STOLEN - Mk1 Golf GTi, 1800cc, Lhasa Green, Reg MGT543Y, from private driveway in East London sometime between Monday 4th and Friday 8th October. Unusual circumstances, in that the car was NOT drivable. It lacked a battery and some of the ignition system (which is still inside my flat, along with both sets of keys). It was mechanically in excellent condition (recent full rebuild), bodywork was average-to-good, known to have one flat tyre. It was my pride and joy, registered off the road (SORN), although still MOT'd. Sadly, no insurance (as I never thought it would be pinched). Last driven on the road about 1 month ago, declared SORN when the tax ran out. It displayed a valid parking permit, and parked on a private off-road drive, outside my flat in Bow. My neighbour over the road can tell me that two blokes with some form of yellow truck bounced the front of it up and down several times, then "Dragged it off down the road". She (sadly) can't remember when this was, but thinks it was early last week, during the daytime (we have just been on holiday for a week, and came back this evening to find the car gone). This was not the usual car-theif, as it was not operational, and wouldn't have been pinched by a mainstream crook, who wouldn't have appreciated what it was. I doubt it has been shipped out of the country or anything dramatic, but more likenly to have been reported as dumped and taken off to the scrapper (even worse!) However, it was highly prized by me, having been carefully restored over the last 2 years. If anyone can help professionally - i.e. with contacts or good suggestions for ways to track it down, then I would appreciate any help which you can give. I am offering a cash reward (small, I'm afraid) for information leading to the successful recovery of the car. Failing that, should anyone offer you parts for a Mk1 Golf Gti, 1800, Lhasa Green, please take the details and let me know. I am very keen to see this car back in one piece. Logically, I know it has probably been crushed, but I would value any assistance. I know it's only metal, and replacable, but I still grieve it's loss. Email me on golf@deep-green.co.uk, or telephone me on 07879 820967 Thanks. Oli. (Forum name: zcacogp)
Usually they will put a sticker on it for 7days notice of being removed. But if u have been on hols for a week then i dont know mate they could have done that and u might have missed it all together. Try phone the local council and find out who they get to remove the cars. It may not have been crushed immediately so if you act fast then you might be lucky. Edited by: DuBDuDe
DuBDuDe, Thanks for the suggestion. Yes, as far as I am aware, this is what they have to do. But I have called the council and they don't know anything about it. If anyone (anyone) comes across someone selling Mk1 parts in London, Lhasa Green, 1800cc spec, then drop me a line. I am very keen to find out what happened to this car, and am more than happy to pay (cash) for information leading to it's recovery. Thanks again for your help DuBDuDe, any anyone else. Oli.
Bad luck Oli, thats awful news. There really are some scrots in this country and universe of us. Must be heart breaking after all the work. Good luck in finding the b*stards who did this and hopefully the car back in one peace. Peace Rich
Yeah no probs mate. I am in the SE London area i will keep my ears open for ya. Only other thing i can suggest apart from the find out the removal contractor bit is to take the day of work borrow the missus' car and trawl the London breakers yards. My mate found his G60 like that and got the coppers on to them. Dont know which breakers it was tho sorry. Also i cannot believe your neighbour knowing the car was yours didnt question the blokes towing your car and at least call the coppers or get a number plate at least. I would be tempted to go to them at say well thnx a f**kin lot nxt time your're broken in to ill sit on my arse and do f**k all shall i? and we will se how you like it! Edited by: DuBDuDe
DuBDuDe, Anything you hear, drop me a line ... Looking in breakers yards is a good idea, and one that I will try as well. I have posted some requests on a find-a-part site, for bits that would come off the car, but the only joy has been a breaker in Yorkshire who offered me some yellow panels from a non-GTi Mk1. The neighbour ... I think the fact that she knew it was my car made her do less - as in, she knows me (a bit), and knows that I like tinkering with cars, and assumed that I had booked someone to do some work on it. It was only the fact that the removing people were being somewhat rough with it that she noticed at all. We live in what is usually a very low-crime street. Next stop is to see if there are any CCTV cameras on the street that it may have passed. Trouble is I am currently on a business trip in Darlington, so can't do anything until Thursday when I get home ... always happens at the worst possible time. Thanks again, Oli.
