Stolen Challenger found afters years of searching-good story

[oldcarnut]

Great story & pictures in Sun News about local man who recovers his grandfather's Dodge Challenger that was stolen 28 years ago.  Click on the link below to read the story:

http://www.thesunnews.com/news/local/story/1155538.html

[Blown70]

OHHH LOVE THIS

"He said Govier has an impeccable reputation and any fender tag he produces is legitimate.

"If he certifies a car, that's as good as it gets other than having God come down and certify it," Fehrman said. Govier's certifications and fender tags are so reliable, Fehrman said, that classic car enthusiasts generally believe that "if he says it, that's the way it is. It's a good thing he's an honest person."




Otherwise cool story....

Ohh and not a fan of Galen....sorry

[jeryst]

I dont understand how the car could have been sold so many times, in so many states, with its original VIN number intact, and not be flagged as a stolen car. I thought that once a car is reported as being stolen, its VIN number goes into a national data base for stolen vehicles. I used to be pretty good friends with a state police officer (now retired), and any time I was going to buy an old car, he would check the VIN number for me to see if it was stolen.

[Blown70]

Very good question too, or why when a title tranfer happend did they not get a red flag or alert?  I guess I dont know how the DMV works but you would think that something should have popped up?

[Forza]

Pretty neat story. What happens to the guy who had current possession of the car, as in, does he get any reimbursement from his insurance? Or did he just get the big ol shaft?

[tan top]

  true  seems odd that it was able  to go undected for soo long  with the original vin#

[Blown70]

Pretty neat story. What happens to the guy who had current possession of the car, as in, does he get any reimbursement from his insurance? Or did he just get the big ol shaft?

He would be in possesion of stolen property..... Purdy darn sure he will get the shaft....  No insurance is going to pay you on a loss of stolen property.....

[ac_knight]

Not really, look at the year, 1983, there wasn't a mass data base that covered everything in the US in that time.  There isn't one now, other then the FBI computers, but that isn't used by all agencies and dosent cover everything.  With the fact the original agency lost the original paperwork, it is easy to see how no one knew it was stolen.  It was a whole different world back in 1983, I am glad to see that the guy got his car back.  It is probably worth more to him then anyone can pay.

Oh by the way, I think it hilarious that the "new" owner lost his money he paid for the car.  Trying to extort money from a man who rightfully owns the car is just as bad as stealing it. 

[moparstuart]

great story

[Old Moparz]

That was a much better story than the one I posted about the recovered VW bus. 

Also, I'm totally shocked at the amount of detail within the news story. You never see that kind of research on old cars & would almost swear it was written by a Mopar magazine. 

I wonder how many people who stand behind tags being reproduced, or say it's okay to swap VIN tags (re-bodies) are still okay with all that?   

[451-74Charger]

I wonder how many people who stand behind tags being reproduced, or say it's okay to swap VIN tags (re-bodies) are still okay with all that?   

So I cant use my old Jaguar Vin on my Charger?

[Old Moparz]

I wonder how many people who stand behind tags being reproduced, or say it's okay to swap VIN tags (re-bodies) are still okay with all that?   

So I cant use my old Jaguar Vin on my Charger?

[451-74Charger]

Ok, if your going to switch the Tags, parts, vinyl roof, what stops you from rolling back or switching the odometer? like Duh..only 1000 miles since it was stolen..come on !!

[The70RT]

That's what I was thinking about the odometer. And yeah I could see about the records. I bet a lot of those never got put in a data base and were just tossed. So are they saying the options were changed on the fender tag and matched the car since he said some things different now? How do you get Galen to produce a fender tag? Wouldn't you have to produce a build sheet or what.  If not there are more fakes out there than I figured.

[jeryst]

Ok, if your going to switch the Tags, parts, vinyl roof, what stops you from rolling back or switching the odometer? like Duh..only 1000 miles since it was stolen..come on !!

I can somewhat understand the mileage thing. Lets say you are a collector, and you find an original V-code Challenger with 20k original miles. You are going to pay a huge premium for the low mileage, so that means that every mile you put on the car will lose you money. So the car sits in some collection somewhere, or gets trailered everywhere it goes. Same thing happens as it goes from collector to collector.

Of course, the mileage being turned back to within a few miles of the last inspection, or what the title says is also a real possibility. I used to know a guy who, when it was time for inspection, would hook up a drill to his speedometer and turn back the mileage to within a thousand miles of what the last inspection sticker showed. He might have driven the car 20k miles in that year, but the record would show he only put on around 1k miles. When time to sell came around, he always got more for this vehicles because they were "low mileage".

[billssuperbird]

 

[moparstuart]

 I had a 69 rusted out junk  road runner stolen from me in about 1990 . I still have the title , maybe someone has restored it and i can get it back now .   

[stripedelete]

I had a 69 rusted out junk  road runner stolen from me in about 1990 . I still have the title , maybe someone has restored it and i can get it back now .   

Easy.  Just $45K in a bag and meet me...........

[The70RT]

I had a 69 rusted out junk  road runner stolen from me in about 1990 . I still have the title , maybe someone has restored it and i can get it back now .   

Easy.  Just $45K in a bag and meet me...........

No prob.....we will have all the KS Mafia at his side.........

