Stolen car - longshot, I know, but...

[teleute]

Got home from vacation on Friday morning to find my car had been stolen from our parking pad in the alley behind our house. And we live like 4 blocks away from a police station! That's balls, that...

It's a pretty nondescript car, so I'm assuming this is a huge longshot, but figured it didn't hurt to post just in case anyone's seen it. Happily it was our old beater that was stolen, so not the end of the world, but it'd still be nice to get it back. It runs ridiculously well and I've barely had to put any money into it to keep it running, which is an awesome quality in a backup car. :-)

Anyway: 1998 4-door manual transmission Toyota Tercel, dark green with tan patterned interior. Sadly, I can't find any pics. AB license plate GMA 582. Minor rust around edges of a couple of doors, tires and hubcaps just replaced a couple of months ago (but not with anything fancy). The only sticker or anything I can think of was the "bring your car back in at X kilometers" sticker from Monza Auto.

We left on last Saturday morning (the 7th), and it was gone on Sunday afternoon when a relative came to check on the house. He just assumed we'd taken it to the airport and parked in long-term or something. There was no broken glass or anything odd on the ground, and neighbours didn't see or hear anything. We're in the NW, near 14th St and John Laurie, so that's the last known whereabouts of the car.

I did file a stolen vehicle report, and they confirmed that the plates had not been run previous to me reporting the theft, so at least it wasn't under investigation in a robbery or anything...

Like I said, I'm not too hopeful, and it's not worth a tonne of effort. But if anyone sees it or has any info, I'd definitely be grateful and could offer a minor reward. Just PM me here to reach me. Thanks!

[AE92_TreunoSC]

I'm near there and drive through there, I'll keep an eye out. Heck I probably worked on your car if you're a regular at Monza.

[teleute]

Yep, taken it to Monza since I've had it (about 3 years), and took my previous Tercel there for years too. :-)

Thanks!

[FiveFreshFish]

Similar to this?

http://images.canadianlisted.com/nlarge/1998-toyota-tercel-ce-sedan_4635359.jpg

[teleute]

Nearly identical to that, I'd say.

Oh, just remembered one other minor ding - one of the front headlight covers (right, IIRC?) is busted. Light still works, though.

[boarderfatty]

That sucks to hear man, something very similar to me. Was out of town working for a month, came home to my parents house and found my car wasn't on the street. I asked my parents where my car was and they said, "Didn't you lend it to one of your friends" I informed them that no one drives my car but me. Since my car was likely stolen I asked them if they know when my car went missing. They couldn't remember exactly but they thought it had been gone for a week or two.

Needless to say I never saw it again, don't know that I would want to anyways after someone has molested and defiled my baby.

[teleute]

Just got a call from the impound lot - it was recovered! Now to go down and see what shape it's in, and pay $250 to pick up, and pay to have it checked out for damage...*rolls eyes*

So yeah, AE92_TreunoSC, you may see it come through shortly. :-)

[Tomaz]

Good to hear! :thumbsup:

Hopefully she is in good shape!

[benz_890]

Originally posted by teleute
Just got a call from the impound lot - it was recovered! Now to go down and see what shape it's in, and pay $250 to pick up, and pay to have it checked out for damage...*rolls eyes*

So yeah, AE92_TreunoSC, you may see it come through shortly. :-)

No comprehensive coverage?

[teleute]

Originally posted by benz_890


No comprehensive coverage?

Not on a car worth about $1000 that I barely drive, no. :-) If it's too much then I just won't go ahead, but the lot talked me about driving it away, so I'm hoping if there is any damage at all that it's minor.

[teleute]

Well - no happy ending yet. I went down to the impound to discover, first off, that whatever they'd done to steal the car meant that my key didn't work. So had to arrange for a tow, and I had to pay to remove it without even knowing if it'll be driveable, or how much it'll cost to fix.

Second - went to pay, and found out they were charging me for storage fees since Friday, when it was apparently brought in. Problem with that is that no one called me to tell me it was found until this afternoon. The impound people say the police were supposed to call, and then if it's not picked up the impound people follow up after a few days, which was the call I got from them today. But yeah - no calls from the police on the matter whatsoever (and I know they had my correct number, because when I was originally reporting it the call got disconected, and they called me back at the correct number).

Finally, it was apparently found less than 10 minutes from the house. Bugger.

So - any idea what ballpark I'm looking at to fix the ignition? It's not electronic or anything...

And what to do to help prevent this in future? I thought having a crappy older car and parking it in the back would be sufficient, but clearly not.

[revelations]

By pass the ignition and key, get a push button start .... then use a club :)


Thieves use these cars for jobs and joyriding. Age and condition is irrevelant.

[teleute]

Originally posted by revelations
By pass the ignition and key, get a push button start .... then use a club :)


Thieves use these cars for jobs and joyriding. Age and condition is irrevelant.

Interesting - I wasn't familiar with push button starts. According to the Toyota site, they're not compatible with manual transmissions, so out of luck there, even if the cost was worth it. Club is definitely a possibility, though - or maybe a brake lock? Just looking at all this for the first time. Haven't found anyone in town with one yet, but just starting to search...

Thanks!

[J-hop]

Push button starts are essentially compatible with any car, all they are is a button to make the connection that the key would make in the start position. Problem is unless you do some serious rewiring it's going to be useless without a working key. In your case yea you could install a push button start which will do nothing but turn over the starter but you still need to be able to turn the key to the run position so that you ignition coil, fuel pump etc will power up....

So yea unless you do a ton of rewiring and remove the ignition lock if it still works you are hooped. I would watch pick n pull for an ignition assembly, sometimes the cars come with keys there..

