They Stole My Car!

[imwjl]

I'm sorry to hear that and hope you can resolve it without too much pain or loss.

Yes on the parts comment. My daughter's amazingly fine shape 20 year old Camry got hit by a grocery cart and the manager who looked at it said it with Accords and some Buicks were a prime targets for theft even though not new cars.

You can find great old cars like these by watching for estate sales or knowing families with someone going to assisted care or the grave. Ours really was mostly driven to church and the grocery store by a grandma. At age 20 it hit 100,000 miles.

I also enjoy driving the older car and my modest station wagon even though my wife's got a very nice and powerful late model rig.

Good luck!

[Dr. Spivey]

Originally Posted by Mr. Jelly

It's real possible they'll drive it a while and just park it and walk away. That's the best case version. My wife used to work for the police department and a major part of her job was dealing with abandoned cars. It involved allot of paperwork so that the cars were cleared to be auctioned off each month. Abandoned vehicles are towed by a towing company that stores the vehicles. The tow charge here is $45 and the daily storage fee is $20 to $30. Depending on what the condition is when the car is found may have a bearing as to if you want to pay the charges and get it back or not. The expenses in your area may be different.

The car is reported stolen. The police have my contact information. It's on all the local agencies stolen car lists, and the nationwide. Around here, they can't tow an abandoned car without reporting it. They have to give you 3 days to get it after the police contact you.

The car only has liability insurance. I'm prepared to write it off. I can cancel the registration and surrender the title any time I choose. If I do that, even after it's impounded, they can get a title to scrap it, but they can't charge me anything.

The officer who came over is a night shift guy, he said he would contact me tonight. So, just waiting and wondering...

[Pura Vida]

Sorry this happened to you. Stealing it for parts or a joy ride are the two most likely scenarios. Hope you're able to get it back.

[Bridgepin]

Very sorry to read of this, sadly we live in a world where some people just feel that they are entitled to do whatever they want and to whom ever they want.

[Dr. Spivey]

Thanks for the kind words, everyone. It hasn't turned up yet. I did some car shopping today.

[GHS]

Stranger things have happened. My buddy had is car stolen from a motel lot while on vacation in Romulus. Report taken and entered into the system. Fifteen years ( 15!! ), he gets a call from Detroit PD..they found his car on the street, (fictitious plates...recovered by the VIN#). Of course by now it was no longer "his" car but yes...dont give up hope. Its funny though...cars that are never stolen..Ford Taurus/Sables...Mercury Marquis...and just about any Buick...

[Dr. Spivey]

Originally Posted by GHS

Its funny though...cars that are never stolen..Ford Taurus/Sables...Mercury Marquis...and just about any Buick...

What's really funny is my other car is a Sable. Hopefully, lightning won't strike twice.

[philo426]

Now I am paranoid about 2004 Buick Le Sabre!just turned 80K miles!

[Mbroady]

What a horrible violation into you life. I never had a car stolen but did have one broken into.
That felt awful, so I can only imagine what it feels like to have one stolen.

The irony about my car being broken into was the door was not locked, yet they still shattered the window to steal an empty back pack.

[Dr. Spivey]

Originally Posted by Mbroady

What a horrible violation into you life.

Yeah, pretty hard to describe the feeling I had that first day. I'm mostly over it now. The old Buick didn't really owe me anything. I had planned on getting a newer car and keeping it as a #2. So, now I'll get a newer car and keep my lovely '95 Mercury Sable wagon as a backup. Good runner, but ugly as sin. Dark green/ green interior. Looks like a forest service vehicle from a third world nation.

[Song]

Originally Posted by Dr. Spivey

Good runner, but ugly as sin. Dark green/ green interior. Looks like a forest service vehicle from a third world nation.

Sounds like this dudes car https://youtu.be/-bG9q1JqjS4

[Pura Vida]

Originally Posted by GHS

Stranger things have happened. My buddy had is car stolen from a motel lot while on vacation in Romulus. Report taken and entered into the system. Fifteen years ( 15!! ), he gets a call from Detroit PD..they found his car on the street, (fictitious plates...recovered by the VIN#). Of course by now it was no longer "his" car but yes...dont give up hope. Its funny though...cars that are never stolen..Ford Taurus/Sables...Mercury Marquis...and just about any Buick...

The car that John Travolta famously drove in "Pulp Fiction" belonged to Quentin Tarantino and was stolen from the set. It was recovered in a similar manner 17 years later.

[GHS]

Originally Posted by Pura Vida

The car that John Travolta famously drove in "Pulp Fiction" belonged to Quentin Tarantino and was stolen from the set. It was recovered in a similar manner 17 years later.

The strange thing about this theft is its not a "classic" car.....its an "old" car. That does not usually happen. I would say ease of theft or someone really wanted this for parts for some reason. Audis. BMWs' Range Rovers, etc either get shipped out for resale, stripped on the street, or just parked because they are fun to drive...but this one....??????. Hope they find it parked somewhere.

[fazool]

my condolences.

In college I spent all my money on tuition then a 67 Chevelle hot rod street racer. Didn't have enough insurance for anything but minimum liability.

It got stolen while I was in the movie theater with friends.

Mine was a custom orange color. I saw it painted white at the local dragstrip a few months later. Ran to the pits as it took off like a movie scene.

Turns out my then-future wife lived around the corner from a guy with a 67 Chevelle, a drug history and owned a junkyard. He was selling a white
Chevelle with the doorjams all orange.

I scoped out his yard and found aftermarket parts like mine behind his house. The police investigated and did find a different car (a Nova) with mis matched VIN number BTU they couldn't do anything about my car.

Never recovered anything. Financially it caused me months of problems during college. It took me a long time to get over that - I was paranoid about my cars for years (installing all sorts of security systems). I sill miss that car.

Nowadays it was nothing but a blip in my life. But my car was super important to me back then (listen to the song "My Old Yellow Car".......just like mine) and having it stolen was devastating.


So.....I tell you this because misery loves company as the saying goes and just wanted you to know that someone out there can relate.

[Pura Vida]

Originally Posted by GHS

The strange thing about this theft is its not a "classic" car.....its an "old" car. That does not usually happen. I would say ease of theft or someone really wanted this for parts for some reason. Audis. BMWs' Range Rovers, etc either get shipped out for resale, stripped on the street, or just parked because they are fun to drive...but this one....??????. Hope they find it parked somewhere.

Understood. Just relaying the QT story, which had a lengthy period before it was recovered. It seems like joy-riding or using it for parts. They cut out catalytic converters from cars out here b/c of their value.