Author Topic: Car found after 45 years  (Read 22978 times)

Offline Phrubruh

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Car found after 45 years
« on: April 29, 2015, 11:00 PM »
The day I was born, my dad when out and bought a '67 Shelby Cobra. He figured my mom was occupied at the moment giving birth and could say no to it. He bought it to work on it and to race it. My first car ride was in that car. About ten months later the car was stolen from our locked garage in board day light. My dad only put on 700 miles in that time since it was always in the shop.
 
Last month, my dad was at South Coast Corvette talking to the owner of the shop about that Cobra he had 45 years ago. He told him that he had still had the title, registration, vin number and lots of documentation on the car. They decided to look the car up in the Cobra registry just for fun. It turned out the car was in there!!! It seems the car was Carmel, California. The owner of South Coast Corvette has been friends with my dad for almost fifty years and said he would help get the car back. They hired a private investigator to go find the car.
 
Today, the PI gave my dad a call and said he found the car and will be picking it up next week and bringing it back to the police. We can then pick it up in LA. The story is still unfolding.



My dad and me





« Last Edit: February 3, 2017, 04:00 PM by Master_Phruby »
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Offline Jesse James

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Re: '67 Shelby Cobra found after 45 years
« Reply #1 on: April 29, 2015, 11:04 PM »
That's awesome...  I hope it's in decent shape when you get it back Paul.
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Offline I Am Sith

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Re: '67 Shelby Cobra found after 45 years
« Reply #2 on: April 30, 2015, 08:20 AM »
Awesome story!  Best of luck, I hope that everything works out and it's in mint condition when you get it.
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Offline GrandMoffNick

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Re: '67 Shelby Cobra found after 45 years
« Reply #3 on: April 30, 2015, 08:24 AM »
So cool! I a not a car person at all. I didn't own one until I owned "half" my wife's after we got married, BUT the vintage Cobras have always been a car to get me drooling. Awesome.
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Offline BillCable

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Re: '67 Shelby Cobra found after 45 years
« Reply #4 on: April 30, 2015, 08:32 AM »
Wow - that's just ridiculous.  That's a million dollar car these days!
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Offline P-Siddy

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Re: '67 Shelby Cobra found after 45 years
« Reply #5 on: April 30, 2015, 09:48 AM »
Awesome story.  Can't wait to hear more.

Offline Jeff

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Re: '67 Shelby Cobra found after 45 years
« Reply #6 on: April 30, 2015, 10:07 AM »
Wow - that's just ridiculous.  That's a million dollar car these days!

I can only imagine how the guy on the other end of this deal is going to feel about it...  would be interesting to know how long they have had it, where/when they got it, etc.

Imagine taking care of that car for 40+ years only to have someone show up after all this time and take it from you because it was stolen 40+ yearsa ago.  :(
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Offline DSJ™

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Re: '67 Shelby Cobra found after 45 years
« Reply #7 on: April 30, 2015, 10:16 AM »
Good lord! 40+ years & found. Hope it all works out & noting has been replaced & wonder what the mileage is now. Please keep us posted & with pics of the return. Wowzers!

Offline Dave

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Re: '67 Shelby Cobra found after 45 years
« Reply #8 on: April 30, 2015, 02:56 PM »
I can only imagine how the guy on the other end of this deal is going to feel about it...  would be interesting to know how long they have had it, where/when they got it, etc.

Imagine taking care of that car for 40+ years only to have someone show up after all this time and take it from you because it was stolen 40+ yearsa ago.  :(

I was thinking the same thing.  Is the current "owner" completely hosed?  Does his insurance cover this sort of situation?

Does Paul's dad have to pay back the insurance company that paid him out 40 years ago?

Amazing story!  Let us know how it ends!

Offline Jesse James

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Re: '67 Shelby Cobra found after 45 years
« Reply #9 on: April 30, 2015, 03:29 PM »
Every situation like this I ever read or heard of, the owner is basically hosed.  Though how long they owned it tends to vary of course.  Insurance covering it seems to depend how your policy is worded regarding theft.  It's weird.

I have actually read several stories like this just different cars.  I never saw it end well for the guy who currently owns it though.

It could also be that the car is in bad shape.  Shelby frames sell for a decent amount of course though haha.  But yeah there could be little left of the car but the body and frame.  I know this guy who got a 65 fastback he owned back in a similar story but while it was mostly complete it was rotted on the frame n floor pans and the engine was seized.  :(
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Offline BrentS

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Re: '67 Shelby Cobra found after 45 years
« Reply #10 on: April 30, 2015, 04:00 PM »
Pretty awesome story... looking forward to seeing how it turns out for you!

Offline JediJman

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Re: '67 Shelby Cobra found after 45 years
« Reply #11 on: April 30, 2015, 04:37 PM »
Great story. Congratulations on finding this.  What will you do with it once you have it?
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Offline BillCable

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Re: '67 Shelby Cobra found after 45 years
« Reply #12 on: April 30, 2015, 05:40 PM »
It is LITERALLY a million-dollar car.  I'd drive around the block once, then straight to the auction block.   8)
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Offline Phrubruh

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Re: '67 Shelby Cobra found after 45 years
« Reply #13 on: April 30, 2015, 05:49 PM »
My dad paid $3000 cash for the car originally in '69. He never insured it since it was always in the shop being worked on. The guy that has it now is a collector so it's most likely cherry.

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Offline Matt_Fury

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Re: '67 Shelby Cobra found after 45 years
« Reply #14 on: April 30, 2015, 08:50 PM »
That's awesome Paul!  Hope to see some pictures soon!
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