Texas Man Finds Stolen Car 42 Years Later (1967 Austin-Healey on eBay)

http://news.yahoo.com/texas-man-finds-stolen-car-42-years-later-203003393--abc-news-topstories.html;_ylt=A2KJ3CdVnv5PGgwAigLQtDMD ^ | 7/11/12 | ALON HARISH

[Libloather]

Texas Man Finds Stolen Car 42 Years Later
By ALON HARISH | Good Morning America – 13 hrs ago

Bob Russell could not be blamed for losing hope that he would reunite with his 1967 Austin-Healey. Stolen outside his Philadelphia apartment 42 years ago, the British roadster seemed a lost cause.

But thanks to the Internet and some creative police work, Russell has his pride and joy back.

When Russell, then a graduate student at Temple University, returned home the morning after a date with his future wife, his car was nowhere to be found. For decades since, he searched for his beloved ride in vain. On a trip to Washington, D.C., he stared at a parked Austin-Healey for half an hour in hopes of finding a distinctive marking to no avail.

On a recent eBay session, though, his luck changed: the cream-colored car was listed for auction by a Los Angeles car dealer, with a final bid of $19,700. Russell, who now lives near Dallas, knew the car was his because its vehicle identification number (VIN) matched the one on the title he kept since the theft.

"I'm not trying to sound indelicate, but you're selling my car," Russell told the dealer.

[SJSAMPLE]

On another note, I recall a story from about ten years ago where a US cop went into Mexico to work with Mexican police on stolen car cases. He met the Mexican cop at the border, and was driven into Mexico in a new Jeep.

Along the way, the American cop became suspicious, and took down the VIN of the Mexican cop’s Jeep.

Yep.
It was stolen in the US a few months prior.

Having worked down there for the past ten years, it appears to be a way of life down there. I carry an extra couple $20 bills, just in case.

[SkyPilot]

Austin Healey 3000s (also known as "Big Healeys") are great British collecting cars. They have also gone through the roof in price these past few years (although the Obama Depression has brought a drop in prices the last couple of years).

So a Philly street thug stole this car in 1970, and he got it back. Praise Christ. God has a way of remembering.

What is amazing is that this article says that the California dealer wanted to sell him the car at their reserve of $24,000.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/texas-finds-stolen-car-ebay-42-years-article-1.1112124

BTW - if any Freeper here has an Austin Healey 3000 they would like to donate to me, I would be eternally grateful.

[Right Wing Assault]

I just think of questions I would ask the guy about this unusual story. Then I imagine that my readers might be interested, as well. I put them in the article.

The missing link here is - these people have no curiosity and therefore few questions to ask.

[moovova]

Had 3 “Big Healeys” in my time. Two ‘60s, one ‘61.

The first one was a complete cosmetic teardown restoration.

The second, I bought in boxes...and sold in the same boxes.

The third, I just drove the heck out of it.

None ever cost or sold for over $2500. But now? Let’s just say, I wish I still had all three. Would’ve been a great retirement plan.

Good for this guy for getting his back.

[Robe]

I bought one a ‘61 back in ‘72, in Calif. for $1800.00.
I did a complete motor/trans overhaul, new paint, renewed wire wheels, and interior. I was a sweet ride, until a runaway forklift rolled down a LA hill and punched a hole in the drivers door and wheel well impacting the twin carbs, and cyl head.
Ins Co gave me $2500, which I used to get it back in shape.
Sold it in Houston TX in 1980 for $9500.
Which I still had it ( It was BRG with a Tan Interior BTW)

[Robe]

Which = Wish.. DUH!

[moovova]

” punched a hole in the drivers door and wheel well impacting the twin carbs, and cyl head.”

Ouch!

[Robe]

Worse still, I watched it all happen from my office window!!!!

[Erasmus]

Photo 2: Stuggling with the crashbox?

[FES0844]

I think the missing link is that they are too lazy to investigate.

