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VW Bus Stolen 35 Years Ago Found In Shipping Container
Now This Is Automotive Art
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passersby
11/06/09

In reply to VW Bus Stolen 35 Years Ago Found In Shipping Container
So I have 10 more years to wait before they find my '73 Beetle that was stolen in 1985?
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brandegee promoted this comment Edited by passersby at 11/06/09 12:39 PM passersby was starred passersby was unstarred

brandegee
11/06/09

@passersby: My father is still waiting for them to find his '72 Beetle stolen in '73. I think there must be ten of thousands of stolen Beetle stories. #vwbus
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Mr.choppers - Delenda Carthago Est
11/06/09

In reply to VW Bus Stolen 35 Years Ago Found In Shipping Container
So who loses the money? The restorer or the Dutch buyer? (it's hard to type "Dutch buyer" without slipping in a joke about hashish, hookers or blood diamonds) #vwbus
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badhatharry
11/06/09

In reply to VW Bus Stolen 35 Years Ago Found In Shipping Container
You see? This is what happens when the Baltimore Chief of Police messes with the union steward at the docks. #vwbus
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powermatic
11/06/09

@badhatharry: Maybe Omar was moving to Amsterdam. #vwbus
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badhatharry
11/06/09

@powermatic: Nah. Omar wouldn't have gotten got by no punk-ass customs official. #vwbus
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Elhigh
11/06/09

In reply to VW Bus Stolen 35 Years Ago Found In Shipping Container
You're in good, sticky hands with Allstate.

Original owner was paid $2500 on a 10-year-old bus. Okay, not bad when you consider depreciation. We don't know what kind of shape it was in when stolen, but probably not fabulous - it was stolen from a repair shop after all. But dang - the restorer is getting it in the shorts. It sucks that he's getting screwed mightily on a vehicle that's been twisting in the wind since the 70s. You'd think they'd have caught up to it by now - I mean, c'mon. How many times has it been registered? How many times has it been sold? If it hadn't been for the brighter spotlight of getting tagged by DHS, Allstate might never have heard about it, and still wouldn't care.

Allstate has the opportunity to make an absolute PR bonanza out of this, but I'm betting they're going to go for the money instead. #vwbus
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snapoversteer 'bout to get told
11/06/09

@Elhigh: He'll have a claim against Allstate. #vwbus
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BigHarv
11/06/09

@Elhigh: You know, I only have so much sympathy for the owners here; the VIN should have been checked when it was purchased, just like with any car purchase. It's not hard, it's not expensive. #vwbus
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Elhigh
11/06/09

@snapoversteer 'bout to get told: No, he won't. The owner of record was obligated to do the due diligence part of the property's provenance, and he, like Allstate, failed to do all the discoveries. This is a sad example of a chain of overlooked recordkeeping. I bet this thing could've been found a long time ago.

I mean, they are able to determine now, 35 years after the fact, that it's the vehicle that got stolen from thus-and-such and Allstate paid out on it. So we know there's a record trail on this thing that is still cohesive from one end to the other. But nobody's antenna has gone up in all the time since then? Nobody's?

The current owner is responsible for the soundness of the title, but if the report he gets back doesn't have any flags - or he doesn't do a title search - it's still assumed that he's made the necessary investigations. It's a risk you take, placing faith in the previous owner that the provenance is legit. Allstate is getting a helluva deal on this, and has a lot of room to generate some warm fuzzies. #vwbus
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BigHarv
11/06/09

@Elhigh: Or you could explain it correctly-well said. Still hope Allstate does something cool here. #vwbus
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FormerlyPreferredCustomer
11/06/09

@Elhigh: Understood that he wouldn't have a claim for the van itself against Allstate; Allstate gets that back, since they have the superior title. But why wouldn't he have something in the nature of a tort claim of unjust enrichment against Allstate? After all, we are not talking about natural appreciation in the value of the asset--we are talking about parts, materials and labor that were added to the asset to increase it's market value.

