I know there are several posts on this but figured I'd start a new one if you guys can handle it. I spoke to both detectives from the NYPD auto crime division who assisted the CHP in their investigation. They just finished interviews with Fox 5 local, NY, and ABC national as well as inside addition. These shows will air tonight for those interested. The car no longer has it's original motor, its been upgraded to a 454. The tranny is out because it came back as stolen in 1990 from a camaro in Texas so customs and the chp had it removed. The exterior color was changed as was the interior. The feeling from the detectives was that the car was chopped up and parted out not long after it was stolen. Eventually , read that recently, someone decided to purchase the car or what was left and restore it, hence the new paint, interior, motor and tranny. It surfaces a year or two ago with a Texas title and lastly with a New Mexico title so thats where the investigation lies. The car was never re-tagged with a different VIN. Stolen VINS only remain in the system for 5 yrs. However, when a car is designated for export a different database is used for background info and this is why the VIN popped. None of this is confidential info, just what will appear on the news later. Hope this fills in some of the blanks. I'm going to get some photos emailed to me later and if you guys can stand a little more I'll see if I can post them.
ESU

 

So the original owner gets a trashed car back.
And the buyer overseas is probably out his money or the seller is out 1 car. Hmmm, not really a happy ending.
Gary

 

OMG!! Even my noncorvette friends are sending me copies of this story!! Thanks for the update. I appreciate the extra details. One story said it had no trans (with no explanation) while another story said it had no gastank!! I too wonder if the Swedish buyer is out the cash. Somebody in the chain of possession is going to get screwed... just not sure who.

 

what time is this going to be airing?

 

Here's the MSN article.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10890430/?GT1=7538

 

ttt

 

I saw the car on the news tonight, both at 6 and at 10. The car is a beauty, was kinda funny to watch the owner inside steering it as others were pushing him around. Says he's going to restore it, but it doesn't look like it needs much more then a tranny to me. I wonder if they will ever catch the thieves? They should be boiled in oil, then tarred and feathered, then have their hides dryed till they die.

 

Thanks for at least posting a thread with some new info, not just a link to a news story!

 

Thanks for update...

 

...I was wondering that too, with all the hoopala over the car just being returned, I wondered until you cleared it up if it hadn't have had the VIN tag changed or swapped out. With so many changes that had been made to the car, I wondered if the owner even got back HIS original car.

 

I wonder if the guy collected insurance $ back when it was stolen.
If so, soundn't it now belong to the insurance company?

 

...he had no insurance on the car when it was stolen.