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Stolen 1965 Volkswagen van recovered after 35 years

CNN - www.cnn.com -- LOS ANGELES, California -- A 1965 Volkswagen van stolen 35 years ago in Spokane, Washington, was found by customs agents in a shipping container in the Los Angeles port last month, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection official said.
The blue van, in pristine condition, was bound for Germany along with several vintage Volkswagens, Customs and Border Protection Port Director Todd Hoffman said.


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Submitted Nov 07, 2009 By: FredVx464
Category: Daily News Article Discussions > Topics Add to favorite topics   Post new topicPost New Topic
Author Topic: Stolen 1965 Volkswagen van recovered after 35 years Post a Reply Back to Topics
REPLIES (newest first)
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Champion Author Dallas

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Message Posted: Nov 8, 2009 5:14:22 PM

I had a friend whose 60's era Vette was stolen way back then and was found a couple of years ago.
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Champion Author Arkansas

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Message Posted: Nov 8, 2009 7:18:50 AM

I wonder if that baby would have been eligible for the Cash For Clunkers program.
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Champion Author Barrie

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Message Posted: Nov 8, 2009 5:59:58 AM

My buddy has one just like it, fully restored only a few years newer. Check it our here...
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Champion Author Hawaii

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Message Posted: Nov 8, 2009 1:22:21 AM

Interesting but not sure what it has to do with gas and oil.
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Champion Author New York

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 6:10:00 PM

Wow! It is remarkable that the vehicle is in excellent condition. It looks like it is in mint condition in the photo.
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Champion Author Houston

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 6:01:44 PM

POLELANE wrote:

>did it pass smog ?

Antique vehicles (25 years or more) don't have to "pass smog." On antique vehicles, all they'll check is for obvious tampering.

Emission control equipment only started to be required in the late 1960s so I'd suspect a vintage Volkswagen would have none.
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Champion Author South Carolina

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 5:48:17 PM

Had seen that article on news. I would love to have that , But not at that price today.
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Veteran Author Little Rock

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 5:27:17 PM

I love this story!!!!
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Champion Author Indianapolis

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 5:23:53 PM

I have heard it all now.
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Champion Author Cincinnati

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 5:15:14 PM

Far removed from gas prices.

Should be in another category - not daily news.
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Champion Author South Carolina

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 3:11:26 PM

C'mon $27,000 for a '65 VW Bus. People are nuts!!!
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Champion Author Wisconsin

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 12:35:01 PM

Interesting story, but not about gas prices
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Champion Author Milwaukee

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 12:05:16 PM

My dad had one like that and I drove it in high school. iT was slow, but got you where you were going. It got decent MPG for the time, if driven slowly.
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All-Star Author Ontario

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 11:13:57 AM

great story.

I had one like that decades ago - never in such nice condition. How do you speak ENVIOUS?
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Champion Author Cleveland

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 10:34:48 AM

So thats how to steal a car & get away with it! lol...

I have also heard stories of cars hidden under a hay stack for years.
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Champion Author Oklahoma City

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 10:27:03 AM


WoW! Cool article. Wish I owned that van...think of what it might be worth!
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Champion Author Ohio

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 10:12:09 AM

did it pass smog ?
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All-Star Author San Antonio

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 9:51:10 AM

Amazingly, records on that stolen vehicle still existed after 35 years.
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All-Star Author St. Louis

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 9:24:27 AM

thanks for posting the article, FredVx464. Does us all good to read a story that brings a smile instead of another opportunity to rant about the current president, big evil government, the state of the economy and the grief we all feel with the story out of Ft Hood. Thanks.
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Champion Author Houston

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 8:59:14 AM

All right, we get it. Not really a "gasbuddy" article, but it is still a cool article nonetheless.
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Champion Author Columbus

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 8:52:13 AM

Some posters believe this is not really a Gasbuddy story. I disagree. It's not the usual article posted to GB but it's a neat story.

Of course, the real story which this article doesn't tell is this: How did this van remain in use, perhaps having multiple unsuspecting owners and yet remain undetected for 35 years?

GTH
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Champion Author Maine

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 8:43:46 AM

Does the van still have poor heat???
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Champion Author Illinois

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 8:27:08 AM

nothing to do with gas prices or how the automakers are doing anything but a cool article. would be nice to see how the mileage is on one of these small engines with everything still intact from the manufacturer.
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Champion Author Illinois

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 8:16:23 AM

Should this really be a gas buddy article?
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Champion Author Los Angeles

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 8:12:26 AM

Interesting and entertaining article but a bit of a reach for this site.
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Champion Author Calgary

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 8:07:58 AM

Was certainly stolen for a car collector and kept in a warehouse, this is why they didn't find it before, has never been on the road.
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Champion Author Toronto

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 8:04:23 AM

Looks like it perhaps saved to use in the tv show "Lost". One of the vans left over from the Dharma project.
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Veteran Author Macon

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 8:03:09 AM

I thought it was an interesting story. I wonder how a shipping container just sat in a port for 35 years.
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Champion Author St. Louis

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 8:03:05 AM

not really a gasbuddy article, but a fun read anyway ;-)
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Champion Author Virginia

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 8:02:06 AM

Major US auto manufacturers marvel at the advanced technologies the ancients had for good fuel economy and reliability. Said one auto engineer, "Those ancients had technologies we cannot understand and only wish we could replicate."
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Champion Author New Hampshire

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 8:00:42 AM

I guess vehicles are related to gas prices.

How much is a mint '65 VW van worth?

At least $50k+ to the car collectors
300k+ if you are a star in Hollywood!
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Champion Author Grand Rapids

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 8:00:00 AM

what a worhless story, unless there is more to it.
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Champion Author Detroit

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 7:59:46 AM

Tell them to keep looking. My 1974 Ford F150 was never recovered.
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Champion Author Fort Worth

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 7:58:35 AM

An interesting story. I would like to know about this situation. Our tax dollars at work.
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Champion Author New Jersey

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 7:58:11 AM

WHO CARES!!!!
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All-Star Author Massachusetts

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 7:57:28 AM

Weird news for this site?
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Champion Author Cincinnati

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 7:57:24 AM

Crime solved!
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Champion Author Montreal

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 7:55:03 AM

Is that how long it takes to solve a crime?
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Champion Author Vermont

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 7:53:02 AM

FredV, please find something worthwhile to post or don't waste my click.
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Champion Author Chicago

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 7:51:54 AM

Strange but news worthy?
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Champion Author New Mexico

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 7:51:50 AM

It would be cool to owns those now (not when they were stolen though).
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Champion Author Albuquerque

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 7:50:07 AM

So the Germans were stealing their own cars back to Germany.....how funny.
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Champion Author Milwaukee

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 7:48:47 AM

This is were it was hiding!!!!
was found by customs agents in a shipping container in the Los Angeles port
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Champion Author Boston

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 7:47:12 AM

What does this have to do with gas prices???
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Champion Author Tennessee

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 7:46:54 AM

that would be cool
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Champion Author Virginia

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 7:45:33 AM

I would like to know where this van was hiding for 35 years?
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Veteran Author Calgary

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 7:45:23 AM

Must have been a hippie van!
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Champion Author Kansas City

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 7:44:30 AM

Why was this posted here?
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Champion Author Gary

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 7:43:37 AM

is this a slow oil and gas day? i do like the article
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Champion Author Cleveland

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Message Posted: Nov 7, 2009 7:42:19 AM

Excellent police work! :)
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