Pagoda SL Group
W113 Pagoda SL Group => General Discussion => Topic started by: Tom Colitt on September 22, 2008, 15:37:33
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MY own 280SL has just been stolen in Westchester/ Los Angeles!!! Probably towed away, last night from in front of my home. This is the third time a Pagoda has been stolen from my (they are usually stripped for parts here and found a week later). This car is light Blue metallic with the hard top and looks quite similar to the recent client's car that some of you have seen pictures of...
I am feeling fairly desperate right now. It is such a shame that one basically can't drive these cars in Los Angeles without a high risk of it being stolen.
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awful news, I can't imagine how you must be feeling...fingers crossed it'll turn up unharmed. I hope so.
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Thanks I do hope it will turn up too, but certainly not unharmed... Last two times everything but engine and drive train was stripped...
The car was equipped with Teletrac so if the thieves haven't disabled the system yet, there is still a chance of catching it before they get busy....
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Sorry to hear the news. I hope you get your car back unharmed.
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Tom. That is horrible news. Not that it helps but are you at the same address as the previous crimes? I can't help but think its not random...
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Tom -- Very sorry to hear about this. It's just awful.
Tom Rose
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...so how about the Teletrac? Was it found? Sorry for your loss, what a bad thing to happen.
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What a day! The car is already found. The Teletrac actually found it, after initially giving no signal. I raced to the location only to find that it had already been found by the police, unfortunately stripped. These guys obviously worked quickly at night.... It was already at the official police tow yard by the time I noticed and had reported it as stolen. Now, I have to get the police to "release" it to me before I am allowed to pay the $187 to get the rest of the car back. Yes, James. I am very worried that the thieves can just come back once I have the car back together again. I have had Pagodas stolen from me all over Los Angeles (no other classic cars...) There apparently is a standing order around for these cars and tow truck drivers "fill" these orders when they spot them...
Be very careful about leaving your cars on public streets, especially at night, but also in broad daylight. My car had a car cover on it and an alarm, which didn't go off maybe because it was towed again....
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"to get the rest of the car back"
Tom, are you saying that the stripped parts were also recovered?
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First, I also like to say I'm sorry for your loss. But, not to be disrespectful in any way.... how can you leave such a nice collectors car parked in the street? I live in a guard gated community...and I don't leave my car in the street nor driveway for fear that someone might steal something or get damaged.
It may also be prudent to keep your eyes open on ebay to see if some parts show up....although I don't know if crooks are that stupid.
One more thing...please tell me it was an old rusty sl and not a beautifully restored one.
abe
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Tom,
What parts were stolen? It would be good to know in case anyone comes across a suspicious seller.
I'm sorry to hear about this hassle. It truly is the biggest downside to owning a car that is appreciating in value like a Pagoda.
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When I do repairs on my car I put slips of paper with my contact info hidden in places. I just reupholstered my seats and put it in them so you can look through the vents and see it. I put my info in the doors, inside the fuse box, inside the radio, under the trunk mat, on the back of the glove box, Magic marker the back of chrome pieces, etc. You may just find your stuff later and be able to identify it. I always scrape my name in the bottom of my battery also. I have recovered many tools from my friends tool boxes with my name on them. I like to ask them, "where did you get this", there is usually a story and then I ask why they put my name on it and recover my tool.
What do the Lojack things cost and how well do they work? Which one is the best?
I also have a steering club typelock, not a big deterrent, but maybe the police will see that and question the tow truck guy.
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There is a tow hook on the end of the front driver side frame that is real easy to attache a cable to. If they try to take mine at home they will be dragging forty feet 2.5" pipe (handicap railing). Even a cable wrapped around a cemented in post would slow them down.
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Makes me sick to hear this! I check Craigslist nationally for parts, and would be happy to forward ads to you.
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Tom:
do you have an agreed value policy on the car. Also what do you estimate the cost of parts and labor will be to restore it again and will your insurance company reinburse this cost to you?
Bob Geco
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If its getting stolen by towing, put a seperate battery powered alarm with a tilt sensor and a paging device. Maybe better to not have a siren attached so they won't know to kill it.
Then at least you can activate the lojack and catch the guys.
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I remember reading something about a Pagoda owner whose grill was stolen. He later purchased a grill at a yard sale and was sure it was his.
