TheSamba.com :: View topic

Fri Jun 18, 2004 5:26 pm

I just went through this, and someone sent an email asking how it was done. Well, here we go. I did all of these things, pretty much:

Post an ad on thesamba. Feature it so eveyone can see it. I talked with a lot of people who'd already knew the car was stolen and were already looking out for it.

Make a flyer with pictures of your car. Consider offering a reward. Stick it on telephone poles, bulletin boards at nearby apartment buildings, grocery stores, etc. Give a copy to the police.

Contact local VW/Porsche clubs. Ask them to be on the lookout for your car and to let you know if someone without the means to do it has suddenly come into a fairly nice car that's suspiciously like the one you used to have.

Call local radio stations and ask them to announce that the car is missing and give them a description and a way to contact you. Most of our VW's are fairly easy to spot in the midst of Hondas and Toyotas, even those ones that sound like angry bees in a coffee can.

Call the police and report it stolen. That should be a no-brainer. Give the police the VIN and a picture of your car.

Call the local VW parts stores and that local VW mechanic (every city has one or two of these) and ask them if they'll put up your flyer and to be on the lookout for someone they know didn't have one of those cars who's suddenly buying parts for one. or bringing one in for repairs that yours needed (strangely enough).

Drive around neighborhoods near where the car was and look in open garages and driveways. It was Hannibal Lechter who said "He covets what he sees." Your theif is probably someone who covets your car and who knew it was there, i.e., they saw if often, and therefore they probably live nearby. My car was found just up the road from where it was stolen. This is the most aggravating and hurtful aspect of the experience, because your theif is likely an enthusiast himself and is therefore a bigger bastard than the average theif. Who would want to steal a loud, noisy, oil-dripping underpowered car, when they could steal a new Honda?

(most useful on islands). Call shipping companies and ask them if they've seen or heard of the car.

Check ebay and thesamba and similar sites for parts that may be too similar to ones from your car for coincidence. Don't be fooled by locations listed on ads--that's easy to lie about. The police can help with tracking down theives through internet service accounts.

Similarly, go to local swap meets looking for your car or parts.

My story? One of the above worked. I am guessing that the theif heard I was looking for the car and he wigged out and contacted me to arrange for its return. He gave me some cockamaimy story about saving my car from a theif and that's why he took it from its parking place (instead of calling the police like an upstanding citizen would, right, Mr. Theif?), but I know he was intending to keep the car because he had it at his house, cleaned it out, scrubbed the upholstery, and did some minor work on it in the short time he had it. He wanted that car. Bastard.

Hope this helps someone in the future. Install a shift lock, battery and/or ignition cutoff switch, alarm, etc. Lock the doors. Keep your baby in the garage (rare in Hawaii, true). Have comprehensive insurance, because you know you'll not get it back if you don't, since that's how things usually work (Murphy's Law). Prevention is the key. I am sure I was rather lucky.

Keep the faith, and do your valves and oil every 1500 miles.

Fri Jun 18, 2004 5:44 pm

Cool story, at least you got it back! 8)

Is this the one recently reported stolen here in thesamba? :?

Fri Jun 18, 2004 6:37 pm

I dont think this is the one that was posted on the samba. If you have read the new trends issue this month, then you will see two articles about a stolen car and stolen parts.
Did you turn the b astard in? :evil:

Fri Jun 18, 2004 6:53 pm

Yes, this is the one that was posted as a feature ad. I deleted the ad today. It's been a strange week, car stolen on Monday and recovered on Wednesday. I beat the bushes pretty hard to flush the car out, so I am greatful for all the assistance I got.

Best,

Bart

Fri Jun 18, 2004 6:55 pm

. . . and yes, the police were there when the car was recovered, so the bastard was turned in. Very satisfying.

Fri Jun 18, 2004 7:25 pm

Bitter sweet ending!

Getting your car back is sweet but having gone through it all is not.

I guess we all be the wiser now! 8)

Fri Jun 18, 2004 8:26 pm

thats good advice having doen many of the steps above to recover my old 62 roach that was stolen from all places MY F'ING GARAGE (detahed of course) we got the word out and a short while later ( 4 days ) the guy must have chickened out and left the car off a side street 3 miles from my house.

Sun Jun 20, 2004 10:48 pm

Cool story you give us all hope, now if I could just find my Oval in a city with 2 million people.

Sun Jun 20, 2004 11:34 pm

i'm glad to hear ya got your baby back.

"Keep your baby in the garage (rare in Hawaii, true)"

it's rare here cuz peeps park the cars outside and hang out in the garage or carport!

Sun Mar 07, 2010 12:39 pm

This is an old thread, but it can be useful to so many people who are trying to track down their stolen VW. Bart actually got his car back, how awesome. This should be a sticky.

Sun Mar 07, 2010 1:00 pm

It's linked in the Stolen sticky at the top.

Sun Mar 07, 2010 1:03 pm

Ahh, all is clear.

Sun Mar 07, 2010 5:13 pm

I remain of the opinion that the guy who took my car almost six years ago is an a-hole.

Mon Mar 08, 2010 7:20 am

Bart Dunn wrote: I remain of the opinion that the guy who took my car almost six years ago is an a-hole.

Is he out of the pokey yet?

Mon Mar 08, 2010 8:10 am

No idea. I was never contacted about testifying as a "victim" or about what happened. When we went to the house to get the car with the cops, they poked around and told me they were most certainly coming back later in the evening to talk to the gentleman. I got the impression that when they were looking around they saw something worse than a quasi-stolen car, in which case they didn't need me.

Mon Mar 08, 2010 9:46 am

Bart Dunn wrote: No idea. I was never contacted about testifying as a "victim" or about what happened. When we went to the house to get the car with the cops, they poked around and told me they were most certainly coming back later in the evening to talk to the gentleman. I got the impression that when they were looking around they saw something worse than a quasi-stolen car, in which case they didn't need me.

Like a few weeds growing in the back yard?
:roll:

Mon Mar 08, 2010 1:10 pm

Russ Wolfe wrote: Bart Dunn wrote: No idea. I was never contacted about testifying as a "victim" or about what happened. When we went to the house to get the car with the cops, they poked around and told me they were most certainly coming back later in the evening to talk to the gentleman. I got the impression that when they were looking around they saw something worse than a quasi-stolen car, in which case they didn't need me.

Like a few weeds growing in the back yard?
:roll:

Probably something like that .... it was Hawaii, after all.