[wardaddy]

"I'm not trying to sound indelicate, but you're selling my car," Russell told the dealer.

lol..i like this guy

[wardaddy]

Sprites were the most common Healey in my day...early 70s. I had one of these in 1972...a black 1960 with tonneau top...one of two MGs I owned...Brit roadsters were fun then and relatively cheap

[PowderMonkey]

“Chocolate cars”? First time I’ve heard it. Idiomatic expression. Direct translation would result in confusion. Example: “A dirty old man” who chases after young girls, said in Spanish would be “viejo verde” (green old man). We use the term “grey market” (questionable) vehicles to denote any vehicle brought into the U.S. by anybody other than the manufacturer.

[SJSAMPLE]

Exactly. I’ve asked my Mexican counterparts to explain, and they’ve confirmed that “chocolate” refers to the candy and isn’t some misundersanding or interpretation diffuculty. However, they’ve been unable to explain either the origin or the etymological reference to actual chocolate.

[PowderMonkey]

"I carry an extra couple $20 bills, just in case."

LOL! The cost of "doin' business" in country went up, I see. I never left the house without ensuring all identity papers, official documents, and drivers license was liberally salted with a couple of $5s and $10s. The only way to avoid delays at checkpoints and random stops by lunchy cops.

[SJSAMPLE]

I should have thought to Google this before;

"But Amda argues that opening the border at a time when the country is struggling to stem a huge inflow and circulation of illegal cars, popularly referred to as "coches chocolate" [chocolate cars], would be ruinous for the industry"

¿Chocolates? Yes, the Mexicans love their illegal, smuggled cars so much they call them "chocolates."

This article is particularly informative;
http://lang-8.com/27649/journals/981794/%2522Autos-chutos%2522-%253D-%2522autos-chocolate%2522%253F

[beaversmom]

Love that house.

[RatSlayer]

“It appears that if A owns X and B steals it and sells it to C who sells it to D who sells it to E, at which point the police recover it, E is out of luck.

B might be in trouble with the law. Can E sue D?

in this case, at some point a fake title must have been created. Maybe there should be title insurance for classic cars.”

Yeah E can sue D and then D could sue C and on and on, assuming they can even find them and then manage to get papers served and then manage to get a judgment that they will probably never be able to collect...

And B could potentially be facing theft charges and everyone else could potentially be facing receiving stolen goods charges. But the likelyhood of any of that is about the same as the likelyhood of actually collecting on a judgement.

I think the collector car registries are the primary way of dealing with title issues. If the car you are buying is listed in the registry for that model and if it has a complete ownership history then you’re about as safe as it’s possible to get.

OTOH, If you’re buying an unregistered expensive collector car out of someone’s garage, then you really should have a formal written contract that the sale is contingent on a complete ownership history coming back clean and that the car and money will be held in escrow until that point. Then if the check comes back clean, apply to have that car added to the registry ASAP, so that it’ll be a lot easier for you to sell in the future.

[RatSlayer]

I’ll take bets that after that guy was able to get the car “re-entered” into the stolen car database, he’ll now never be able to get it removed.

So now, every time he takes the car out for a drive he’ll be risking getting arrested for operating a stolen vehicle and he’ll have massive problems selling the car because it’ll keep coming up as stolen.

[Is my pessimistic streak showing?]

[SkyPilot]

I remember back in the early 1980's when there were teenagers driving Austin Healey's as "beaters." One was a coupe, and one was the convertible. Both of them paid next to nothing for the cars, and most of us considered it funny that they drove them.

I wish I had them as well. But then again, I remember a weird stoner of a kid down the road selling a 1971 Hemi Cuda for next to nothing also.

The great thing about the 3000 is that it has the engine to be a true highway cruiser, and it also has room to put a human being in the back seat if you wish - although it is a tight fit. They are just fantastic cars. Hard to believe that when they were for sale they were almost priced about the same as an MGB.