sorry 31 Whitey..yer right..My intentions were not to get into a battle.. im just pissed this goes on..maybe its time we as classic car owners need to step up and defend what is ours..lock em up good..watch them as if they were your baby..(cameras?) and help Law enforcement with their job..there just isnt enough of them to go around. Ive got alot of friends looking out for this car..lets sway the percentages in our favor on this one...
First, let me say this really is a sad story and a sad commentary on where our society is going. I'm glad the truck, at least, has been recovered - and hoping to hear good news about the Willys soon. Ford Super Duty trucks are the easiest trucks out there to get into. I had mine broken in last year in FL (3 pm parked right in front of Lowe's front door). The handle design makes it quick and easy. I lost several items out of the console, but they left the truck. Anyway, I learned how it works and found a little item that claims to help prevent all this. I haven't bought it, or even seen it in person, but it looks slick/simple/and inexpensive. http://www.jimmijammer.com/Product,%20JJ.htm Not an endorsement...just a thought... I'll probably fab something similar or shave the handles eventually - of course then, the low-lifes will probably just break the glass... Anyway - best of luck on the Willys...eyes and ears open in WV
Hey Fossil; We had a trailer stolen up here a few years ago..It didn't have a car in it at the time, but could have..(yes ,a willys coupe as well). Anyway, what i did notice that this one had no graphics of any kind on it, and neither did the one stolen up here.. Might take a theif a little time to peel off all the decals ,etc,and likely would leave a mark on the trailer after it's removed.. Very easy to spot from a distance. Just an observation.. Rick (1939fiat)
you no, I thought about putting some graphics on my trailer to make it more noticable for that same reason but I also thought that I would be also maybe looking for trouble or telling what is inside by having somthing that suggest what I do with it. I parked at a hotel one time overnight with the trailer and I was traviling with a group so we parked together and blocked each other in and we ended up chaining two of the trailers together and locking them. It was not a perfect answer but it would have slowed them down. I seen this car at Thompson and it is a great looking car and from the pictures I have seen and you will not be able to hide this car easy because of the neat one off things that have been done to it so just keep passing the word where ever you can and maybe they will see there stuff again, lets hope. Jon
Rick, I've thought about signage on the trailer, because I am going to put my car logo on my rear trailer door. On one hand it could serve as I.D. as you suggest. On the other hand it's advertising what's inside and that might be bad. In Paul's situation he had no markings as you mentioned, and he was parked right next to Dave Hale's rig...probably as valuable if not more-so, but he was left alone. Might have been a random theft, or maybe they really wanted that yellow Willys and followed him all the way from KY.
Jon; Yeah,i know ,it seems like a double edge sword...Don't know what the real answer is...But we put large lettering on the side of ours..("ONDR Nostalgia Racing") BTW,saw you in the lanes at Thompson..i was with the Red ,SBC Bantam from Ontario Rick 1939fiat
Fossil; You never know..but they dumped the truck,because it's easy to spot.. Looks like it wasn't a "random" theft..IMHO. Rick
I think they knew what was in the trailer..sign or no sign..they were watched and waited for the perfect moment.
anyone ever think of painting an ID info # on the ROOF of the trailer??? Seems like it MIGHT help... I just think there to much of this shit going on anymore ,and we need to get "creative", next to sleepin with it ! Rick 1939fiat
Can you guys post some pics of the "one off" touches to this car. I'm thinking seeing those special touches may help identify the car or (heaven forbid) parts of it should it get parted/sold. Any unique detail that's out for the world to see just might make a difference. Good Luck - I hope it's recovered quickly.
Now that my friend is Brilliant!..thats the kind of thinking out of the box deal that gets these things closer to the fold of being played in our favor..BIG BLACK PHONE NUMBER
How about painting a logo on the trailer like " Greasy Joes Cattle Rendering Service". Who wants to steal a dead cow? Easy to identify too.
there ya go..really though. my gut feeling on this one..they knew what was in that trailer..they were coming for that car, period. you could have had greasy joes Butt Plug emporium painted on the side..they would have taken it..maybe they would have dumped the trailer with the tow rig quicker, but the Willies would have been in another non-discript trailer., headed out.
von rigg fink; Brilliant isn't a word my wife uses to discribe me, but I'll take it JUST this once.. LOL This applies to ANY trailer ,not just car haulers..my buddy lost a house trailer (21 footer) parked in his yard..Never seen again..gone... So,we ALL need to do something... 1939fiat.