[tan top]

not trying to stir this up , been reading about this on moparts ,  how did Galen  make a repop tag , supposedly correct for this car ??

http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=5599893&an=0&page=0

[The70RT]

not trying to stir this up , been reading about this on moparts ,  how did Galen  make a repop tag , supposedly correct for this car ??

http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=5599893&an=0&page=0

That's what I posted above - Don't you need a build sheet to make a fender tag 

Just like i have had my car for 30 years and know the history.....but that don't mean anything unless I pay Galen to say what I know is true 

[tan top]

not trying to stir this up , been reading about this on moparts ,  how did Galen  make a repop tag , supposedly correct for this car ??

http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=5599893&an=0&page=0

That's what I posted above - Don't you need a build sheet to make a fender tag 

Just like i have had my car for 30 years and know the history.....but that don't mean anything unless I pay Galen to say what I know is true 

yeah  !! was just reading it again over there !! if that can happen to that car !! a stolen  one   whats going on with  the documented  ones out there , make you think ....... .......

[moparstuart]

not trying to stir this up , been reading about this on moparts ,  how did Galen  make a repop tag , supposedly correct for this car ??

http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=5599893&an=0&page=0

That's what I posted above - Don't you need a build sheet to make a fender tag 

Just like i have had my car for 30 years and know the history.....but that don't mean anything unless I pay Galen to say what I know is true 

I alway heard if you didnt have a tag or a build sheet to would have to personally inspect the car for signs of its original opps , guess he didnt look to hard on this one  

[tan top]

not trying to stir this up , been reading about this on moparts ,  how did Galen  make a repop tag , supposedly correct for this car ??

http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=5599893&an=0&page=0

That's what I posted above - Don't you need a build sheet to make a fender tag 

Just like i have had my car for 30 years and know the history.....but that don't mean anything unless I pay Galen to say what I know is true 

I alway heard if you didnt have a tag or a build sheet to would have to personally inspect the car for signs of its original opps , guess he didnt look to hard on this one  

yeah Stuart thats what i was led to believe also

[The70RT]

not trying to stir this up , been reading about this on moparts ,  how did Galen  make a repop tag , supposedly correct for this car ??

http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=5599893&an=0&page=0

That's what I posted above - Don't you need a build sheet to make a fender tag 

Just like i have had my car for 30 years and know the history.....but that don't mean anything unless I pay Galen to say what I know is true 

I alway heard if you didnt have a tag or a build sheet to would have to personally inspect the car for signs of its original opps , guess he didnt look to hard on this one  

yeah Stuart thats what i was led to believe also

Yeah then he don't remember if the tag was one of his or not 

[moparstuart]

not trying to stir this up , been reading about this on moparts ,  how did Galen  make a repop tag , supposedly correct for this car ??

http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=5599893&an=0&page=0

That's what I posted above - Don't you need a build sheet to make a fender tag  

Just like i have had my car for 30 years and know the history.....but that don't mean anything unless I pay Galen to say what I know is true  

I alway     you know if he made it and got paid for it he will have a copy of what he did to and for the car

yeah Stuart thats what i was led to believe also

Yeah then he don't remember if the tag was one of his or not  

you know if he made the tag and got paid for it , he kept a copy and file on what he made and did for the car

[aussiemuscle]

Pretty neat story. What happens to the guy who had current possession of the car, as in, does he get any reimbursement from his insurance? Or did he just get the big ol shaft?

he would have the right to sue the person he bought it off, and that person to who they bought it off and so on.

[jeryst]

not trying to stir this up , been reading about this on moparts ,  how did Galen  make a repop tag , supposedly correct for this car ??

http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=5599893&an=0&page=0

That's what I posted above - Don't you need a build sheet to make a fender tag 

Just like i have had my car for 30 years and know the history.....but that don't mean anything unless I pay Galen to say what I know is true 

I alway heard if you didnt have a tag or a build sheet to would have to personally inspect the car for signs of its original opps , guess he didnt look to hard on this one  

Just makes you wonder what his word is really worth!

[Mefirst]

Ill probably sound like a total dick but if it had been me who had bought that car unknown about its history, I would NEVER just hand it back to that guy.. Couldn't care less if he cried a river about it been stolen from his grandfather 28 years ago... He or someone else would have to compensate me the money I spent on it first..

..if not... that car would just disappear and never be heard or seen again...

My

[The70RT]

Ill probably sound like a total dick but if it had been me who had bought that car unknown about its history, I would NEVER just hand it back to that guy.. Couldn't care less if he cried a river about it been stolen from his grandfather 28 years ago... He or someone else would have to compensate me the money I spent on it first..

..if not... that car would just disappear and never be heard or seen again...

My

He didn't just hand it back. Word got out where he hid it and the authority's went and confiscated it. But yeah I see what your saying....you would be in a rock and a hard place. I would hide it and get a lawyer and go from there.

[tripleblkr/t]

Probably got it back in alot better shape then when it was stolen. I bet he was pretty excited to see that pull into his driveway when he didnt have a dime into it, Merry Christmas to me .  I wonder what would of happend if he would of had insurance on it when it was stolen and the insurance company paid them off for it, who would end up with it then?

[moparstuart]

Probably got it back in alot better shape then when it was stolen. I bet he was pretty excited to see that pull into his driveway when he didnt have a dime into it, Merry Christmas to me .  I wonder what would of happend if he would of had insurance on it when it was stolen and the insurance company paid them off for it, who would end up with it then?

the insurance company , he is lucky to not have had insurance .

[tripleblkr/t]

If that insurance company is still around? Really makes you want to check a car out before you buy now.

[The70RT]

Probably got it back in alot better shape then when it was stolen. I bet he was pretty excited to see that pull into his driveway when he didnt have a dime into it, Merry Christmas to me .  I wonder what would of happend if he would of had insurance on it when it was stolen and the insurance company paid them off for it, who would end up with it then?

The car was only 10 years old when it was stolen. The car has two different sections of floors in it from 2 other cars. The original hood was changed and different chrome put that didn't line up. The vinyl top was removed and now it has a fake vin tag on it. The only thing good that happened is he never had to register, insure, or pay storage or maintenance....but then again he never enjoyed all those year it was gone either.