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quote:
Originally posted by hill
There is a tow hook on the end of the front driver side frame that is real easy to attache a cable to. If they try to take mine at home they will be dragging forty feet 2.5" pipe (handicap railing). Even a cable wrapped around a cemented in post would slow them down.
My bad, today I forgot to undo the cable and snapped off the end when backing out. It was only 1/4 cable. Today installed 3/8 anodized link chain and a monster lock that is sized to avoid cutters and grinders. With the loop between both rails they will be dragging seventy feet of steel.
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Quote
"With the loop between both rails they will be dragging seventy feet of steel."
That or they will be getting a car with out a frount end!!!!
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They don't need cutters or grinders... just liquid nitrogen or some other cooling agent and a hammer.
What happens if you forget with the bigger chain...ouch!
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"What happens if you forget with the bigger chain."
Place a note on your keys or steering wheel.
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quote:
Originally posted by seattle_Jerry
They don't need cutters or grinders... just liquid nitrogen or some other cooling agent and a hammer.
What happens if you forget with the bigger chain...ouch!
Myth Busters did a show about the cop car scene from American Graffiti. They busted it. If you get going fast enough, the chain or cable will break, it did not rip the rear axle off. They were only able to get the rear axle to come off after they loosened the bolts that held it to the leaf springs, then the axle got caught between the leaf spring and sheet metal and broke the cable.
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I would imagine either way it may not be a good thing to do. I think they need to do a show about that liquid nitrogen thing though!
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When I lived in western CT 15 years ago, the entire front grille of my 230 SL was stolen. My father had been told of a used parts dealer not too far away (45 min or so) in Irvington NY on the Hudson River just north of Manhattan and we had gotten a couple of relatively inexpensive items from the business before the grill incident.
During the Christmas following my grill's theft, I was surprised with a new but used one from my father. He'd paid $600 for it at the used dealer in Irvington. ODDLY, it had an impact mark in about the same place as my grill, but I figured it mustn't have been mine, installed it, and it remains on my car today.
WELL, within the past month, I google searched for the business (Autobahn Recycling Center LTD.) to see if it was still operating and to get its phone number for a part inquiry. What I learned was partly shocking.
The business' name was found by Google in a recent New York Times article. Fed and state authorities had just raided the place having conducted a long investigation of stolen cars in the Westchester County NY area. They discovered over 10 cars which had been reported stolen and were in various stages of disassembly along with a large warehouse of used (suspected stolen) parts!
My father and I had suspected criminal activity there over fifteen years ago after he'd bought the grill and never went back. Now I'm glad we didn't.
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quote:
Originally posted by seattle_Jerry
They don't need cutters or grinders... just liquid nitrogen or some other cooling agent and a hammer.
What happens if you forget with the bigger chain...ouch!
Well with the cable I had slack. With the chain you just pull the chain up tight. 1-2" of slack does not generate enough energy to pull out 20 something concreted bolts. As far as the chain and nitrogen that’s why I bought it with anodized coating.
This attempt to keep Jezebel safe is not perfect, just trying to make a thief create a lot of noise. Then my buddies Colt, Smith and Remington might persuade them to cease and desist.
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have you though about tying a pitbull to the chain as well? (one without lipstick that is)
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quote:
Originally posted by peterm
have you though about tying a pitbull to the chain as well? (one without lipstick that is)
Or leaving a pitbull in the car?
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quote:
Originally posted by peterm
have you though about tying a pitbull to the chain as well? (one without lipstick that is)
No. I like animals to much to do that. There are a few politicians that could fit the bill :D
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quote:
Originally posted by scoot
quote:
Originally posted by peterm
have you though about tying a pitbull to the chain as well? (one without lipstick that is)
Or leaving a pitbull in the car?
No, but I had a lab tht laid down next to my toolbox at work and would not let other mechanics "borrow" tools.
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quote:
Originally posted by hill
quote:
Originally posted by peterm
have you though about tying a pitbull to the chain as well? (one without lipstick that is)
No. I like animals to much to do that. There are a few politicians that could fit the bill :D
Ah, politics! "Poli" - the Greek word for many, and "tics" - grasping, blood sucking insects!
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I would agree with you about the bloodsucking tendencies of politicians. However, "poli" here means "civil". "Politics" is the process which civil maters are organized and conducted. I know many would say it's all Greek to me. Sorry I got way off the subject.
Anyway, the best way to keep thieves away, is to keep the car out of site totally or in site of many people. Locked garage with alarm when home and when parked in my direct site or in site of many others. Never valet park.