Just have the license number of the trailer and the license number of the vehicle most often trailered in it, painted both on the sides of the trailer, on the tailgate and on the roof. That way you are not advertising, unless you have a personalized plate. Put your contact phone number in these locations too. Photograph it all as well. Then the photos can easily be posted on the internet and passed on to law enforcement. Buy a GPS tracking device one each for the vehicle and the trailer. No matter if the vehicle and trailer are recovered - a small price to avoid the heartbreak and anguish, and as likely as not the damage when recovered far outweighs the cost of the preventive measures. Damn, if I had brains I might be almost dangerous.
Friend of mine had his t-bucket ,golf cart and trailer stolen in Pidgon forge at the shades show in the middle of the day,and another time at the Nats a guy staying at our hotel had a stacker trailer stolen, it is definitely a bad place,if you go there better watch your stuff.Person needs alarm and a 45.Thevin bastards will eat bullets if I catchem stealin my stuff
Rick, I spoke to him this morning. No news but he is thinking of offering a reward and/or hiring a professional to investigate. I also reached out to a good friend on his behalf who is in law enforcement, to see if there is anything else we can do-or have overlooked. I keep scanning RacingJunk and EBAY looking for parts of it. Nothing yet. It might be squirreled away right now. There are so many eyes looking it is a pretty "hot" item no doubt. If anyone sees a screaming deal on some bright yellow willys parts...send the guys with the pliers and blowtorch. -Scott
Fossil; Thanks for the update..It's out there... a reward might loosen up some tongues. Rick 1939fiat
You know...they probably got his home address, etc. from the paperwork in the truck (Scary thought!). Surprised they didn't ask for a ransom. He's probably have considered it.
Fossil; He won't see it for sale in his neighbourhood.... theives don't go for ransom.. It's a "hit & Run" deal.. quick cash, quick turn over.. The longer they hang on to it, the more chance of getting caught. They likely have the internet..and have seen it posted already.
Someone should eventually see something on this. I've had 3 different willys projects & really....there were so few of these things made that it's like all the willys owners are sharing one pool of parts. I had so many people contact me on the steel coupe I sold, explaining they seen the coupe body before & new a couple of the previous owners. Even some of the more famous names were calling just inquiring about the sale. So it really is a very Small world around willys parts. I'm keeping an eye out on the net & here in KC. Carl Hagan
Fossil. So, you suggesting we need to stamp every part with an ID # just in case it turns up at a swap meet someplace? Not a bad idea .....BUT....
Willys of this era have only two locations for the VIN. One is a VIN tag twist riveted to the side of the cowl, under the hood on the passenger side - this is often the part that gets chopped out when the firewall is recessed, so the VIN tag gets relocated to the front of the sidewall (engine side). As for the frame, there is an oblong aluminum tag twist riveted to the front crossmember of the frame - that's it. No stamped numbers on the frame, just the riveted oblong tag. This is the way they came from the factory. I doubt very much that any yellow parts will be showing up - way too obvious. Look for freshly stripped metal or freshly primered metal. I really cringe at the thought and hate to see this happen. As Carl Hagan says, the Willys community is a tightly knit one so a little bit of self policing would not go amiss. As a final thought, it would really help if Paul could provide detail photographs, such as build photos which might help in identifying how the frame is built, what parts were used and any identifying features on the car itself. Maybe the dash and the gauges used, cutouts for radio or something like that. Anything that would help track the car.
If this growing problem really is stemming from overseas "orders" for vehicles, then it is a tough problem to fight. The amount of cash available to be laid out for this stuff is amazing. 2 recent/local examples: 1. Annual concourse type car/boat show. Friend of mine is the mechanic for a gentleman who after many years decided to liquidate a few cars from his collection. Every one of his cars was purchased, pre-auction, for at least 40% over predicted selling price - for cash [cheapest of the 8 cars went for just under $200K].... by European buyers with briefcases literally handcuffed to their arms [and armed escorts]. 2. Dad in my kid's Brownie troop works for a company building high end hunting/off road rigs. European buyer dropped in [after just purchasing several items from Carrol Shelby personally] and ordered a unit [$300K +] to be shipped by private cargo plane [quoted at over $1.2 Mil] back home. These guys are throwing money down [legally] on stuff they want. Who's to say it's not more time/cost effective to just have what you want "shopped"?.....and I was using the term "European" loosely.
As a final thought, it would really help if Paul could provide detail photographs, such as build photos which might help in identifying how the frame is built, what parts were used and any identifying features on the car itself. Maybe the dash and the gauges used, cutouts for radio or something like that. Anything that would help track the car.[/quote] I've asked him for whatever he can provide.
Geez that would be a lot of work. When I was building my car however I did do a lot of stamping...things like gear ratio on the rear chunk, name or dates on the block, etc. Things like that to help me if I was switching parts later on. Now I'm thinking these markings would help me if I had to I.D. my parts.
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