EDIT: I confess to a huge amount of ignorance as to how these systems interconnect, as well, but is it necessarily the case that a VIN that had been reported stolen and was still in police databases would have been flagged...where? At the DMV? How does one even go about validating a VIN? Is there a national-level database that used-car purchasers can search? I mean, there's clearly one that ICE has access to, but is it publicly available/interconnected with all state systems?
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Elhigh promoted this comment Edited by FormerlyPreferredCustomer at 11/06/09 12:17 PM

Skunky
11/06/09

@BigHarv: This is what happens when you only get a car fox report.
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Arcweld Your Soul
11/06/09

@BigHarv: A 1965 VW Bus wouldn't have a VIN, it would have a VW serial number.

The VIN was only introduced in 1981. #vwbus
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BigHarv promoted this comment Arcweld Your Soul was starred

BigHarv
11/06/09

@Arcweld Your Soul: Nuts, figured I'd screw that up #vwbus
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Elhigh
11/06/09

@FormerlyPreferredCustomer: You think you're ignorant? Hell, I'm making guesses based on logic and a thin smattering of experience. Your statement regarding unjust enrichment has value - he's probably got a real leg to stand on there. Simply compare the stated value of $25,000 vs. the expected value of an unrestored 1965 T1 and I reckon he could be in for a check. That's an angle I hadn't considered, just the fact of ownership. #vwbus
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that ain't the way to have fun, son
11/06/09

In reply to VW Bus Stolen 35 Years Ago Found In Shipping Container
What amazes me more than anything is the quality of the paint on the door.

Lookit that! For the past at least 15 years, you've been able to see moon surface-style orange peel at this distance...OEM, no less.

I know it's restored, but still. #vwbus
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ragtopdodge
11/06/09

In reply to VW Bus Stolen 35 Years Ago Found In Shipping Container
Someone in the Netherlands is going to be at a "coffee" shop soon knowing he just lost probably $25k USD. #vwbus
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duurtlang
11/06/09

@ragtopdodge: Those "coffee" shops are for tourists. I know, I live next to one. #vwbus
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Miscellanea
11/06/09

@duurtlang: So where do you go? #vwbus
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Van Sarockin, rogue trebuchet
11/06/09

In reply to VW Bus Stolen 35 Years Ago Found In Shipping Container
Maybe next the DHS can track down all those socks I've lost over the years in the dryers at laundromats?

Just saw a great Dutch movie, 'Eldorado', about a guy who imports big American iron to Yurp, and a road trip he makes. If you can handle a brief, gratuitous full frontal old Alain Delon... #vwbus
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Novaload
11/06/09

@Van Sarockin, rogue trebuchet: Sorry, no can do. Yuck. #vwbus
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Novaload
11/06/09

@Van Sarockin, rogue trebuchet: That was about Alain, not your socks. #vwbus
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Peugeot--Making Bicycles Once Again
11/06/09

In reply to VW Bus Stolen 35 Years Ago Found In Shipping Container
All I see is a blue and white painted shipping container, where is the car?
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Novaload promoted this comment Edited by Peugeot--Making Bicycles Once Again at 11/06/09 11:10 AM

Alfisted
11/06/09

@Peugeot--Still not owned by Fiat: nicely done #vwbus
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snapoversteer 'bout to get told
11/06/09

In reply to VW Bus Stolen 35 Years Ago Found In Shipping Container
How could restoring an American version of this vehicle for sale in Europe possibly be profitable? #vwbus
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abgwin
11/06/09

@snapoversteer 'bout to get told: vintage VWs in Europe rust out even worse than the ones here. Plus, US spec is rare there, ergo in demand.
What sells for $10K here is worth half again as much there. #vwbus
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Sam
11/06/09

@snapoversteer 'bout to get told: VW Busses are much cheaper to buy in the US. They're rarer in europe due to rust etc. I know a couple of people who have inported them to the UK (from California)as even with the expense of shipping it still works out cheaper. #vwbus
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cesariojpn
11/06/09

@snapoversteer 'bout to get told:

You obviously have never seen the British Car Show Wheeler Dealers where some fat f*** named Mike Brewer buys up near-classic cars and hands it over the Edd China to fix and restore to sell on for a crackin' profit.

