Stolen ford cosworth stories...
Discussion
This thread is a very interesting yet depressing read, and I hope some people have been reunited with their pride & joy since.
I was only a kid when these thefts were at their height but still remember being very aware of it for many reasons. Here's my two pence worth....
My Dad had one of the first Mk2 GTE's as a company car back in about 1986. It was a 1.8 in red (unfortunately 5 door). He and my mum went to see my Dad's cousin and her husband up in Chapeltown. Knowing the area was bad he removed his TOTL Blaupunkt & big old pioneer speakers overnight. They woke to hear the piranha alarm going off and the rear quarter glass had been smashed. They must have ran when the alarm sounded.
Some time later the same cousin's husband actually used to provide legal aid and represented a local scrote who was well known for joyriding in the area. Not too long afterwards his XR3 was found on bricks and the police caught the guy. Guess who it was? Yep, the little rascal who he'd defended in court not so long before!
Unfortunately the GTE only survived until 1988 when my Dad hit a deer, rolled it an nearly killed himself on the A1M, racing to the hospital where my mum was in with my newborn sister. She was born on Friday 13th (true story).
We curiously ran a check via the AA on the car about 10 years ago and it lasted under it's original reg until late 1998. Must've been re-shelled by someone or had the identity nicked from the recovery depot or something. I saw pictures my Dad took of it after the crash when he went to recover his belongings. There's no way someone could have got that back on the road in the state it was in. Funnily enough he still has the alarm fob in his office drawer as a reminder. Believe it or not it still lights up when you press it, all these years later!
I was only a kid when these thefts were at their height but still remember being very aware of it for many reasons. Here's my two pence worth....
My Dad had one of the first Mk2 GTE's as a company car back in about 1986. It was a 1.8 in red (unfortunately 5 door). He and my mum went to see my Dad's cousin and her husband up in Chapeltown. Knowing the area was bad he removed his TOTL Blaupunkt & big old pioneer speakers overnight. They woke to hear the piranha alarm going off and the rear quarter glass had been smashed. They must have ran when the alarm sounded.
Some time later the same cousin's husband actually used to provide legal aid and represented a local scrote who was well known for joyriding in the area. Not too long afterwards his XR3 was found on bricks and the police caught the guy. Guess who it was? Yep, the little rascal who he'd defended in court not so long before!
Unfortunately the GTE only survived until 1988 when my Dad hit a deer, rolled it an nearly killed himself on the A1M, racing to the hospital where my mum was in with my newborn sister. She was born on Friday 13th (true story).
We curiously ran a check via the AA on the car about 10 years ago and it lasted under it's original reg until late 1998. Must've been re-shelled by someone or had the identity nicked from the recovery depot or something. I saw pictures my Dad took of it after the crash when he went to recover his belongings. There's no way someone could have got that back on the road in the state it was in. Funnily enough he still has the alarm fob in his office drawer as a reminder. Believe it or not it still lights up when you press it, all these years later!
Edited by alex.baker89 on Monday 4th March 11:30
Edited by alex.baker89 on Monday 4th March 11:32
This thread is a very interesting yet depressing read, and I hope some people have been reunited with their pride & joy since.
I was only a kid when these thefts were at their height but still remember being very aware of it for many reasons. Here's my two pence worth....
My Dad had one of the first Mk2 GTE's as a company car back in about 1986. It was a 1.8 in red (unfortunately 5 door). He and my mum went to see my Dad's cousin and her husband up in Chapeltown. Knowing the area was bad he removed his TOTL Blaupunkt & big old pioneer speakers overnight. They woke to hear the piranha alarm going off and the rear quarter glass had been smashed. They must have ran when the alarm sounded.
Some time later the same cousin's husband actually used to provide legal aid and represented a local scrote who was well known for joyriding in the area. Not too long afterwards his XR3 was found on bricks and the police caught the guy. Guess who it was? Yep, the little rascal who he'd defended in court not so long before!
Unfortunately the GTE only survived until 1988 when my Dad hit a deer, rolled it an nearly killed himself on the A1M, racing to the hospital where my mum was in with my newborn sister. She was born on Friday 13th (true story).
We curiously ran a check via the AA on the car about 10 years ago and it lasted under it's original reg until late 1998. Must've been re-shelled by someone or had the identity nicked from the recovery depot or something. I saw pictures my Dad took of it after the crash when he went to recover his belongings. There's no way someone could have got that back on the road in the state it was in. Funnily enough he still has the alarm fob in his office drawer as a reminder. Believe it or not it still lights up when you press it, all these years later!