[G-ZUS]

Originally posted by J-hop
Push button starts are essentially compatible with any car, all they are is a button to make the connection that the key would make in the start position. Problem is unless you do some serious rewiring it's going to be useless without a working key. In your case yea you could install a push button start which will do nothing but turn over the starter but you still need to be able to turn the key to the run position so that you ignition coil, fuel pump etc will power up....

So yea unless you do a ton of rewiring and remove the ignition lock if it still works you are hooped. I would watch pick n pull for an ignition assembly, sometimes the cars come with keys there..

They probably smashed the steering column so you might have to replace the whole thing. Easy job - I've done it on many a Civics

[teleute]

Yikes! Just heard back that it'll be about $500 to replace the ignition. Plus the $300 to get it out of the impound, plus the tow.... And even then we won't really know how it runs until after forking out that money!

I have no clue what to do right now....

[7thgenvic]

Good luck :)

[bulaian]

Originally posted by teleute
Yikes! Just heard back that it'll be about $500 to replace the ignition. Plus the $300 to get it out of the impound, plus the tow.... And even then we won't really know how it runs until after forking out that money!

I have no clue what to do right now....

$500 for ignition
$300 to get it out of impound
$100+ for tow
= $900

Plus any other damages you haven't found yet.

It might be better to just leave it at the impound, let them send it to auction

[racerjim]

why couldn't you just turn the ignition with a screwdriver like the theives did? I've driven a car for a few months like that after i lost the keys, (86 tempo) i was buying another car right away so i broke the ignition and just drove it like that, sure anyone else could have easily stolen it. But it was an old tempo so that never happened. I junked it when i was done so it was not an issue with re-selling it later.

[revelations]

Originally posted by racerjim
why couldn't you just turn the ignition with a screwdriver like the theives did? I've driven a car for a few months like that after i lost the keys, (86 tempo) i was buying another car right away so i broke the ignition and just drove it like that, sure anyone else could have easily stolen it. But it was an old tempo so that never happened. I junked it when i was done so it was not an issue with re-selling it later.

I did that with my bikes ignition after idiots broke it and tried to ride away with it .... WITH A DISC LOCK IN PLACE (and a reminder cord on the handlebar).

[Zero102]

Originally posted by bulaian


$500 for ignition
$300 to get it out of impound
$100+ for tow
= $900

Plus any other damages you haven't found yet.

It might be better to just leave it at the impound, let them send it to auction

Sure then somebody can pay $100 for it and you can remain on the hook for the rest of what is owed by the time it goes to auction, which will be more than the $400 for auction/tow that you would owe right now.

You can probably get a lock cylinder and ignition switch from one at PnP for $20 or so and have it re-keyed and still be under $150 to repair the ignition.

[J-hop]

+1 there are two 96 (newest ones listed) tercels there right now and a ton of older ones, look at the compatibility between years and you could have a running car by the end of the weekend.

[teleute]

Honestly, I don't have the time to do it any time in the next few weeks (and that's even if I had the first clue of how to do it, which I don't).

Anyone interested in a 98 Tercel, as is? ;-)

Seriously, though - I'd been pondering changing cars before this. If I were to get a different car, do you think I'd be better off getting this one fixed and then selling, or trying to sell as is to someone that can fix it?

[teleute]

Alternately, I wonder if I can find the part cheaper online, and then not get it re-keyed? (Or do that later, to spread out the cost)

So I get something like this:
http://tinyurl.com/7wv39c8

And then just use that key and have my old one for the doors. Or hell, just leave it unlocked and put on a club or pedal lock or something (which I was going to do anyway).

That should cut out a chunk of the cost, anyway...

Although, investigating, it looks like AMA will cover $50 of the rekeying.

I've had a couple suggestions to just use a screwdriver, which is tempting...<g> I'd be worried that the one time it didn't work would be at 3am in the middle of nowhere, though.

[AE92_TreunoSC]

I don't work at monza anymore but Vince was good for taking care of his customers in scenerios like yours. Give him a call and see if you can get any insight.

[teleute]

I'm not sure who I talked to - to be honest I was pretty out of it at the time (hadn't had coffee yet). I'll probably call back tomorrow now that I've thought/researched more and try to figure out the options a little better. Thanks!

[teleute]

Okay, so it looks like things *may* be sorted - I'll be able to confirm tomorrow. I guess a lot of the price was the part, since it's expensive from the dealer. However, I found a locksmith in town that 1. is able to get the part for quite a bit cheaper, and 2. I can use my AMA membership at to get $50 off. So it'll come with a key, and be about $50. Woo hoo!

Thanks for all the encouraging words and advice, everyone!

[Chantastic]

Is the locksmith guy gonna replace the whole ignition? Probably a used part for that price (even if it was $100 without the AMA discount)...

Either way, sounds like a winner!

[teleute]

Finally heard back from locksmith, and the part turned out to be $300 (just the part, no work). So said screw it and got up ridiculously early on Saturday to take advantage of my only possible window for PNP. Found a bunch of Tercels with keys right in them, so managed to pull a couple of cylinders quite quickly. Grabbed a second one because all the research I'd done about compatibility (there weren't any '98s, unfortunately) indicated that an earlier 90s Tercel would be what I wanted, and the person at PNP said I needed the one from the '99. I was dubious, so grabbed both just in case. :-) $20 in total.

Some of that victory is mitigated by how tired I was for the rest of the weekend, but what the hell.

Still gonna get my shop to put it in, though, cause I have *no* idea how to pull the cylinder since my key won't go in, and don't feel like experimenting on my car.

[Chantastic]

:thumbsup: