quattrogirl

<center><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/1017/racebimmersunland1.jpg"></center><p>Hi all. Got an email from a friend of a friend (verified it with the owner of the car, this is "for real"). A racing BMW was stolen yesterday (5/10) from Southern Cal- please keep your eyes & ears open for the car or any parts that suddenly show up at local performance shops.

Here's the details and the owner's information if you have anything to pass along:

Hello everyone,

Late last night my race car was stolen right from inside my trailer which was parked in front of my house. The thieves broke into the trailer by busting the entire locking mechanism off of the rear fold down door. They simply cut the straps (the car was tied down) and took the car (Probably rolled it down the street and towed it away).

I know this is a long shot but if anyone sees this car or any parts for sale from what sounds could be from this car, please let me know. It took 2 years to build and I only attended a couple of races with it. It's hard to believe that so many years of blood, sweat and $$$ could be stolen right out from underneath you in a minute.

Here are the details of the car:
1988 E30 M3
VIN: WBSAK0306J2196258
#95 or #75 on Hood/Doors
Red Exterior/Interior
1 Sparco Evo Racing Seat - Black
Full Weld In Cage (Painted Red)
16" BBS RK Wheels w/Kumhos
Custom Exhaust System w/DTM Tips
Split Second Intake System
FULLY MODIFIED S14 RACING MOTOR.
All the BMW CCA Club Racing required Banners and decals.
Tirerack Banners on the front and rear windshield.
The interior had been FULLY gutted:
No rear bulkhead in the passenger compartment.
The doors were gutted out.
The only things in place were a seat, wheel and dashboard.
Hood is pinned down and the center hood pin is off center.
Rear Shock Towers have been boxed in for custom cage mounting points.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Please spread the word.

Thank you,

Tino Saloomen
tino@saloomen.net
(car was stolen from Sunland, CA)

PS - Now I wish I had Lo-Jack or something...

Anand@4Induktion.com

wow, and i was just about to post this here. didn't think it made it to AW yet

Mike Zam

From Tino:


Hello Everyone,

I know it's late but I just got a phone call from the SDPD notifying me that the car has been recovered and is in a tow yard in San Diego. I haven't seen the car yet but will update you with my findings as I get them. The officer that called said the car looked fine except for it looked like it was stripped... (LOL!!!, I did that!!!). The car is going to be shipped back (Compliments of AAA ) tomorrow to Los Angeles.

All I know is that the car was indeed placed on a flatbed tow truck and was on it's way to Mexico. The story I got was that the thieves were stopped by the Border Patrol near the US Customs crossing while attempting to drive the tow truck with my car on it into Mexico. Since my car didn't have any plates on it, the Officer asked them for some sort of registration. Since they couldn't provide the paperwork, the VIN was run. The car came up as stolen and the driver and passengers (3 total) were arrested and are in custody.

The reason why my car didn't have plates was simply because I had a little custom plate made for it which read "If you can read this, I'm having a bad day!". I thought this was the dumbest thing I could have done (removing the California Plate that is..) but it turned out to save my car! Go figure...

Thanks to everyone for their support during this hard time for me. Words cannot express how touched I was by everyone's friendship and support. All I can say is that I am truly thankful I have such great friends. The tons of emails and phone calls that I received were incredible. Each one contained encouraging words which helped me get through this tough time. I can honestly say that I nearly fainted when I looked into an empty trailer in the morning... Ever been sucker punched in the gut?? Please don't let this happen to you. Take all the necessary precautions to protect your investment NOW. I'm thinking LoJack isn't a bad idea!

Thank you again for helping me get the word out and for your honest concern.

Tino Saloomen
tino@saloomen.net

Žob

SWEET! That is so awesome! Hope they lock those b*st*rds up for a long time

Audiboy

problem is, they probably were just paid to do a job. There is a big guy out there somewhere