Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Ellis]

Twice, I'm afraid to say.

The first was when my second Triumph Stag was back in use in October 1988 after restoration .I parked it outside on the road in warm autumn sunshine to "air"it and went away for the afternoon. When I returned some kind soul had left a sizeable rock on the newly resprayed bonnet. Dented and scratched it had to be "done" again.

The second time was the very evening I collected my Mark 2 Jaguar in June 1991. It was towed on a trailer to the bodyshop and left outside at 10.00pm.
By morning both Fograngers had disappeared as well as a period Motorola radio. The Mark 2 was locked.
The speedometer showing the original 58k mileage reading was also stolen.
An attempt had been made to remove the good condition rear bumper.

My "moderns" have also suffered, the most annoying were the three stolen VW grille badges from my VW Caddy - "Beastie Boys" do you remember?
I suppose I was luckier than most because each time the plastic grille surrounding the badge was undamaged. Thoughtful of them, eh?
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Starting Handle Expert

1964 Jaguar Mark 2 3.4 litre
1962 Land Rover Series 2a 88"
2002 BMW M3 E46 Cabriolet

[Bitumen Boy]

No theft as yet, but several incidences of damage. The Herald has been keyed a few times, luckily the paint's always been fairly ropy anyway so easily covered over. One Acclaim I had got both offside doors dented in by another vehicle while parked up - sure it was one of the useless council minibus drivers that use our side lane to turn round in, but of course no chance of proving it! Another Acclaim we had a spell where some kind soul would come and let the tyres down at night, tried "locking" valve caps which were a waste of money but then after a few weeks it just stopped anyway, probably one of the neighbours fancied that particular parking space Same car had one of the locks ruined by some idiot trying (and failing) to break in, heaven only knows what for - perhaps they had a desperate need of some scabby old cassettes and a threequarter used tin of WD40

[colwyn500]

The biggest "crime" committed against my car was done by whoever ignored it left alone in a leaky garage for thirty years!

[Rick]

Years ago when I ran a four-door Volvo 121 as my daily driver, I woke up one morning to discover the rear quarter window had been neatly removed (pushed in most likely). Quite what they took, if anything, I don't remember, although I never found the window - perhaps that's what they were after!?

RJ
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[lowdrag]

Yes, in 1964. My Mini disappeared from outside the house. I was called six weeks later by the BiB to say they'd found it. Could I please go down to Portsmouth commercial docks straight away? (That's where the ferries leave now by the way). There the car was, being hoisted out of the harbour by a crane, covered in young barnacles, and rather a "mini" Mini. A ship had come in at high tide and as the tide went out squashed it! Of all things, I had come back from holiday the day before, and my wallet was still in the driver's door bin.

Turned out it had been stolen, then used to rob a post office, then ditched.

[christine lowery]

our Triumph 2000 mk1 was moved from the front door and into a tree 10yds away they didn't know adout manual chokes
it was recoverd by the police as we were on holiday and it cost us £120 to get it back from the garage 200 yds down the road
no damage to speak of apart from my wallet
chris

[peppiB]

About 6 years ago when I had my 126 Merc I foolishly parked in the city centre and when I got back someone had used a screwdriver to gouge the paint on the boot. Have lost 3 bonnet stars from my 190E in the past 3 years (£56.50 from Mercedes, £9.50 inc postage from Bulgaria so guess where I buy them)

[baconsdozen]

My transit motorhome was broken into three times.The interior was badly damaged the first time with a lot of it ripped out,the second time there was less damage but my tools and the leisure batteries vanished as well.
The last time I caught the bloke inside it,only real damage was the broken rear door lock and busted hinges,the copper said it didn't really matter as we sold similar stuff in the shop!
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Thirty years selling imperial hand tools for old machinery(Now happily retired).

[Keith D]

baconsdozen,

When you said that the only real damage was a broken rear door lock and busted hinges, I thought that may have been when you threw the bast##d out!

Keith

[baconsdozen]

He landed up in next doors garden.
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Thirty years selling imperial hand tools for old machinery(Now happily retired).

[Richard H]

My A55 Cambridge was stolen from outside the previous owner's house before I owned it. At the time (1990-91) he lived on St Ann's Road in Southend (for the locals!), which is a street of terraced houses with no off street parking, so the car had to live out on the street. He told me he could rarely get a space outside when getting back from work, and one morning he walked down the road to where he'd left the car and it had gone!
He reported it to the police, and a few hours later he had a phone call to say it had been dumped outside Prittlewell Station. Unfortunately it had been crashed into a bollard, and received some front end damage I uncovered when I stripped the car down for restoration 20 years later! Annoyingly, before dumping it they slashed the original interior with a knife so it had to be retrimmed
I don't know about the damage the ignition received, presumably they pulled the wires out to hotwire it, but the drivers door lock was laughably worn (after at least 160,000 miles), to the extent that my house key, or a screwdriver, could open it, so that's obviously how they got in
Amazing they managed to operate the column change really! I always use big steering locks on my cars now, so fortunately haven't had any similar problems!
Come to think of it, I did have my A35 broken into in Rochford in 2008 (I left the window slightly open and they pulled it down) but nothing was taken. Apart from an ancient cassette player and some "hits of the 1950's" tapes there wasn't anything to take!
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Richard Hughes

[badhuis]

I never lock my old cars for fearing damage to the locks or windows. I cannot imagine someone stealing it, being such a recognizable car.

Only once, 23 years ago, I have been the subject of thieves. They stole an overnight bag from my Imp, while it was on the parking of a hospital. I visited my mother in law who was ill at the time, was only away for an hour or so.
Contents of the bag were just some clothes... cannot imagine why that would have been of interest of thieves!
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a car stops being fun when it becomes an investment