Stolen vw stories

[FullFender]

[Fish]

[Mark Evans]

I was just a year or so out of high school, around 1982, when I sold my mostly restored '57 bug to a lady. She was very excited to now own a "nice" bug. I warned her to keep an eye on it no matter where you park it. The bug was Mercedes beige running Fuchs, Dave Folts trans, German heads, definitely an eye catcher. After about 3 weeks she called me, asked that if I saw the bug to let her know because it had been stolen. She then told me they went to Denny's for breakfast, came out and it was gone. I sadly told her that by now, it was probably in 10-12 pieces in some guys garage and he was on the phone selling it off! I never did find out any more...
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'63 Ragtop

[pondoras box]

Well, I cant really tell this story without sounding like a complete dumb ass, but i will tell it in the small hopes that maybe someday I will find my cars.

When I got out of the Army back in 1989 I moved from Hawaii to Greenville SC. The VW scene in SC wasn't much back then, but I had a warmed over bug in the Army and I loved it. I really wanted a split bug and a 23 window bus. As luck would have and a fist full of dollars I was able to land three split bugs and a 23 window.

Here is were the stupid part comes in, I contacted a guy at the Fast times at Farmington show in the very early 90's who went by the name Wild Willies Customizing. His real name, William Clinton Johnson, this was before the infamous Bill Clinton. Well we make a deal to exchange two split bugs to do body work and paint to the 23. I let him tow the three cars to his shop, yes I know please don't rub it in, I was young and it still hurts to write this.

Communication at first is great until I mention I would like to visit, about a 4 hour trip from Greenville to Winston Salem, to see the progress. The excuses start about being out of town the days I can visit etc... When I finally get fed up and drive up unannounced his place is empty, cleaned out. I am out a 1950 and 1951 split, and a 23 window bus.

I did find him and get the police involved and he claims I am being unreasonable about how long it takes to restore a car and he had to move his shop and a whole line of excuses. He claims I threated him and his girlfriend a Michele Roten (spelling) that's why he was avoiding me and would need another month to complete the work. It had been about 3 years from the time he got the cars at this point. All they did was give him a head start to go into hiding again.

I have tried to locate this guy several times over the years without any luck. I am writing this knowing I will be roasted for my stupidity, but I was young and naïve and trusted people to stand behind their word. He ruined it for me, I do not trust people any more. If anyone knows where this guy is, or remembers anything that could help, I would be forever grateful, mostly I would just like to get the bus back as it had a lot of sentimental value.
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Looking for anything from Hal Casey Motors out of Hamburg New York, from license plate surrounds to matchbooks.

1961 23 Window (Bobo)
1965 11 Window (Zelda)
1965 13 Window (Lucas)
1957 Oval ragtop
1988 Cabriolet VR6 conversion
Plus a lot of other rusty junk

[Mark Evans]

Do you still have the VIN's? I would try to follow up on them, even though it has been some time. Also do a Business search for him, see if he's working somewhere else. Maybe a Sambanite will see this and have a lead for you...
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'63 Ragtop

[pondoras box]

I still have every bit of paperwork to include the titles on all three cars. Hell I even have keys for the 23. The 23 window used to have a home made router sign that said Bobo. I have a book that the previous two owners kept that listed repairs and gas mileage etc...

Really Really miss that bus.
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Looking for anything from Hal Casey Motors out of Hamburg New York, from license plate surrounds to matchbooks.

1961 23 Window (Bobo)
1965 11 Window (Zelda)
1965 13 Window (Lucas)
1957 Oval ragtop
1988 Cabriolet VR6 conversion
Plus a lot of other rusty junk

[16CVs]

In 1978 My wife, then G.F. had a Nice 66 Fontana Grey Euro sunroof beetle with a gas heater, locking column and real Euro tail lights. I put a W/S in it and asked the guy about it. He said it was coming out in the want ads that evening.
We went to the guys house and bought it and the phone was ringing the whole time we were there.
Someone along the way had put a U.S. switch in it and just left the key in the column lock.
She parked it in front of her parents house and it was gone the next morning. They had opened the hood and jumped the wrong wires on th eback of the switch and rolled it down the hill it was parked on. I came up to give her a ride and there it was. Put the wires back on the switch and drove it away.
After that I replaced the bad electrical portion of th elocking column and all was good.
It's crazy that some mechanic went to all that trouble to drill a new hole and re wire the switch when all he had to do was get the correct part. Morons
2 years later she rolled it on the right side. I put a rear clip on it and gave it a fresh paint job.
That was a nice car, we sold it to buy a 1971 Super Beetle that we drove to New York and back in.

Stacy
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1987 Syncro Westfalia Triple knob (bastard)
1989 Syncro Tristar Triple knob "Swedish"
2013 Jetta Hybrid a true "Zwitter"
Samba member # 14980
Call anytime number 650 722 4914 .
Keep Your van running and upkept tastefully for the love of the hobby.
Don't let your van end up in an "abortions" thread.

[pdaddy68]

[pondoras box]

Edited
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Looking for anything from Hal Casey Motors out of Hamburg New York, from license plate surrounds to matchbooks.

1961 23 Window (Bobo)
1965 11 Window (Zelda)
1965 13 Window (Lucas)
1957 Oval ragtop
1988 Cabriolet VR6 conversion
Plus a lot of other rusty junk

[BeetL62]

My dad had an orange ‘74 standard auto-stick back in 1981. He was taking night classes at the local community college and when he went to leave, his key did not unlock the door of the orange Bug that was parked where he parked.