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Thanks for the tips. Only yesterday, was I able to get my car released from police impound for over $500 in fees.
To answer some of the earlier questions: Unfortunately, my experience and research on this subject has taught me that these guys probably are not selling the parts (both tops, hard top was fully restored- how do you value that!?, exterior chrome and nice Red taillight and euro headlights, instruments, dash pads, excellent original visors......) brand new Blue center ash tray (NLA) purchased from MB a few years ago and various other parts. I feel lucky that they were apparently nervous enough to stop, before stealing the doors, hood, trunk lid, seats, glove box...
I am insured for an agreed value, so I should be covered. My main concern is that, I will of course be repairing my car myself as I had restored it originally. I had many hours into the hard top alone. I'm not sure that my insurance company will be interested in an estimate coming from me, so I was thinking of contacting my fellow restorer Scott Melnik. Does anyone have his phone number?
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quote:
Originally posted by Tom Colitt
I am insured for an agreed value, so I should be covered. My main concern is that, I will of course be repairing my car myself as I had restored it originally. I had many hours into the hard top alone. I'm not sure that my insurance company will be interested in an estimate coming from me, so I was thinking of contacting my fellow restorer Scott Melnik. Does anyone have his phone number?
For insurance purposes, I wonder if you might be able to get a repair/restoration estimate from the MB Classic Center... At least you could be guaranteed that it would be a high number and that you could have the work done (or do the work yourself) for far less...
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Tom: Sorry to hear about your car, glad it was recovered though. My car is in Scott Melnick's shop in Malibu and I have the number at my office. I'll get it to you later today.
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Scott Melnick: 310-456-5000
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Tom, the ashtray is available through SLS in Germany but it's a pricey reproduction. If I run across the ebay auction I'll post it here.
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Thanks for the responses and good wishes. I have recovered from the shock and already been busy buying parts on ebay. Everythime I look at my car, I think about how lucky I am certain parts were not taken. It really looks like they were in a rush to get rid of the car once they found out I had a tracking device and had secured the outer belt line chrome with special torx screws.
Meanwhile I would like to post some fairly uniquely identifying marks about the parts that were stolen, in the very unlikely event that a Pagoda surfaces for sale, with these items installed. The light Blue metallic (DB906) hard top will likely have been re-painted to match whatever car they stole my parts for, but the top had a MBUSA Mercedes star sticker stuck to the inside of the driver's side glass. It did not have the Star pointing straight up and down, as it should be.
I had refinished the center wood console myself and it was in quite good condition, but I used a medium brown, satin finish, not like the high gloss coming from the factory these days. Also, it had a brand new ash tray with the Blue vinyl installed. As far as I know, SLS only carries the Black ones now, but I do believe they are left over stock from MB, not re-productions (I could be wrong). I do not think my soft top (Blue canvas), bumpers (Euro style), Euro head lights, very good Red tail lights, front grill, etc. would be distinguishable from other cars, only that the front bumper had been re-chromed and not yet painted inside with the light tan paint. Maybe if all these parts show up together on a car for sale in Los Angeles, it might be more conspicuous. I also had a White horn pad to go with my White steering wheel, which was not stolen. It might look odd if they used it on a Black steering wheel. If anyone sees a car like that for sale, I sure would love to hear from you and rush to take a look...
Thanks, Tom
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Tom
Your stolen hard top will have the body number stamped on the lip under the rear glass. If you post your body number, maybee someone in the group might spot it if it turns up for sale somewhere.
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Sorry to hear abour your car! I live in Orange County, California and needed a good wake-up call to watch my car when I take her out. Luckly, she is parked in the garage behind my house so she's somewhat safe. I should tell you though, I just bought a blue soft top off of ebay within the last two weeks from a guy in Los Angeles. I have it sitting here beside me because it just arrived. I would be happy to give you the name and the ebay number if you want to check it out, or send pictures of the top. marti
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I just returned from a trip to Berlin where I came across a very nice front chrome grill in Los Angeles, that was described as having a very small ding near the top of the grill. I was the high bidder, but the guy wanted $950, so I asked if I could see it when I returned to L.A. Yesterday I met up with the guy on Doheny Drive, just outside Beverly Hills. I asked him how long he had had the grill and why he had sold another grill a month earlier on ebay, etc. When he said that he'd had the grill for years and that he and his buddies "restore" 280SLs, I told him that this was my grill that was stolen from my car and that I could identify it by the chisel marks where i had attempted to remove the ding from the inside. I told him that he had the option of giving me the grill back or that I would call the cops immediately. After a few more minutes of making excuses that he didn't need to steal parts, he gave me my grill back. One could clearly see that he knew that the grill wasn't clean because an innocent guy wouldn't have let it go just that easily. I am happy I got such an expensive part back, but I am still upset that these guys will probably keep at it and maybe even hit me again....
