Although not car related, when me and my buddy were around 12yrs old, we had mini bikes. Mine was regulation, but his was a Orange chopper style. He saved up some money a bought a brand new 5hp Briggs and put on it. Engine was a silver color and he said it looked too plain, so he painted the center of the pull starter orange. He left it in his carport and a few weeks later it was gone.....he was pissed, but figured it was gone for good. About a month later we were walking up to town and a older kid came up the street on one that looked similar but was all flat black, i mean everything. About 5 min. later he came back the other way and we stopped him to look at it. He said he'd just gotten it and other then the paint and the muffler had been sawed off we were sure that was it. I recognised the guy, he was about 16yrs old and had a rep as a bad *** so we just let him go on his way. We went right home and called the cops. We explained the story and they took us over to his house and they knocked on the door and spoke to the parents and they told the cop that it was his. He came back to the car and said there was nothing he could do because we had no proof.....Then i remembered the orange spot on the pull starter so i convinced the cop to go and check. We all went up to the house and the cop said he needed to see it. When they produced it the cop took his key and scraped the black paint off and Bingo, there was the orange paint. This dumbass kid already had a bunch of juvenile convictions for stuff and he ended up in a facility until he was 18. Long story, but the most minor thing can make a difference.