I was only a kid when these thefts were at their height but still remember being very aware of it for many reasons. Here's my two pence worth....
My Dad had one of the first Mk2 GTE's as a company car back in about 1986. It was a 1.8 in red (unfortunately 5 door). He and my mum went to see my Dad's cousin and her husband up in Chapeltown. Knowing the area was bad he removed his TOTL Blaupunkt & big old pioneer speakers overnight. They woke to hear the piranha alarm going off and the rear quarter glass had been smashed. They must have ran when the alarm sounded.
Some time later the same cousin's husband actually used to provide legal aid and represented a local scrote who was well known for joyriding in the area. Not too long afterwards his XR3 was found on bricks and the police caught the guy. Guess who it was? Yep, the little rascal who he'd defended in court not so long before!
Unfortunately the GTE only survived until 1988 when my Dad hit a deer, rolled it an nearly killed himself on the A1M, racing to the hospital where my mum was in with my newborn sister. She was born on Friday 13th (true story).
We curiously ran a check via the AA on the car about 10 years ago and it lasted under it's original reg until late 1998. Must've been re-shelled by someone or had the identity nicked from the recovery depot or something. I saw pictures my Dad took of it after the crash when he went to recover his belongings. There's no way someone could have got that back on the road in the state it was in. Funnily enough he still has the alarm fob in his office drawer as a reminder. Believe it or not it still lights up when you press it, all these years later!
Edited by alex.baker89 on Monday 4th March 11:30
Edited by alex.baker89 on Monday 4th March 11:40
My old man bought one of the very first rwd sapphire Cosworths, it was stolen the very first night he brought it home, and found by the police in a lock up in croxteth. they returned a few times for the car - making it 500 yards once before ramming a fateful passing cop car and dumping it in a field.
in the end a special immobilser was fitted where you had to touch two screws by the handbrake to decactivate it
in the end a special immobilser was fitted where you had to touch two screws by the handbrake to decactivate it
RizzoTheRat said:
That surprises me as a mates XR4x4 was the first car I'd ever come across that the doors automatically locked when you started driving, then again if they're that easy to break in to I guess all it needs a scrote with a screwdriver at the traffic lights.
As for ease of entry it wasn't just Ford, I remember coming back to a car park as a kid and my mother opening the boot of her Volvo 340 to load the shopping then wondering why there was a blanket in the boot...yep, her car was parked 2 spaces away and her key easily opened an identical one.
I don't think the XR4x4's came with that feature as standard, but aftermarket alarms (Clifford for example) added this feature via the central locking control unit already fitted to the car.As for ease of entry it wasn't just Ford, I remember coming back to a car park as a kid and my mother opening the boot of her Volvo 340 to load the shopping then wondering why there was a blanket in the boot...yep, her car was parked 2 spaces away and her key easily opened an identical one.
This screams stolen re-registered to me:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/contact/sendmsg?item_id=283...
It's on Q plates. Couldn't resist so I messaged the seller to suggest why that might be. Either re-shelled or stolen re-registered to hide it's identity.
Yeah right... "barn find" my eye.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/contact/sendmsg?item_id=283...
It's on Q plates. Couldn't resist so I messaged the seller to suggest why that might be. Either re-shelled or stolen re-registered to hide it's identity.
Yeah right... "barn find" my eye.
alex.baker89 said:
This screams stolen re-registered to me:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/contact/sendmsg?item_id=283...
It's on Q plates. Couldn't resist so I messaged the seller to suggest why that might be. Either re-shelled or stolen re-registered to hide it's identity.
Yeah right... "barn find" my eye.
its a stolen recovered field find - must be worth at least £50.https://www.ebay.co.uk/contact/sendmsg?item_id=283...
It's on Q plates. Couldn't resist so I messaged the seller to suggest why that might be. Either re-shelled or stolen re-registered to hide it's identity.
Yeah right... "barn find" my eye.
Quite sad to see it like that, thats a very early car with those headlights, could be as old as a B reg, its not an 88 they had facelifted them by then with different lights, seats, trims etc, thats a really early one (my dad have a Turbo Technics one like that on a C plate, and I used to have an E reg one in white which was an 87 and a facelift looked very different to these early ones. To cut a long story short thats one for the scrap or breaking!
Khaki Suit said:
If it's on a Q then surely all the correct checks were done to get it registered?