I'm just sick of these guys stealing my car and parts again and again....
Marty. I just saw your post and would be interested in hearing who sold you that Blue soft top....
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Why not have told him that you would be back in a few hours with the money and have the cops around the corner waiting to arrest him? We just let a criminial go that will do it again and again.
abe
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Hello Tom,
Sad to hear the whole story - which I followed with much interest.
I think my heartbeat would stop if my car got stolen like that.
Happy to hear that you recovered the car - and the grille now.
However, I don't think that should be the end of the story.
These guys were and are criminal - if I were you I would report it to the Police. Perhaps there is someone who you can trust or discuss the report making ( "Anzeige") in beforehand.
These guys should be stopped otherwise they just continue.
On the other hand ... once your car is complete again you have to take it away from just parking in the streets.
What you need is a somehow safe garage etc.
Otherwise this is going to happen to you again and again.
I'd store it safe under the bed's pillow ....
Just my 2 cents & good luck
Achim
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Tom - I think that the CHP does a lot of the stolen car ring investigative work in CA. I'd make sure that they have all the details of your case, including the name and location of the guy that had your grill.
Cheers,
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Tom,
I am really sorry to hear about your loss. That statement almost makes the loss sound human, but that's not far from the truth. I know how much time, effort & love you put into your cars. For the rest of us that have not suffered this unfortune, how does your insurance company treat this situation considering that your beautiful blue baby was parked on the street?? My Grundy policy insists that I have a locked garage for my car. I hope your policy causes no headache. You already have enough heartache. See you soon, Tom
Jackson
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Thanks for the tips. Only yesterday, was I able to get my car released from police impound for over $500 in fees.
Jeez, you were pretty much robbed twice.
I hope you find a way to bring these guys to justice and perhaps recover more parts. Dollars to donuts the guy had your other parts in his possession.
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Thanks guys, for your advice and sympathy. I considered carefully what I would do here. I have too much experience with the police's help (more lack thereof) and figured the proof I had that this was my grill (probably still had my fingerprints all over it too from years of handling the grill, but I doubt they would have dusted it for prints).
I probably will make a few phone calls to the police and sheriff, but it will likely end as always, with more trouble for me and little interest on their side. My insurance company understandably tried to drop me after the whole car was stolen a year and a half ago. They claimed it was not garaged, which it is 90% of the time at my workshop. When at home, I sometimes have no extra space in the garage and so I've had to leave it in the driveway or tightly parked between two cars. Lately, I had been removing all the lugs nuts from one wheel. That's how it was when they stole just the grill again a few months ago. I didn't even report that to police or insurance because I knew they wouldn't like it. I like Bob Hands's idea of riveting the grill to the body and have now used other theft preventive screws and bolts to prevent theft when the car is out and about. I'm still looking for a tracking system that offers more complete coverage than my Teletrac system and my Alarm system which is often more headache than protection.....I will start engraving parts for identification and suggest everyone do this....
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i agree! people WILL steal these cars. ive caught people before trying to slim jim their way in my baby before.
just thought id post some tips to protecting your car, the theives might mess stuff up if they try to steal it, but at least the car will be there
1. kill swtiches (ghost switch, ravelco, whatever), also when ever you leave take your main coil wire. No ignition = no starting!
2. steering wheel lock (more of a deterent to newbie theives, experinced theives laugh at these)
3. pedal locks ( you will sure hear it if they try taking to flatbead it away, again newbie deterent, but what ever buys your car time)
4. alarm- pretty much pointless except to maybe wake you or someone else up, if they didnt disable it already.
5. engraving parts- far by one of the most important things to have, if the unthinkable happens. i engraved all "major" parts with my chassis#(a-arms, axles,panels, driveshaft, most of the parts people could steal and say they were "salvaged". because lets say you find a part with that number, take it to the police and show them your car's title and you have proof of the VIN's, theif in jail.
