Stolen MG and AH Parts

[rick_ingram]

Cross-posting this from another BBS:
***********************************************
My twenty five year collection of MGA, MGB, and Austin Healey Sprite parts was stolen from my farm in North east Mississippi last Thursday Feb 11th. I have many 948, 1098, 1500, and 1800 MG engines and gearboxes. I had one huge crate of SU carbs, many wires wheels sets, top bow assemblies, axle shafts, gauges of all types, Jaeger, Smith's, etc.........I think you get the picture. The cops are involved and I am trying to go through the proper channels in hopes that some crack head or doper has not scrapped everything.
If anyone on this board in the southeast is offered anything via Craigslist or EBAY that originates in this area please let me know.
To ad insult to injury the crooks came back and took my brothers 1959 Austin Healey Sprite body assembly.
I took the VIN plate off many years ago so it would not get lost in the restoration process but I need to dig for the Heritage spec sheet with the body number that is in the door jamb.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Regards,
John Robertson
Riverside, CA
951.515.3678

 

[AngliaGT]

That really sucks!I hope they get caught.

- Doug

 

[Camshaft]

I'll be on the lookout...I buy MG parts and the like on CL all the time. I hope they catch the sods!

 

[PAUL161]

I also will keep on the alert! PJ

 

[DrEntropy]

How would a thief consider LBC parts in any way "sellable"?? Now that th' word is out to the "community" they're bound to get caught. Spread this news around to any clubs we frequent, tell the shops, find these fools!

Their only out would be to already HAVE an overseas buyer, methinks. :madder:

 

[Stewart]

Bet they will be all sold for scrap. Stuff like that has got to be some meth head looking to fund their next hit.

 

[vping]

I agree that most of it will be sold for scrap although the risk for 4 cents a pound?... Then to take the risk of stealing the body, that's even more ba!!sy. Someone had to see that driving off on a flatbed or pickup.

 

[JPSmit]

I might be phoning scrap yards in the area first thing tomorrow

 

[Marvin Gruber]

Your farm is not that far from me and I am always on the alert for parts or pieces. If I hear of anything I will PM.

Marv

 

[aerog]

Their only out would be to already HAVE an overseas buyer, methinks. :madder:

Sounds too much like they knew what they were taking than to be stealing for scrap...but then we're losing everything from air conditioners and plumbing to radio and TV transmitter antennas around here.

 

[PAUL161]

I also have strong doubts that this was a random thing. It's very difficult or even impossible to identify used car parts. Unless there's recorded serial numbers, it's pretty much a lost cause. These parts and I hate to say this, will emerge in a restored car somewhere, never to be identified again. We are too trusting. I'm just as guilty as anyone else and have left cars, parts and such in an open shed for years. Now, I lock everything up and use an alarm system. For years we never locked the doors on the house or anything and all the cars had the keys left in them. Different world today. :madder:

 

[glemon]

I am going to the big Chicago swap meet this weekend, slight chance of your stuff being there, but is there anything unique that might catch my eye if I were to see if for sale, i.e. electric blue engine block, book or part with your initials on it, if you let me know I will keep my eyes open, not much chance but then again stranger things have happened.

Greg

 

[PAUL161]

Cross-posting this from another BBS:
***********************************************
My twenty five year collection of MGA, MGB, and Austin Healey Sprite parts was stolen from my farm in North east Mississippi last Thursday Feb 11th. I have many 948, 1098, 1500, and 1800 MG engines and gearboxes. I had one huge crate of SU carbs, many wires wheels sets, top bow assemblies, axle shafts, gauges of all types, Jaeger, Smith's, etc.........I think you get the picture. The cops are involved and I am trying to go through the proper channels in hopes that some crack head or doper has not scrapped everything.
If anyone on this board in the southeast is offered anything via Craigslist or EBAY that originates in this area please let me know.
To ad insult to injury the crooks came back and took my brothers 1959 Austin Healey Sprite body assembly.
I took the VIN plate off many years ago so it would not get lost in the restoration process but I need to dig for the Heritage spec sheet with the body number that is in the door jamb.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Regards,
John Robertson
Riverside, CA
951.515.3678

Rick, is there any way a contact could be made via email to this fellow and have him post any unique features of some of these parts that would be an eye catcher? Would be helpful. There must be someone out there that knows of someone who just aquired a large amount of car parts, their just not talking. Man I hate people who do this kind of stuff! They should be hung by their ball joints! PJ

 

[Basil]

Man I hate people who do this kind of stuff! They should be hung by their ball joints! PJ

Nail there ball joints to the top of a telephone pole and pour hot lead into their diffy until their "bonnet" touches the ground!

 

[aerog]

Ew!

 

[QuickSilver]

I cross posted this to MiniMania also.

Hope the parts are returned intact but I'm afraid publicity may make the tosser toss the lot in a canal.

 

[Grantura_MKI]

I have had a lot of metal stolen from my farm over the last years time. Even had a 3/4 yard end loader bucket grow legs. Spent half a day visiting recycling yards and no one was of any help. I believe that the jerks that lifted your goods are only in it for the scrap value...how sad. I hope you do get them in the end!
Cheers,
D.

 

[rick_ingram]

Good news - bad news..

********************************

John Robertson
California, USA
1957 MG MGA
1959 MG MGA
1960 MG MGA
1972 MG MGB & more... Mar 22, 2010 03:13PM
Registered: 4 years ago
Posts: 82

Thanks for all of the support and comments.
The idiots who stole my collection of MGA parts have been caught!
Two bonded out of jail and one is still in.
They are all in their early 20's and looking for fast cash as ALL of the stuff was sent to the scrap dealer and subsequently crushed.
I'm now working with the D.A. to spank these heathens hard and start the process of restitution..............about $30,000 I estimate.
I think four complete MGA's, one Bugeye, and 25 years worth of good solid parts should be worth at least that.
I'll keep you posted on how it goes.
Note to all............review all of your security measures if you have bulk parts and cars around make sure NO one can see anything.
One thief remarked to the lead investigator that he saw one of the MGB GT's I had peering out on the back forty and that was enough for him to break into my barn to see what other goodies might be in there.

 

[PAUL161]

Great news! Thanks for posting Rick. Sorry about all those parts being crushed. Kinda makes me wonder about the junk yard operator. How could he not know that something was a little smelly here? But I guess their looking into that part also. Glad they caught them. Hope they don't get a soft judge. It's Roy Bean time in my book! PJ

 

[Hap Waldrop]

The scrap metal business has sleeze wrote all over it, right from the guys who bring the scrap in, to the scrapyard taking it. last week I had a guy I know ask me if I had any scrap metal I wanted to get rid of, and I told him a I did, he came by and picked it up. He was telling me that in one of his recnet visits to the scrapyard a guy came in with about 30 Walmart buggies, and the scrapyard people didn't even blink a eye, and glady took it. Until we bust some of the scrapyard people for being irresponsible, this sort of criminal activity will continue. Right now scrap metal is on the upward trend, so be aware these idiots will be looking to cash in.

On a more comical side, I saw some photo recently of two idiots trying to steal some copper wiring, only one problem, it was still hot, fried them crispy, good enough for them.