In the end, he actually made out okay on it being stolen, as the insurance company gave more than he paid for it 2 years earlier. Some of the only pics he still has of it are from the weekend before it was stolen where he was touching up stone chips in the paint and waxing it.

[usmc1345]

My first bug I purchased in high school back in 97. Got the smashed up.rear end straightened up and got her road worthy. Enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. The bug sat for the next 4 years. During that time my parents moved from Bellflower California to San Bernadino Ca. Fast forward 4 years and I'm out of the Marines the first time in February 2005. Bought a turn key 1600 from Quality German Auto Parts and a freeway flyer trans. Maybe a month or so later. Mom wakes me up asking where my bug is ( i was a bad alchohol abuser back then and she didnt know if i left it somewhere while drunk lol ). Out front i reply. Nope. Its 430am and she isnt there.
I call San Bernadino police and they say ok blahh blahh nlahh. My tools are in the bug , so now i dont have my nail guns, tool bags etc ( took a job as a roofer with my brother whenni got out. ). Our boss was a decent guy and understood. Loaned us tools and a truck a coiple days later.so I call the cops to see if it had been found. The officer on the other end said, wait the whole car is stolen? The person that tooknthe report said it was a stolen license plate....... yes the whole car is stolen. . Ok. Week later. I call and find out it was found in Fontana . Went to the tow yard. Shell. Paid to get it out and have towed home. Still had the new trans. Seats. Couplem ittle things. No work tools. Side note if the person who stole it happens to read this. I doubt your sorry ass used the tools to.learn an honest trade. Fucking theif. I want my tool.box back. My uncle mixed the blue it was painted when i was a kid. He is dead. That was all I had in a physical form from.him. Fuck you. I saved everything i earned for that car when i was 16. Just like that you took it. Man im still pissed and hurt over it. Fuck California. Glad I dont live there anymore. Sorry
Brought up old feelings.
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Semper Fidelis

[usmc1345]

My first bug. 63 hardtop

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Semper Fidelis

[Chickensoup]

[usmc1345]

I've been out of there for going on 7 years. I only get back there if I get a load to Redding, or rare So Cal load, then I reload usually in Healdsburg and get out. California does not represent my vision of America. Sell it back to mexico or to the highest bidder for all I care lol.
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Semper Fidelis

[VWNate]

Okay here goes :

My son wanted and I found for him a 1963 #117 , it was nice, not restored but very nice, painted a light metallic Mercedes blue .

After he runs the poor old gasping 40 horse to death he builds a 1610 using his knowledge and the tips and tricks I taught him and the collected knowledge from his VW magazines, he wanted a Honda Civic killer and WAY overshot his mark, his first time to Irwindale, Ca. drags he was easily blowing V8's out of the water .

So, he discovers the late night street racers way up in the North end of the San Fernando Valley and begins beating the pants off many cars there .

Being young he of course copped an attitude, I waned him not to do this but he persisted and sure enough some one followed him to his buddy's house in South Pasadena where I'd warned him to never, EVER park a VW because it was right across the bridge from Highland park .

He claims 5 minutes inside, I bet it was over 1/2 hour, car is gone, we never found a single piece of it .

LESSON : thieves are garbage and will steal anything not locked up .

I could fill this forum with sad tales from the early 1970's onwards but hopefully all will pay attention .
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-Nate

One last Beetle : 1959 #113 DeLuxe survivor ~ 36HP & full synchro tranny, 6 volts etc.

[pondoras box]

Update to my stolen VW’s story, scroll up this page about my stolen VW’s before reading the rest of this post. It’s worth it go one I’ll wait.



Did you read it, ok here goes. After searching for 30 years for any evidence of my stolen cars without any real hint of what happened to them I found my 23 window bus Bobo! It was listed on this site and I was able to recover it without any issues partly due to the fact that I had every piece of paper work for the bus to include the title and even a receipt for the tires that was still on the rear. But mostly because of the person that had it didn’t cause any issues with me taking possession of the bus.

It was almost 30 years to the day and the person who had it wasn’t even born yet when it was stolen but here are a few pictures from when I recovered it.

It’s mostly complete minus the middle seat rear bumper some trim and rear window believe it or not some of the NOS sheet metal was still with it.

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Looking for anything from Hal Casey Motors out of Hamburg New York, from license plate surrounds to matchbooks.

1961 23 Window (Bobo)
1965 11 Window (Zelda)
1965 13 Window (Lucas)
1957 Oval ragtop
1988 Cabriolet VR6 conversion
Plus a lot of other rusty junk

[Fish]

Congratulations. I’m still keeping an eye out for my old tool box, bits and pieces from my old bus stolen in 1986.
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Prosit!

.·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯`·..><((((º>
.·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯`·..><((((º>

# 303 and #156

Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!

[VWNate]

This is incredibly good news ! .

I always wonder what happened to my sons '63 # 117 DeLuxe .

You need to tell us the details of how you found it .
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-Nate

One last Beetle : 1959 #113 DeLuxe survivor ~ 36HP & full synchro tranny, 6 volts etc.

[HUGO bOSS]

[pondoras box]

@ fish, VW Nate, and Hugo

Thank you. I never gave up that Bobo and I would cross paths again. Yes I will start a thread on this one also. I am trying to catch up posting two years worth of work on my 11 window, Zelda. Then I will start one for the 23.
_________________
Looking for anything from Hal Casey Motors out of Hamburg New York, from license plate surrounds to matchbooks.

1961 23 Window (Bobo)
1965 11 Window (Zelda)
1965 13 Window (Lucas)
1957 Oval ragtop
1988 Cabriolet VR6 conversion
Plus a lot of other rusty junk