STOLEN: 1987 Vanagon Westfalia Camper; Portland **FOUND**

[HoustonPhotog]

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Posted on the VanAlert App
Download Here: http://vanalert.com/
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OR - Portland: 1987 Vanagon Westfalia Camper

Status: RECOVERED
Status Date: August 15, 2019

The van was involved in an accident in East Portland (SE 122nd and Glisan). The police didn’t do much and weren’t interested in fingerprints or pursuing the thief. They seem to have run into a tow truck and then fled the scene. Somehow the van was pushed into a parking lot where it was reported to police. The front end is smashed and there is some rear damage as well (they likely ran into a concrete piling when stealing it). The front crash has buckled the floor boards and may not be repairable. We’ll have to see after the body shop puts it on a rack to pull the front end.

Stolen On: August 13, 2019
Stolen In: Portland, OR

Vehicle Details:
1987 Vanagon Westfalia Camper (White)
Oregon License Plate: ZXQ 085

Added Details:
White van with white top, original Westfalia stickers are faded yellow, 5 spoke Qube wheels, 3 Yakima mounts on the roof, South African grill, original metal bumpers, dent on front passenger side panel.

If spotted, please contact your local Police Department immediately.

Contact Jeff
Cell: 503-260-8989
Email: [email protected]

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Abel Longoria
VanAlert App for Vanagons/Buses | Texas Vanagons | My Vanagon Build Thread | Follow Me On Instagram | Vanagon-centric Stickers Available Now

[djkeev]

Sad, yet another one gone!

I don't think the last one reported here has yet been recovered.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=722966&highlight=

Sad that so many people simply won't lay out a little coin for proven tracking systems in these units.


Hoping for a quick recovery!

Dave
_________________
Stop Dead Photo Links how to post photos

Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473

Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537

Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert

[PDXWesty]

[djkeev]

[valvecovergasket]

[dobryan]

[djkeev]

[cmayna]

I'm very glad that White Trash (my '90 westy) has a GPS tracker. Hope this '87 is recovered soon.
_________________
'90 Westy / automatic.
If I'm not working on the camper or my '50 Chebbie truck, I'm either fishing with the wife or smoking Salmon.


Craig

[DanHoug]

are these vans in that area stolen for resale or chopped?
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-dan
60% of what you find on the internet is wrong, including this post.

'87 Westy & '89 Westy both 2.1 4spd

Past projects can be found at--
www.thefixitworkshop.com

[dobryan]

[fxr]

[rmcd]

A buddy had his 4wd Toyota van stolen in PDX. Found it a few weeks later trashed by Dirty Dave and the gang. They used it for living and hauling before walking away. They left a massive dildo and a year supply of turtle wax as parting prizes.

I’m kidding about the wax.
_________________
VW LT40 build. Like a Vanagon but 30% larger in every direction and 40% slower even in metric.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=749359&highlight=

[Love My Westy]

That van looks just like mine excpt I have Rhein Wheels, and of my three Yakima roof mounts, the two front ones are the original galvanized finish and only the rear ones are powder coated.

My van has made it's last trip to Portland. I can use a different camper to travel to the PNW.

I do hope you get your van back soon.

[valvecovergasket]

[jimf909]

I don't think there's any reason to be overly worried about a Vanagon getting stolen in the PNW. It happens but the Vanagon community is an amazing network so we know about every single van that is stolen.

Also, there are many Vanagons here. W/in blocks of my house there are at least a half dozen Vanagons, mostly Westys, parked on the street 24/7. I know of a few that have lived there for over a decade.

I've taken precautions and I'm alert but I'm not worried about a zombie patrol out to steal my van. If it does happen I hope my trackers work and it's recovered with minimal loss.

Thanks to the Samba and VanAlert for providing great visibility of stolen vans and helping owners recover them!
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- Jim

[newerwesty1987]

I asked this before but didn't see much talk about it. Maybe it needs its own thread.

SO, anybody know how they are being stolen? Are they breaking glass and are smart enough to hot-wire it? Are they being towed away? Were many of these unlocked and left running or with keys in them and someone just jumped in?

The more that victims of this post *how* they were taken, we can better protect them.

[RainierSyncro]

I think it was found but damaged. Can someone confirm? The e-mail I got had the location of the van before the heist. I Google street viewed the location and weirdly enough, I spotted it in the parking lot. I assume that's where it's regularly parked.

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.5184778,-122.67211...6656?hl=en

[Slimvest]

Having lived in Portland for 17 years, I'd be nervous to park at that location. I'm not really one who buys into "cities are dangerous and crime riddled", but under the bridges along the riverfront has never been a place to take you kids for a game of frisbee. But if you work downtown and need to park somewhere each day, one should be able to feel their vehicle won't be disturbed. Hoping the van is returned.
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'87 GL w/ Reimo top

[sanchius]

[Steve M.]