Much better than buying a ringer.
I was reading about this yesterday. Q registered vehicles can have ambiguous histories - hence the previous poster talking about this car not being 1988 and likely earlier. Much better than buying a ringer.
They were sometimes registered on Q plates if the original identity cannot be verified. Who knows what the history of this car is. Some insurers refuse to underwrite Q registered cars even today. This was almost definitely stolen or rung at some point in its life. Also, "it's Q registered for some reason" mentioned in the seller's description doesn't fill me with confidence. They're deliberately being vague by the sound of it.
Ex boss of mine had a cossie taken from his driveway.
Engine was in bits and head was off being worked.
Apparently a neighbour watched in broad daylight as 2 guys in high vis and a recovery wagon loaded it up and took it away....guess that if your brazen enough and look the part no one asks questions.
Engine was in bits and head was off being worked.
Apparently a neighbour watched in broad daylight as 2 guys in high vis and a recovery wagon loaded it up and took it away....guess that if your brazen enough and look the part no one asks questions.
magpie215 said:
Ex boss of mine had a cossie taken from his driveway.
Engine was in bits and head was off being worked.
Apparently a neighbour watched in broad daylight as 2 guys in high vis and a recovery wagon loaded it up and took it away....guess that if your brazen enough and look the part no one asks questions.
About 15 years ago a guy i knew on a Renault 5 GTT forum had his car removed from his drive by 2 guys dressed in high vis & driving a fake liveried flatbed. One of the neighbours just assumed the owner had asked for it to be "recovered" when Police started knocking on doors asking if anyone had any information on the theft.Engine was in bits and head was off being worked.
Apparently a neighbour watched in broad daylight as 2 guys in high vis and a recovery wagon loaded it up and took it away....guess that if your brazen enough and look the part no one asks questions.
It still seems to be a popular way to help yourself to a car.
I think there was a thread / post on here within the last week with images of a Golf ClubSport being brazenly loaded onto a flatbed, in a busy garden centre car park where the owner worked, while people walked by - again they were dressed in high vis in what appeared to be a fake liveried recovery truck.
Edited by AlexRS2782 on Saturday 10th August 22:17
AlexRS2782 said:
magpie215 said:
Ex boss of mine had a cossie taken from his driveway.
Engine was in bits and head was off being worked.
Apparently a neighbour watched in broad daylight as 2 guys in high vis and a recovery wagon loaded it up and took it away....guess that if your brazen enough and look the part no one asks questions.
About 15 years ago a guy i knew on a Renault 5 GTT forum had his car removed from his drive by 2 guys dressed in high vis & driving a fake liveried flatbed. One of the neighbours just assumed the owner had asked for it to be "recovered" when Police started knocking on doors asking if anyone had any information on the theft.Engine was in bits and head was off being worked.
Apparently a neighbour watched in broad daylight as 2 guys in high vis and a recovery wagon loaded it up and took it away....guess that if your brazen enough and look the part no one asks questions.
It still seems to be a popular way to help yourself to a car.
I think there was a thread / post on here within the last week with images of a Golf ClubSport being brazenly loaded onto a flatbed, in a busy garden centre car park where the owner worked, while people walked by - again they were dressed in high vis in what appeared to be a fake liveried recovery truck.
Edited by AlexRS2782 on Saturday 10th August 22:17
A neighbour had his Mountune 500hp Moonstone 3 door nicked out of his garage, the thieving scum were actually burgling his place and loaded it up with belongings. He bought an RS500 with the insurance payout, so a nice bump there, although pretty sure he'd have preferred not to have been burgled at all.
Lad I know from school used to be a prolific car thief, he has the dubious honour of stealing Nigel Mansells black RS500 for a whole week, he actually used to sit outside Copy Lane police station in Liverpool trying to bait the police into a chase.Body shop I used to work in the boss got quoted £29k to insure and Escort Cosworth, think they were only £27k new.
NotNormal said:
With all these Cosworth's being stolen it certainly makes you wonder about all these "project" cars you see, Mk1/2 Escorts, kit cars etc with a YB installed under the bonnet....
....just how many of those engines came from cars that were removed without the owners permission.
I remember drinking in a boozer in west London in the early 90's. There were 3 pwopah geezers next to me and I couldn't help hearing them mentioning UK race circuits. I got talking to them and it turned out they were racing a Cossie. Only they hadn't actually bought it..........just how many of those engines came from cars that were removed without the owners permission.
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