Have you ever had your car stolen?

[AlanW]

If so, and if it was an expensive car or a high performance car (or both!) did you replace it like for like and assume that lightening doesn't strike twice?

Or did you do what would be considered to be the sensible thing and either purchased a less expensive or a less desirable car?

 

[cougie uk]

Back in the 80s our family car (that I was using) was nicked. It was an old Toyota estate. It was found about 2 miles away undamaged - I think it was someone too lazy to walk. Car security wasn't a thing then.
After reading and seeing videos of high power cars getting stolen with threats of violence - I'd never be getting one of them (but they don't interest me anyway).

 

[fossyant]

Had my first car stolen. Mark 2 Escort that was about 10 years old. Only had it 18 months. Disappeared off the driveway early one evening. Never seen again.

 

[PeteXXX]

*looks out of lounge window* No, not yet..

 

[IanSmithCSE]

Good afternoon,

No, but I did report it stolen when it wasn't where I expected it to be one evening

Eventually it dawned on me that I had parked it somewhere else.

What did surprise me was the number of ANPR cameras near me and volume of the records available to the police of where and when the car has been.

Bye

Ian

 

[oldwheels]

Not me and not my car but a guy came out of the pub in Dervaig, got into his car and drove home. He then discovered he could not get into his driveway as it was blocked by his car.

 

[Big John]

Had a Morris Minor that was nicked from outside the factory where I worked, circa 1977. I rang up my insurance broker who told me to get the bus and pop into his office and he'd help me complete the insurance claim form. Proper service in those days, eh? On the way to his office, and sitting on the top deck of the bus, I spotted my car parked up. I jumped off the bus, had my car keys with me and got in. My fishing tackle had been nicked from the boot but otherwise it was intact. I rang the broker, told him I wouldn't be needing him and also rang the police to say I'd found the car and was now about to drive it away. They gave me a rollicking because I think they wanted to take finger prints but there was no way I was going to leave the car for it to be driven away again after I'd found it. I also had a Honda 50 nicked off the drive, circa 1979. The police managed to find that without my help but unfortunately the thieving toe rags had torched it (the thieves, not the police). Also had a three speed, sit up and beg, bike nicked from outside a social club. To the thieves, if they're still alive, I would just like to say may the hairs on your bum turn to drumsticks and beat the living **** out of you 👍

 

[PeteXXX]

I once though I'd had my truck stolen from some motorway services. I'd gone for a coffee in the restaurant that was on the bridge over the road and couldn't find the truck anywhere when I returned to the lorry park.
I was about to make the call of shame to the boss when I looked over to the northbound parking area (I was, at this point, on the southbound side) and saw my truck sitting there exactly where I'd parked it

 

[numbnuts]

I had my mini van stolen from outside my house, reported to police, but some 6 hours later my sister found it in a garage forecourt at the start of the motorway.

 

[Sharky]

Heard a story, back in the 70's, that there was a thing going on where a car would be nicked by some local rogues and torched down a country road. Then the local breakers would be asked to clear the wreckage and dispose of. I guess the breakers would be paid to clear the road and then the fire would have cleaned the car of all non metal items, so was ready for selling as scrap.

I suspect that the rogues and the breakers were in cahoots, if not were the same people.

 

[slowmotion]

One of my vans disappeared from the street outside our house and vanished forever. The police phoned me at one in the morning to find out exactly what it looked like. It turned out subsequently that there was an IRA cell operating in Hammersmith and I idly wondered if they had stolen it for a job. I replaced it with a slightly less shabby one.

 

[All uphill]

Not sure I've ever had a car worth nicking; I did have one towed away in Central London years ago. That was painful enough.

 

[T4tomo]

No, but someone once took the Cricket Club ride on mower for a joyride - does that count?

Equally I have never nicked a car, but did take one of the Lords groundstaff golf buggies for a joyride from the North gate (which I'd been assured would be open late, after a function in the Long room) down to the East gate, which was.

 

[jongooligan]

Had a Fiesta stolen from the car park at work in the early nineties. Think the insurance company were suspicious as the MOT was due but I'd sent them both sets of keys and eventually I got paid.

A couple of days later one of the lads at work came rushing in to tell me he'd seen my car on a low loader heading down Scotswood Road. Just the body shell though - it had been completely dismantled. Probably stolen to order for the parts. "What are you going to do?" he asked.

"Absolutely nothing." He was expecting me to phone the police and I think I went way down in his estimation.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

Yep, had a Cavalier 2.0 SRi stolen visiting relatives in Manchester, mid 1990s. Twice.

The first time they had it away during the night, I got a call from GMP early the next morning to say my car had been used in a burglary and had been recovered. When I got it back it was a wreck, several panels done for, one wheel hanging off, suspension wrecked, engine trashed.
My Mum's husband was a great mechanic and he took it into his garage and did the work himself, replaced all the damaged parts over about a week, and had it looking and driving as good as new.

Then at the same address just weeks later I parked it up and this time kept my eye on it, lo and behold, within minutes, 3 scrotes were busy breaking into it. I chased outside armed with a golf club but they were already pulling away towards the end of the cul-de-sac. They got it jammed between two concrete bollards and legged it, leaving me with a stranded / stuck Cavalier that had two damaged panels and wheels, broken steering column, door locks etc.

I lost heart after that and resolved not to have higher performance cars ever again. Or to ever visit Manchester with a half decent car. I hate thieves.