6. wheel boots- if you dont have the luxury of a garage, use these especially if your car sits in the road or whatever. because these wont let the car move at all without distrubing a lot of sleeping people, make sure they are the ones that cover that hub cap so they dont just swap out your wheels. you might say well they will use liquid Nitrogen to break them off, but trust me its not that quiet and easy to hammer one of these off your car.
7. home security- place cameras, real or fake outside the perimeter of your house. they make fake ones that look real with the red LED and everything. and these work wonders. this proboly isnt the theives first rodeo, and he definatly doesnt want someone to have a picture of his face.
these may sound a little overboard, but what when it comes down to it what would you rather have?
Pagoda or No Pagoda
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My girlfriends sister lives in LA, Hermosa Beach on the Strand. The nieghbor behind her had a very late model 230SL her Mom had bought new. She drove it semi daily and left it outside of here house just two doors down from Marthas restaurant. I would always check the car out, it was very unmolested and it was always unlocked, even the trunk. I always thought somebody would surely steal those perfect all red taillights.
Everything disappears at the beach if left unattended. Sure enough one day a van pulled up, someone got out, hotwired the car and drove away. It probably would have helped locking the car and placing the ignition key switch in the position with the column lock. It was all on security camera of the nieghbors but it was to low res to read the plate numbers on the van, they were probably stolen plates anyways. She did get the car back about a month later, well the shell of the car was found under a bridge. It was a silver car and I don't think the lady really knew the value of it and just didn't bother to lock it securely at all. I bet it all ended up on EBAY.
Great advice on engraving the parts. I always scratch my name in my tools when I buy them. I am suprised how many times they turn up in a friends tool box. I like to ask them where they got it, they almost always have a story, not even knowing they had borrowed it or I had just left it behind. I then reply with "Then why did you write my name on it" and take my tool back. I am getting an engraver and going to work. I also write my name with marker inside of things with my contact info. I just did that with my Becker Grand Prix Radio, you never know.
We are a small group and with being able to get info of a theft out there among us quickly we may be able to catch more thiefs.
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Yes. I agree that all the things you both mentioned are good deterrent's or identifiers. I've used most of them, yet still didn't hear the (probably) tow truck that picked up my car (these things could put that rack under your front or rear wheels within 30 seconds and be gone). I'm quite convinced that many of these thefts are by tow truck... I need to get a more sensitive tilt sensor on my alarm system that would register when the vehicle is lifted and then automatically notify my Teletrac system....
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Those low lives make me sick! Could you perhaps set it up as a bait car and catch this filth for once and for all?
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I give up. I posted a warning to benefit all our members about the guy who was selling the stolen grill, "Amshahk" and apprently it was removed.... Same problem as always in this country. The "rights" of criminals are valued higher than those of their victims. That's too bad.....
I have offered to both my insurance company and the police to try to catch these guys. Apparently the car thieves very commonly "dump" the cars on a small number of the same streets in South L.A., not far from a police station, where they are then found stripped. They seem to all think that the cost involved is too high in relation to my (and their) damages. It's more efficient to just support the thieves business.....
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Tom,
Your warning was not removed. It was moved to the correct Subforum... where people look for feedback on vendors first. In fact, you have a few questions/comments there.
It's here: http://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=13039.0
Please use the "Show unread posts since last visit" or the "Show new replies to your posts" functions at the top of the page to browse the forum... you'll find those quite useful.
Peter
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Thanks Peter. I haven't used those functions and I normally never have the time to read anything but a few posts at the General Discussion forum. I figured that there are probably many members like me, that would only catch the post if they are just browsing. I could be quite wrong about that....
Regards, Tom
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You are, most regulars have found these functions, and use them all the time. Hence the reminder in the post for those not initiated yet...
Peter
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Regarding the functions here -- I do as Peter mentions. My bookmarked page is the Forum index page. Logged in Forever... I then immediately click the upper right link for unread posts... After reading a few posts, I hit the unread link again and it refreshes -- eliminating those I just read. As a bona fide SL Groupie I have discovered that this is the most efficient way to stay on top of things. (just don't go away for too long!)
And re: the stolen car, I am glad you got the grille back -- and as much as I'd like to see that a-hole electrocuted for touching your car in the first place, I know its tough finding justice in this crazy State. One sort of radical suggestion for securing your car is moving to a smaller town. There are still a few nice ones around. Oh sure we have some crime -- but I'll go out on a limb and say, if you can afford a Pagoda, you will probably have decent surroundings and your possessions will be secure.