280SL Stolen in Los Angeles

[Tom Colitt]

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.

[paulr]

awful news, I can't imagine how you must be feeling...fingers crossed it'll turn up unharmed. I hope so.

[Tom Colitt]

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....

[hauser]

Sorry to hear the news.  I hope you get your car back unharmed.

[J. Huber]

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...

[TR]

Tom -- Very sorry to hear about this.  It's just awful.

Tom Rose

[scoot]

...so how about the Teletrac?  Was it found?  Sorry for your loss, what a bad thing to happen.

[Tom Colitt]

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....

[hauser]

"to get the rest of the car back"

Tom, are you saying that the stripped parts were also recovered?

[abe280SL]

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

[Douglas]

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.

[graphic66]

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.

[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.

[benzportland]

Makes me sick to hear this!  I check Craigslist nationally for parts, and would be happy to forward ads to you.

[Bob G ✝︎]

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

[seattle_Jerry]

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.

[hauser]

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.

[hill]

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.

[Garry]

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!!!!

[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!

[tuultyme]

"What happens if you forget with the bigger chain."
Place a note on your keys or steering wheel.

[Paddy_Crow]

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.

[peterm]

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!

[Lilly]

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.

[hill]

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.