I live on Brick Lane, pass through Bow fairly regurlarly and will keep my eyes open for it. There is a VW specialist in the arches just by Westferry DLR, it may be worth getting their details and asking if they have been offered any parts or the car. Cheers Bri
Bri, Another local lad! Good to hear from you. Thanks for keeping your eyes open. Let me know if you see anything. golf@deep-green.co.uk or 07879 820967. Yup, I know Graham at Kwikas (under the arches at Westferry). I'll be dropping in to see him sometime soon. He is a good guy - direct and rude, but well worth knowing. Oli.
keep my eyes open too (Greenwich and outwards) Probably touring the breakers soon, and I'll be speaking to a driver of a car collecting Hiab I'm briefly acquainted with pretty soon (dont hold you breath though). London seems to be the place where mk1 golfs just go missing... Skunklook's one went without an engine which is just bizarre.
Chaps, An update. And an interesting one at that. Yesterday, another Mk1 Golf was taken from outside my flat. It wasn't mine, I had been given it and had given it onto a friend. It wasn't a GTi. A neighbour saw two guys with a tow truck pinching it, and the tow truck matched the description of the one that took my P&J - yellow, with two lads driving it. Sounds like the second incident took place almost exactly 7 days (to the hour) since mine went as well. And the neighbour got the reg number, and put a note through my letterbox. And Mrs zcacogp took the whole lot to the police last night (I'm in Darlington on business). The police checked out the reg number, and it is registered to a tow truck company in Canning Town (East London). Apparently, it is registered to a white transit, but it was a yellow tow truck which was twice seen pinching cars (no more accurate description available from non-car-aware neighbours.) However, it sounds like a significant lead. Apparently the police were very friendly to Mrs zcacogp, got a WPC to talk to her and said that there are a number of local companies which are known to be pinching old cars. They said they would be investigating first thing tomorrow morning (i.e. this morning.) They also allowed her to report the theft of the second car - even though it wasn't ours, and she didn't have the logbook (which means that I think they weren't allowed to do this.) Fingers crossed, something may come of it. It looks like the best lead to date. I'll not post the reg number of the yellow truck here just yet - it may constitute abuse of the forum, and I have been in trouble for that before. However, we'll see what comes of it and I'll update you as necessary. Thanks again for your support and help. I am aware that this is only a lead and may well not go anywhere, so I may yet ask for more help. But very many thanks to anyone and everyone who has helped thus far. Oli.
Update ... I have (earlier this evening) had a very long telephone call with the officer in charge of the case. He sounded clue-y and I suspect I could have done a lot worse. He emphasied the fact that he wants to progress with the case as swiftly as possible, and is keen to interview me and the smart neighbour who got the details of the tow truck before the weekend if possible. (May not be possible, on account of me being away on business .. grrrrr!) He is 100% confident (his words) that he will find the people who did it. Apparently this is part of a spate of such things locally. I mentioned my concerns about the fact that the vehicle the number plate is registered to dodn't exactly match up with the description of the truck, and his comment was "Don't worry about that." I said "You sound like you know more than you are letting on", to which he replied "More than I am allowed to let on. Let this be the last of your worries." However, he is concerned along exactly the same lines as me - scrap metal values are high, and both cars are probably shredded. He said that there is always hope, but it really sounds like I will never see my car again. So, by the looks of it, the best I can hope for is a conviction of the guys doing this, and then a long, drawn-out private prosecution (small claims court) to extract substantially less than the market value of the car. I'll post more details here as they become available, but I guess I am resigned. Gone, for good. Damn shame. Damn fine car. All I can do is get another one. Damn. Mods, thanks for making this sticky. I guess it can probably be un-stuck. Everyone who has read this or posted here, very many thanks for your input. It has all been appreciated, I sincerely hope that A. it doesn't happen to you, and B. it doesn't happen to me again. Wishful thinking, but let's remember that this is just a hunk of metal, and there are much more important things in life. Oli.
