Stolen car

Steve Toner · 27th July 2004, 04:28 PM

Since SAAC has posted the information on their website, I guess it's OK for me to let you guys know why I haven't posted anything for several weeks.

My car (along with the trailer it was in & the Bronco pulling it) was stolen from the parking lot of the Ypsilanti Marriott sometime overnight July 4th-5th. Photos of the car can be found in the GT40 Gallery section, but it may have acquired a new paint color by now.

Please contact me (via PM) and/or Officer Tony Martin (734) 487-1222 if you have any information.

chris parker · 27th July 2004, 05:15 PM

steve sorry to hear about your car going missing hopefully the b*****ds who stole it will have problems selling it as hopefully everyone on this fourum will keep their ear to the ground for any info

JOSEPH · 27th July 2004, 05:16 PM

Gee Steve what a bummer. You must be sick. Hope you get it back in one piece. Joe [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

Mark Worthington · 27th July 2004, 05:30 PM

Holy crap, Steve, that sucks! It's not like a GT40, even wearing different colors, can blend into the landscape somewhere. I really hope it is returned to you in good condition.

I post at a couple other car forums. Do you want me to post there as well to get more eyes looking for your car?

Steve Toner · 27th July 2004, 06:02 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I post at a couple other car forums. Do you want me to post there as well to get more eyes looking for your car?

[/ QUOTE ]

I would think at this point that the more eyes the better, so yeah, go ahead. You can link them back here or to the SAAC page for more info...

Jim G · 27th July 2004, 06:11 PM

I am really sorry.

Paul W · 27th July 2004, 06:50 PM

String them up by their bollocks.

Bill Bayard · 27th July 2004, 07:18 PM

Steve,

What a terrible shame!

I hope that you recover both vehicles soon!

It's unlikely that whoever stole the 40 will strip it.

Let's hope that the idiot tries to register it somewhere,

considering that a GT40 registration is kinda rare.

Who would have ever thought that we'd need a "lost and

found" on the Forum?

I hope that they string the bastard up by his short hairs!

Best of luck!

Bill

Pete McCluskey. · 27th July 2004, 08:57 PM

Geez Steve what a Bastard!!Surely such a unique car cannot
stay hidden for to long. Good luck and best wishes for your
search.

Steve Toner · 27th July 2004, 10:50 PM

Thanks, guys, for your good wishes. Hershal says I'll never see the Bronco again, based on his experience as a police officer. But just in case, here's a photo of the Bronco & trailer just before I left home. Not much in the way of distinguishing features, but do note the GPS antenna on the rear of the Bronco roof.

John Schneider · 27th July 2004, 11:37 PM

That is absolutely horrible. Let the scum root. Good luck and I hope they find everything.
PS looks like OJ's truck.

Steve Toner · 27th July 2004, 11:48 PM

[ QUOTE ]
PS looks like OJ's truck.

[/ QUOTE ]
As a matter of fact, the morning after OJ's low speed freeway chase, I ran down to the local art store and bought some yellow card stock & stick-on letters and made an "OJ On Board" sign. Hung it in my rear window & went driving on Highway 280 (I lived in the SF Bay Area at the time). Got some funny reactions - I was driving in the right lane (at about the speed limit) & people would come zooming up (at "normal" freeway speed), but then they'd see the sign and back off... The sign was still in the Bronco when it was stolen all these years later, sitting on the dash...

BenL · 28th July 2004, 12:39 AM

I'm sorry to hear about that.

Unfortunately it appears that stealing trailers and tow vehicles from hotels is too common.

A tow vehicle with a Lotus Elite in a trailer was recently stolen from a hotel in Oregon. The Elite was recovered, but it will need a lot of repairs (the thieves were idiots).

Lock your trailer hitches, and put alarms in your tow vehicles.

Heath · 28th July 2004, 01:12 AM

ugh, that's a real shame to hear about that!

Another good idea for trailer security is to buy some wheel clamps for the wheels of the trailer. Even if they unhitch it from the tow vehicle they won't be able to take it anywhere.

James · 28th July 2004, 03:56 AM

Urchins! Are you allowed to shoot thieves in the USA? Because thats what they need. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]

David Morton · 28th July 2004, 04:57 AM

Steve,
I am so sorry that this has happened to you. It's unbelievable that your 40 will be able to be concealed for very long but it reminds me when my wifes car was stolen from outside our home - it had been watched for a while (the underworld here in the UK call it being clocked ?) and was stolen for a specific job. It took the police to bring in high speed pursuit cars from a neighbouring county to finally catch it, but it had done three raids in three nights under assumed plates before it was written off and the guy escaped.Ask the police in your area to make it known (they have ways ) that this is a very small world and a 40 cannot be used without drawing so very much attention. Try posting a reward for information - the police can normally handle that for you - We found out the name of the lowlife who took our car by similar subterfugue and he was found eventually by an offduty policeman who followed his father in the middle of the night to an unknown address.
Keep the pressure on the police- these individuals are not especially bright or intelligent and will often shop each other for a few dollars.
I guess it may be beholden to all of us to fit tracking devices on our cars - are there such things in the USA?
Can we have a full description of as many parts that you can recall so anybody trying to offer parts - wheels , tyres, engines, gearbox. whatever you can recall. There are a lot of people on this site who can keep a look out as well.
Dave M

james oakes · 28th July 2004, 05:37 AM

steve...
i am sorry to hear what as happened...hope everything goes well....
they want there balls cutting off...

Bill Bayard · 28th July 2004, 05:56 AM

Lojack offers a transmitter/sensor system that will automatically alert police if the vehicle is moved.
60,000 + recoveries to date, some within 1 hr!
After hearing of Steve's unfortunate experience, I'll be looking into one for my car.
In most cases, Lojack installation will qualify your car for an insurance discount as well.

www.lojack.com has details and dealer locations.

Bill

Gordy · 28th July 2004, 08:31 AM

Hi Steve
Hopefully the following tale of woe will give you some hope.
In 1999, returning from a race at Watkins Glen, I had my complete rig, a Chev 454 SS, Swift Formula Ford, and trailer w/ 4 wheeler and all tools and spares stolen from the lot of the IKEA store in Hamilton, Canada (not all the bad guys are in the US).
Like others have said, it's hard to hide a specialty car for long, and a friend of a friend turned in the rat and the police recovered my race car, and trailer about a week later.
Quite a bit of my support equipment was gone, but at least I got my car back.
About two years later, I got a call that my truck was found in N. Carolina, suprisingly in good shape.
The painful part was that I was a 20 year Detective with the Mi.State Police, and thought all my precautions would
prevent something like this from happening. The moral is, if it can be locked, it can be unlocked, it just slows down the professional crooks.
Anyway, for what it's worth, don't give up hope. A GT40 is a hard car to hide for long, and it always amazes me how cheaply one bad guy will rat out another. So much for honor amongst thieves.
One of my friends runs the narcotics/vice team in that area, I will send him a picture of a GT40 and have him put the word out on the street.
Keep your fingers crossed, you might be shocked what some people will do for a couple of bucks.
By the way, when we walked out to where we had parked the truck and found a pile of side window glass, my wife claims that I invented several new four letter words, previously unheard by human ear. You know the old saying "swears like a trooper", well, I added to the legacy that day.

danielthomas · 28th July 2004, 10:42 AM

im in agreement about the trackers!!! here in Uk it cost about £600 ($800 i think) and even comes with curtesy car and break down cover - if your cars nicked u jsut phone em and tell em - they then tell the police where it is and there go right to it! they can even put the tracker in your fuel tank! now what thief is gonna check taht out unless hes a 'gone in 60 seconds' type!