stolen van found 35 years later
- Thread starter AdamR
- Start date
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BWDart
Well-Known Member
I just emailed my brother that may have been his.
AdamR
Big Member
Now that would be cool !
Racingduster
Certified Welder
wow
toplscuda
Well-Known Member
That is pretty cool. I have a friend that had his first car stolen- a 57 chevy. After 20 plus years he had a State patrol knock on his door and ask if he owned one- It turned out they had found it when some poor guy who was planning on restoring it tried to get a title for it. he was happy to get the car back and it now has been totally redone.
I will never understand how someone can put all their time and money into a car they don't have a clear title for??? You would have to be a complete idiot not apply for a title before spending a dime on it.
There was another local (St.Louis) car, 62 Corvette if memory serves me correctly that this idiot spend $20,000 or so restoring and the only title he had was for a 70 something Vette and the numbers didn't even match. He took it to troop C after he completely restored the car to have them correct the title. Needless to say he was a little disappointed when they took the car away and gave it back to the previous owner that didn't have insurance on it when it was stolen back in the early 70's. The local paper did a story on it, Vintage Vette returned to rightful owner after 25 years.
There was another local (St.Louis) car, 62 Corvette if memory serves me correctly that this idiot spend $20,000 or so restoring and the only title he had was for a 70 something Vette and the numbers didn't even match. He took it to troop C after he completely restored the car to have them correct the title. Needless to say he was a little disappointed when they took the car away and gave it back to the previous owner that didn't have insurance on it when it was stolen back in the early 70's. The local paper did a story on it, Vintage Vette returned to rightful owner after 25 years.
WOW let us know....that would be an awesome find after all these years! I saw the story on the morning news here!!
toplscuda.....Super pic 8)8) Where was that taken?
AdamR
Big Member
Connecticut doesnt require a title for cars 25 years or older. They do a vin # vitrifaction only if the car came from out of state.
ramenth
Gratis persona
New York is the same, with a transferrable registration for anything '73 and back as proof of ownership. That being said you have to be very careful with anything that has a transferrable registration. NYS now allows a copy (finally!) to be kept in the glove box so the original can be kept in a safe place at home.
But I have to agree with Blownfish. Is there anyway to show proof of ownership before sinking the money into it? When the article states the restoration shop is a victim in this, it isn't kidding. Or, perhaps, that's one of the reasons the shop was trying to sell it overseas? Just a thought.
cavemanmoron
Well-Known Member
SPOKANE, Wash. A Volkswagen van stolen 35 years ago in Washington state has been found in a shipping container at the Los Angeles/Long Beach seaport.
Customs agents found the 1965 van on Oct. 19 when they opened a shipping container bound for The Netherlands, The Spokesman-Review newspaper reported. They ran the vehicle identification number and discovered it was listed as stolen.
Law officers said the van, which is in great shape, was stolen from an upholstery shop in Spokane on July 12, 1974 while Spokane was hosting the 1974 World's Fair.
Authorities have not been able to find the original owner, whom they would not identify.
The operators of a vehicle restoration business in Arizona were the latest to have possession of the van, which they refurbished and planned to sell overseas, said Michael Maleta, an investigator with the California Highway Patrol. Maleta said the shop is also considered a victim in the case, and he declined to identify it.
The van now legally belongs to Allstate Insurance Co., which paid off the original owner's theft claim back in 1974. The Highway Patrol turned over the van to Allstate this week.
Maleta said the van had been restored to pristine condition.
"Now it's probably worth 27 grand," he said. "It's a beautiful van."
Megan Brunet, a spokeswoman for Allstate, said the company is looking through old records trying to find the original policy and theft claim.
"Trying to find paper files from that far back can be pretty challenging," she said.
The company will likely have the van appraised and go through the process of getting a replacement title before selling it at auction, she said.
toplscuda
Well-Known Member
The bridge is the old Chain of Rocks bridge in the north corner of St. Louis city. It is an original part of old Rt 66. It is mostly used for bike riders and pedestrians but they open it up a couple times a year to car traffic for a small fee. They used the bridge back in the 80's to shoot Escape from New York. At the time the movie company wanted to blow it but luckily the city didn't agree. My dad also got to go over it that same day in his '58 p/u. It was the first time he a had been over it since he was a kid driving a trash truck. It reminded him why he always knocked the mirrors off the trash truck being so narrow. At the top of the second picture you can just make out the rather sharp turn the bridge makes in the middle.
bayyum
Well-Known Member
thats really cool,
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