i must say m8,you come across as if youre taking it pretty well... just think the worst and can only hope for better. know how you feel in a way,but i had to stand and watch my car die... wouldnt ya just love to catch the bastards that do this sh1t i dont care how big they are,id knock the f**kin sh1t outta em,they dont make diamonds as big as bricks, bang,b,bangbang,dead f**kin squeeze there neck and and hit em so fffff**kin hard you go through there face,scumbag bastards
Well done to Sherlock and watson! Glad to hear you are making progress mate. And i wouldnt publicise their reg number cause it may interfere with the police enquiry. you never know who reads these forums mate. Just make sure you tell your mates to be very careful with their mk1's at mo cos this seems to be isolated to that particular mk. Oh and riley why do you think i took up kickboxing about three yrs ago. Cos three lads decided to abuse my car! The f**kers. I ran out my house and kicked off, I could hold my own but there was three of them and needless to say i was coming off worse by the time the police turned up. Luckily for me there were already a number of squad cars in the area due to another disturbance and and on their way back to the station they came across me scrapping in the road with these three lads. It was only about 60 seconds after the fight kicked off. So lucky for me it didnt last any longer cos i dont think i could have held them off any longer. So from that day i decided the next time something like that happened i would not only beat them senseless but unleash a whole world of hurt on them! I am now quite an accomplished kickboxer so bring em on!
Riley and DuBDuDe, Thanks for your comments. Riley - I quite agree, I am a decidedly un-violent guy normally, but this sort of thing gets me hot under the collar. Taking it all well? Cool and reserved on the outside. If I met the guy in question, I would have more than one choice thing to say to him though. And would be more than tempted to thump him until he gave an answer I found acceptable. There is an undate from the police, as follows; both cars were taken for their scrap metal value, and have been scrapped. The police have found the scrap metal merchant who purchased them both, and have the records of their destruction. I will never see my P&J again. Apparently the guy who took them was simply scouring the local streets for older cars with no tax and taking them straight to the metal merchant. The fact that they were legally parked on private property, declared SORN with the DVLA and not causing any problems was neither here nor there. They were destroyed within an hour of being removed. The fact that my Mk1 was a GTi in good condition didn't cross the scumbag's mind, it was simply 40's worth of scrap metal to him. The police hope to arrest the perpertrator today, and charge him. Apparently the process then is that he is tried and the police are confident they will get a guilty conviction. Once this has happened, I can then sue him, if he has the money, and he may pay it (or some of it.) Time this will take? Months, maybe years. And it will cost me money to sue him. And there is no garuntee of success. Jaded? Moi? They won't release the details of the person in question until after the court case, so I could be hanging on for a very long time ... So, I think that's about it. Nothing much more to tell. If anyone is a lawyer and can help me out then that would be very welcome. However, I may put another thread up about this. Thanks again to everyone who has posted here. It has been the next best thing to a book of condolences for the car. And a damn fine car it was too. I'll miss it. Oli.
arghhhh fuckinell m8... truly gutted for ya,cant help with the legal side of things,but will the t**ts be brought to justice? well,i dont have any faith in the system... and even if they are the bastards have already commited the crime. [:^(] Edited by: riley
Sorry to hear about the motor be squashed man. A crying shame it is. Especially considering there are fewer and fewer nice mk1's about. My deepest condolences man. I hope you find a worthy replacment.
thats awful dude, awful awful story... bad luck man,terrible bad luck... Hope they bring the guy to justice (wasn't it two of them) and make sure you kick em in the junk VERY VERY hard...
