:raw thread.startdate}, {vb:stylevar dirmark}}
						</vb:if>
						<vb:if condition="$show['unsubscribe']">
							 &nbsp; <a href="{vb:raw $vboptions.vbforum_url}{vb:if "$vboptions['vbforum_url']", '/', ''}newreply.php?{vb:raw session.sessionurl}do=newreply&amp;t={vb:raw thread.threadid}" rel="nofollow">{vb:rawphrase reply}</a>
							 | <a href="{vb:raw $vboptions.vbforum_url}{vb:if "$vboptions['vbforum_url']", '/', ''}subscription.php?{vb:raw session.sessionurl}do=removesubscription&amp;return=ucp&amp;t={vb:raw thread.threadid}" rel="nofollow">{vb:rawphrase unsubscribe}</a>
						</vb:if>
						<vb:if condition="$thread['pagenav']">
							<dl class="pagination" id="pagination_threadbit_{vb:raw thread.realthreadid}">
								<dt class="label">{vb:raw thread.totalpages} {vb:rawphrase pages} <span class="separator">&bull;</span></dt>
								<dd>
									{vb:raw thread.pagenav}
									<vb:if condition="$show['pagenavmore']"> <span class="separator">...</span> <span><a href="{vb:raw thread.lastpagelink}">{vb:raw thread.totalpages}</a></span></vb:if>
								</dd>
							</dl>
						</vb:if>
						<!-- iconinfo -->
						<div class="threaddetails td">
							<div class="threaddetailicons">
								<vb:if condition="$show['taglist']">
									<img src="{vb:stylevar imgdir_misc}/tag.png" alt="{vb:raw thread.taglist}" />
								</vb:if>
								<vb:if condition="$show['rexpires']">
									<img src="{vb:stylevar imgdir_misc}/expires.gif" alt="{vb:rawphrase expires_on_x_y, {vb:raw thread.expiredate}, {vb:raw thread.expiretime}}" />
								</vb:if>
								<vb:if condition="$show['moderated']">
									<img src="{vb:stylevar imgdir_misc}/moderated_small.gif" alt="{vb:rawphrase x_moderated_posts, {vb:raw thread.hiddencount}}" />
								</vb:if>
								<vb:if condition="$show['deletedthread']">
									<img src="{vb:stylevar imgdir_misc}/trashcan_small.gif" alt="{vb:rawphrase x_deleted_posts, {vb:raw thread.deletedcount}}" />
								</vb:if>
								<vb:if condition="$show['paperclip']">
									<a href="javascript://" onclick="attachments({vb:raw thread.threadid}); return false"> <img src="{vb:stylevar imgdir_misc}/paperclip.png" border="0" alt="{vb:rawphrase x_attachments, {vb:raw thread.attach}}" /></a>
								</vb:if>
								<vb:if condition="$show['subscribed']">
									<img src="{vb:stylevar imgdir_misc}/subscribed.png" alt="{vb:rawphrase you_are_subscribed_to_this_thread}" />
								</vb:if>
							</div>
						</div>

The author tag is where that info is in the threadbit.