Stolen Hippie Transporter Recoverd After 35 Years!

[Old Moparz]

This is a very cool story, I just hope the original owner, or even a relative, is still around to take possession of it again. 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_recovered_van

Van stolen 35 years ago in Wash. state recovered

SPOKANE, Wash. – A Volkswagen van stolen 35 years ago in Washington state has been found in a shipping container at the Los Angeles/Long Beach seaport.

Customs agents found the 1965 van on Oct. 19 when they opened a shipping container bound for The Netherlands, The Spokesman-Review newspaper reported. They ran the vehicle identification number and discovered it was listed as stolen.

Law officers said the van, which is in great shape, was stolen from an upholstery shop in Spokane on July 12, 1974 — while Spokane was hosting the 1974 World's Fair.

Authorities have not been able to find the original owner, whom they would not identify.

The operators of a vehicle restoration business in Arizona were the latest to have possession of the van, which they refurbished and planned to sell overseas, said Michael Maleta, an investigator with the California Highway Patrol. Maleta said the shop is also considered a victim in the case, and he declined to identify it.

The van now legally belongs to Allstate Insurance Co., which paid off the original owner's theft claim back in 1974. The Highway Patrol turned over the van to Allstate this week.

Maleta said the van had been restored to pristine condition.

"Now it's probably worth 27 grand," he said. "It's a beautiful van."

Megan Brunet, a spokeswoman for Allstate, said the company is looking through old records trying to find the original policy and theft claim.

"Trying to find paper files from that far back can be pretty challenging," she said.

The company will likely have the van appraised and go through the process of getting a replacement title before selling it at auction, she said.

[captnsim]

I'd hate to be the shop that restored it. They are taking a full loss.
Original owners where paid way back, so Allstate is the one who is going to make out.
Always a good idea to do a vin search on anything your thinking about buying, or already own.  

[greenpigs]

I ran the VIN on the 85 Vette & my Charger and they were clean. I forget the website I used but a member here posted the link.

[Old Moparz]

I ran the VIN on the 85 Vette & my Charger and they were clean. I forget the website I used but a member here posted the link.

That would be a very handy site since Carfax doesn't go back that far. When I bought my Coronet 500 convertible back in the late 90's, there were no papers except for a bill of sale. The guy claimed he was selling it for a friend who had moved out of state so I was a bit concerned. Before paying the guy, I copied down the VIN, called the NYS police & asked them if there was any way to check on it. They ran the VIN & told me it wasn't shown as being stolen so I paid the guy & had the car flatbedded home.

I never put a penny into the car other than buying a few replacement parts here & there. Since the car was partially disassembled, I stored the parts indoors, not in or on the car. I was 99% sure the car was clean & legit, but that 1% of unsurity haunted me. I figured if someone turned up with a title one day, I wasn't going to get hosed. Years later I decided to go through Broadway Title & get it in my name so I could either sell it, fix it, or at least make it easy on my wife to do something with it if I croaked.

I've gotten every car that I ever owned in my name before ever doing anything to it just for reasons like the VW bus.

[rt green]

talk about a blast from the past

[john.v]

  anybody remembers this car???  it now up for sale
http://www.copart.com/c2/homeSearch.html?_eventId=getLot&execution=e1s4&lotId=19728389&returnPage=SEARCH_RESULTS

[rustafarian]

I used to follow The Grateful Dead around,  been to just over 200 shows.  You'd see these damn things broken down along the highway between every set of shows with some totally baked characters, who didn't know a thing about keeping heaps running, scratching their heads.. 
Hitlers Revenge we called them.

[Silver R/T]

Ive actually painted one of these when I was in college

[jb666]

That's cool! Thanks for posting the link to the auction page..  It would have been nice to see the original owner get a call on this 35 years later!!

[john.v]

That's cool! Thanks for posting the link to the auction page..  It would have been nice to see the original owner get a call on this 35 years later!!

that will be nice, but at this point the insurance company will make big money out of this deal.
looks like its already up for $12000  that almost 10 times the value of that car back then   

[Ghoste]

It's too bad Allstate wouldn't do the right thing and step up to pay the restoration shop.  Afterall, if they hadn't done the work who's to say what the thing would have been worth.

[greenpigs]

I wonder if the shop could write it off at tax time somehow?

[mauve66]

restoration shop should be ok for their work , wouldn't they get paid by the current "owner" before they let the van out of their shop?? the buyer in the netherlands is out cash though.  wonder if they went after the current "owner" who sent it to the restoration shop??

[rt green]

you'd think there would be a paper trail to follow to find out who stole it in the first place. too bad the lady cant get the bus back. you'd think allstate would use the situation to their advantage in their advertising.

[john.v]

Current Bid: $21,100 USD at this moment.