Posted on 12/24/2018 9:33:40 AM PST by ETL
A keen-eyed vendor spotted the classic truck south of the border
A classic Chevrolet pickup truck stolen from a California parking lot has been found in Mexico, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau.
The truck’s owner, car collector Bob Brown, reported it stolen just before Christmas 2015. He said he had left the 1957 pickup unlocked when he went into a grocery store in Arroyo Grande, north of Los Angeles, for about 10 minutes. When he came out, the uninsured truck was gone.
“When I lost it, I just checked off [$20,000],” Brown said. “I put it on my income tax.”
The theft made the local news, as there were only two such trucks in the area at the time.
The person who allegedly stole the Chevy was found in San Diego after he posted a photo of the vehicle to Facebook, claiming it was a Christmas present. He denied taking it and was arrested on unrelated drug charges.
The truck was added to the NICB’s database of stolen vehicles, but Brown thought he would never see it again. About six months ago, a vendor working in the Tijuana area spotted it in a Mexican salvage yard.
“I am just so grateful to that crew down there for finding my truck, and they were just so nice,” Brown said.
Brown paid all the fees to have the vehicle returned to him, he added. NCIB Special Agent Roger Hogan said the truck was not in bad shape.
Brown said he plans to spend about $20,000 to restore the old Chevy and change its paint color from red to white.
He also plans to let his tax man know it’s back and, he added, he will buy insurance this time around.
Wow!
I had a ‘69 Caddy convertible stolen from outside my apartment building around 20 years ago.
I go to the local police station to report it and they acted like they didn’t want to be bothered. They said lots of cars are stolen everyday. I asked, lots of blue 1969 Cadillac convertibles? I think they would have had an excellent chance to find a car like that. Yet they didn’t do anything, outside of taking the report.
There used to be some conventional wisdom in SoCal that any car stolen was across the border before most knew the car was gone.
Well the free cable tv room and board sure isn’t much of a deterrent, or punishment.
Nice rack. And pinion.
Lawyers and judges have to justify their jobs somehow.
We don’t need that many
Man, that’s a nice looking golf cart!
Are you sure it wasn’t found in Cuba? /s
Check out this one!
I believe in my friends case it was a matter they go deeper into identifying the vehicle before they allow it to leave the country.
That really sucks regarding your Cadillac convertible.
I have a 75 Caddy Eldorado for sale in excellent condition :)
Well I had my head stuck somewhere but we don’t need to talk about that, it’s a 73 Eldorado Coupe with 500 ci.
My dad still has this Seville but it has aged a bit since this was made:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8hucOCTfms
The last I heard it still runs.
I know it’s short but thought the camerawork was acceptable. At least I used a tripod and 3 chip mini-DV camera. People thumb it down anyway.
Since demonitization, I quit bothering to put anything on YT. Not that I made anything much.
People seem to want crude, shaky, smart phone video.
The truck was recovered. Unfortunaly..the suspention was torched and lowered to the ground,cheap tuck and roll purple vinyl seat covers. Now it bounces up an down vato!
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