Posted on 02/22/2014 7:44:26 AM PST by JoeProBono
LAKEPORT, Calif., A California man whose non-working 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air was stolen 30 years ago said it is back home with significant upgrades including a new engine.
Ian "Skip" Wilson, 65, a retired mechanic in Lake County, said the engine and transmission of the classic car were removed by thieves when it was stolen in 1983 and hadn't been replaced when it was stolen again the following year, the Santa Rosa (Calif.) Press Democrat reported Friday.
However, the car was in significantly better condition when it was recovered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection two weeks ago from a Southern California shipping container bound for Australia. The California Highway Patrol contacted Wilson and arranged to have it shipped back to him.
He said the car now sports a 350-horsepower V-8 engine and has only 9 miles on the rebuilt odometer.
"Somebody put a whole lot of work and money into that car," Wilson said. "It was all disassembled and put back."
Wilson said he found out the car has gone through several owners since it was stolen, and he feels bad for the seller and buyer, who likely did not know it was stolen property. He said he does not know how the previous owners were able to register a car that had been reported stolen.
"I imagine somebody in Australia must be awful upset," he said.
Hey! I have a 57 Bel Air! Not in great condition, but working on it. I’ve seen some that are legitimately worth $150k, just to die for.
My guess is the VIN did not actually match the title. And no-one noticed it, how?
A true car guy can recite the VIN of his vehicle on command.
After a minute Dad would get out and show the kid it was behind the light...
National Crime Information Center
From the article, it wasn't the state of California or CHP that caught this vehicle, it was U.S. Customs.
NCIC information that Customs most likely used is also available to all state DMVs.
Incredible feature! :)
I am going to go out on a lim...err no.
I am going to sit safely by the trunk of the tree and assert that not having run the vehicle identification number through to make sure the car was not stolen ends any hope of whoever did the work recovering that investment.
I
Beautiful car to bad it’s red the only red thing on a car should be red are tail lights.
“Same horse power”
Not at all. Torque and horsepower charts are radically different, the gas mileage is probably tripled, pollution output 1/10,000th, tolerances 1/5th, and reliability 10 fold.
Today’s engines are vastly superior to yesterdays.
Back in 1969 when I was 16, my Brother’s Best Friend had a 57 Chevy Coupe for sale.
I went to look at it and the passenger side quarter panel was bashed in and the entire Car need paint. Can’t remember if the drivetrain was in it or not.
I looked at the Car and told the Guy, I can’t believe you would rip off your Best Friend’s Brother. He wanted $150 for the Car.
I did end up with a 55 Two Door Chevy Wagon. I paid $100 for it. Had to replace the Front Clip, cost me another $25.
I won’t even go on about the 69 Shelby Mustang that got away back in 1974. 40 Years later and it still upsets me. LOL
“My guess is the VIN did not actually match the title. And no-one noticed it, how?”
I read this on another car site and there was a number mission in title. The CHP officer was checking container shipments overseas and caught the difference. This one was going to a buyer in Australia.
I bet there are a number of tee’d off people and one happy one.
ping
“How in the bleep did a clear title get passed along to several buyers without DMV flagging the VIN as stolen? “
It was the DMV. . .after all. . .you know, those dedicated and professional public servants striving to provide the best customer care possible.
“reliability 10 fold.”
My 57 Bel Air is still on the road. Easy to re-engine for $1500. I can do a tranny for less than %1000 (no, not that kind of tranny!). Name a new car that will still be around in 57 years. Maintenance becomes prohibitive after the warranty runs out.
I don't understand the reply to my comment, but hope your classic runs (mine is in perpetual storage mode right now, midst of restoration). I almost wish someone would steal mine & come back to me with all the metalwork done, with a few thousand $$ of add-ons to-boot...
Depends on what NSA has on him.
What I’m saying is that while reliability of the new engines has gone up, those figures are misleading. I am doing old cars not just for my health, but have done my spreadsheet homework on long term economics. If you aren’t driving the crap out of a car (like a company car), the long term costs are pretty decent for keeping the old cars running. The new ones cannot really be back-yard repaired and certainly not inexpensively. I can get all the parts I need for the 57 - overall cheaper maintenance.
Lots of cars could be around in 57 years. Nothing prohibits that.
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