They found Babs!

You may recall my son's car was stolen just two days after he bought it.

Because it reminds her of an older upper middle class Long Island woman with white hair, too much jewelry and a foo foo dog, but tries to be young by being an Aero, his wife named it Barbara, Babs for short.

It was found parked near a drug rehab clinic in New Rochelle, NY; just six miles from where it was lifted. The passenger windshield wiper is twisted, the interior is full of sand like it went to the beach a lot and it has 466 miles on it that it didn't before. It was ticketed July 21st, so it hasn't been driven in a week.

His wife doesn't want it back, doesn't want it in front of the house. These people took it once, they can do it again; and now they know where we live. It creeps her out just sitting in it.

Ian called into work saying he's taking the night off, driving 3 hours north to dump the car at my house. His boss suggested he just drive it to work, meet him at the parking garage around the corner. "You're an emotional mess, your head is spinning and your wife is pissed. I'll pay to park the SAAB here for a month, take your time, think it through. Whatever you decide, have no regrets".

Cool.

Ian likes my Jetta, so I may sell it to him and I may buy the 9-5 Aero.

Questions: It has a transponder key, how did they get it started?

The thief was short, the mirrors were turned down and in as far as possible, the seat was all the way up and forward. They fingerprinted the car (messy).

Glad you got it back. I've never had a car stolen, but I have to agree with your daughter-in-law. I'm not sure I'd want it back?

Yeah, I'm gonna side with the daughter in law, too. I wouldn't want it back either.

The stolen from my house part combined with the rehab center bit would make me want to see it go away. The last thing you need is to get a needle stick while you're trying to clean up the fingerprinting dust under the seat. Besides, it's going to be an increasing challenge to get Saab parts as time passes. Goodbye...

I would take it back. Mostly cause it is a Saab wagon and that is beyond cool. Also I don't believe the Saab parts problem is going to be that bad. I can still get basically any part I need for a Yugo so I wouldn't worry about a Saab.

93EXCivic wrote: I would take it back. Mostly cause it is a Saab wagon and that is beyond cool. Also I don't believe the Saab parts problem is going to be that bad. I can still get basically any part I need for a Yugo so I wouldn't worry about a Saab.

this...but yeah, Im a little cornfused about the chipped key bit...I guess computer geeks can be meth heads too right?

I'm sure the transponder got bypassed by some box you could build with some internet plans and a bunch of parts from the 'Shack. Then it is just a matter of drilling out the key for a screwdriver "key". And whoever stole it in the first place clearly knew what kind of car to take.

I think I would take it back too.

Dick Van Dyke was from New Rochelle. Oh wait, that was Rob Petri. Hey, maybe he stole it!!

well.. it seems no worse for wear.. I am guessing they drove it till it was out of gas?

I don't know that I'd be able to take it back either. It would just feel... dirty.

bravenrace wrote: Dick Van Dyke was from New Rochelle. Oh wait, that was Rob Petri. Hey, maybe he stole it!!

Dick was a Corvette guy.

Maybe the thief was somehow tied to the car in the past and had a spare key? Especially since it was stolen so soon after he bought it, it kinda seems like the thief might have been watching it or something.

bravenrace wrote: Dick Van Dyke was from New Rochelle. Oh wait, that was Rob Petri. Hey, maybe he stole it!!

Petri was >6 ft. tall, this thief was short.

Ian called a Stealership asking about re-keying the car. They said $1400. They called back later saying wait, it was stolen, you got it back and just want to reconfigure in case the thief has/had a key?

That's easy, $100 and we reprogram the key you have.

A customer of Ian's is thinking about buying his son a Mini Cooper S. He offered to buy the 9-5 for what Ian paid.

Yeah, let it go for the sake of Domestic Harmony ....

Dan

16vCorey wrote: Maybe the thief was somehow tied to the car in the past and had a spare key? Especially since it was stolen so soon after he bought it, it kinda seems like the thief might have been watching it or something.

That happened to us with a Toyota pickup the morning after we bought it. The funniest part was when we described the situation to the cops it was pretty much "hold on a second... we'll go check the previous owners house"

and sure enough, there it sat in their back yard! It was my parents truck (and I was 12 years old) so I don't remember what all the details were, but I DO know they ended up with a 2+2 Z-car instead...

Free car = happy kid.

I would totally rock that wagon, but I would put up a "Baby on Board" like sign modified to say "C4 on Board, steal at yer own risk motherberkeleyers!"

Did I mention that I would totally rock that wagon?

EastCoastMojo wrote: Did I mention that I would totally rock that wagon?

You can do that. Ian has a date with the Insurance Adjustor tomorrow, then gets it detailed in the afternoon and have the key reprogrammed.

He's going to sell it. Probably ~$6500., includes four allows with snow tires.

Dan

SOLD.

Guy that comes in the restaraunt all the time: "I don't know the car, but I know you and how you are with cars; I'll pay $6500, pick it up on Friday"

Poifect.

Ranger50 wrote: I'm sure the transponder got bypassed by some box you could build with some internet plans and a bunch of parts from the 'Shack. Then it is just a matter of drilling out the key for a screwdriver "key". And whoever stole it in the first place clearly knew what kind of car to take. I think I would take it back too.

Those saabs have a plastic key that just goes in a spot in the console don't they? My guess is that somehow they had a key. Whether prolly from the previous owner or stolen from the house it sat at.

Great news.

Karl La Follette wrote:

CUMMON MAN! I had my mouth open and everything

mtn wrote: I don't know that I'd be able to take it back either. It would just feel... dirty.

Dirty can feel OH SO GOOD!!!!

Quickie Update:

Ian ran a Jetta through HS and College. Moving to Atlanta in 2008, he bought a GTi, that was 85,000 miles ago.

He just cut a deal for a GLi (I didn't know what it was).

Basically it's the 2.0 turbo, flappy paddle and cool suspension of the GTi, stuck to the bottom of a Jetta body.

And I like the color.

No more updates, I promise.

Dan