In the VW Bus episode, before he was forced to get a 80's VW Van and turn it into a campervan, he lamented at the fact that unrestored rustbucket examples easily tipped the meter at 4,000 pounds. #vwbus
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CaptMatt15 loves the Zoom-Zoom
11/06/09

@cesariojpn: I think you've described the show to a T! Haha, I enjoy it but sometimes I just want to yell at that Mike guy to shut the F*** up and stop screwin with the cars! #vwbus
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snapoversteer 'bout to get told promoted this comment

cesariojpn
11/07/09

@CaptMatt15 loves the Zoom-Zoom: Ever see the Bentley episode? God, the respray was shyte. Should've left it blue instead of painting it grey.

Oh, and theirs a much more funnier synopsis of the show for the Mazda Miata episode on Youtube: [www.youtube.com]
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Edited by cesariojpn at 11/07/09 1:37 PM cesariojpn was starred cesariojpn was unstarred

Maxichamp
11/06/09

In reply to VW Bus Stolen 35 Years Ago Found In Shipping Container
I was going to blame the Dutch as soon as I saw the picture. And wouldn't you know, it was actually headed for Holland. Damn you clog wearing, ample disposable income having, car enthusiasts! #vwbus
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Racin_G73 - dirt track legend (some day ... maybe)
11/06/09

In reply to VW Bus Stolen 35 Years Ago Found In Shipping Container
Heheh... I just pulled up the site to post this in 'tips'. I was gonna go with "Story of a vehicle stolen 35 years ago has a happy ending" or something similar.

I'd like to know when that auction takes place. VW Buses aren't my favorite, but that is a sweet lookin' ride. #vwbus
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FormerlyPreferredCustomer
11/06/09

@Racin_G73 - dirt track legend (some day ... maybe): I don't see anything about a happy ending in this story. I think you are looking for the booth professional story, down the page. #vwbus
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Novaload promoted this comment

Van Sarockin, rogue trebuchet
04/16/09

In reply to Now This Is Automotive Art
Yup, people get all pissy about how what they are doing is the only useful thing in the world. Real artists see the effort and the inspiration everywhere.

The worst is the opinion that anything which has a useful, real world function can't be art.

What town are you in, anyway?
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Novaload
04/16/09

In reply to Now This Is Automotive Art
Who is this friendly young man named Peter who sends us these nice postcards from abroad? Is he Mabel's nephew? Do we know him?
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leavethegun-takethecannoli
04/16/09

In reply to Now This Is Automotive Art
While the story is moving, I don't particularly care for his "art."

Would this be classified as Nazi art?
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beercheck
04/16/09

@leavethegun-takethecannoli: I don't know this artist's personal bent, but no, you can't simply generalize German soldiers as Nazis.
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leavethegun-takethecannoli
04/16/09

@beercheck: I shouldn't generalize, that is why I asked. I know some soldiers were just following orders and didn't know of Hitler's atrocities.
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A strolling player
04/16/09

In reply to Now This Is Automotive Art
That could--no, should--be an album cover. For something awesome.
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OldeEnglishD
04/16/09

@Gutpunch McRodbender, a strolling player's understudy: The next Hannah Montana album?
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A strolling player
04/16/09

@OldeEnglishD: You know me too well
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.357
04/16/09

@OldeEnglishD: You get the limo out front... Dammit I need to stop watching TV with my neice.
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OldeEnglishD
04/16/09

@Lord Pferdestärke the 357th: My kid hasn't hit the Hannah Montana phse yet, we are still at Imagination Movers stage in my house...
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