I just got back from seeing it and getting my personal belongings out. Here's what I know. It was fould and pulled out about from about 1000 feet into the woods. The towing company charged the body shop (where the car is now) $408 for retrieving it and towing it to the body shop, which now the body shop wants to pass along to me!
They let me look at it and get my belongings.

Engine / Tranny and everything else under the hood is gone, ripped out in a hurry. The hood is on the car but just laying there. No damage to steering column. door lock cylinder doesnt work (maybe they jammed something in it?) No cracked glass, body is mostly intact except for the passenger front fender, which is bent in where it meets the door jam.

I hope they got some good prints from the car.

Forgot my cam, so no pics yet. It was just about completely dark anyway, and there wasnt much to see but a gsl-se with 4 flats, an unbolted hood, and nothing under it.

 

Ouch....

If it was found in a nearby town in the woods.....I would imagine the woods would be the opposite way of where they stold the car from.

Thieves aren't THAT stupid, and probably live about dead center between where the car was stolen, and where the car was found.

Keep an eye out on Ebay, you can search for ONLY items in the NJ area around you......make it a little easier.

Its obvious, whoever took it, knows about the SE and the FI engine - so its either going for parts, or being dropped in someone else's car.

Totally sucks that they trashed your car though. I hope it all works out for the better for you soon.

 

What a ******* shame, dirty bastards who do this. People like this need to be shot in the kneecap and then thrown in a cage full of rabid hamsters.

 

They might be familiar with the car, but if they were real pros they would not have messed up the door lock since all that's needed is a big paperclip or coathanger in the right spot to unlock it in about 5 seconds. (BTW I only break into my own cars.)

Keep an eye out on eBay and the Want Ad and check around discreetly at area shops to see if any SE's are in for an engine replacement (maybe ask around first to see which ones have dishonest reputations). It's possible the used/replaced engine might turn up somewhere too.

 

he knew the car appearently.... he wanted the motor... he found a car, he nabbed it, got what he wanted, tossed it....

they prolly wanted it for their car... so if you see a first gen, check it out...

sorry to hear about it... I dunno why people cant just earn their own...

laters, Andrew

 

The interior was left pretty much intact, even the shifter plate and boot were left. Speakers were taken, but not the radio. no damage to seats.

I'm torn right now. I dont know whether to tell them to keep it and save myself the $ and aggrevation, or to pay the $400 to get it out, then literally have to find a complete donor car to transfer everything under the hood. The rest of the car is fine and it was a good car to begin with with minimal rust. Do I just pick up the pieces and rebuild or start from scratch?!?
I dunno what to do.

 

id get a differnt one

i dont think they knew that much about it if they left the suspension

 

Get it back. Itll make you feel better if nothing else. I paid $1200 to get mine out of the impound yard after it was recoverd from the theives. Wasnt worth the $ but I sure feel better that I got her back. BTW, its the car in my sig. I know how you feel man.

 

******* PILES OF ELEPHANT ****!!!!!!!! **** the people who stole your baby!!!!!!! i would be out for blood, but i am an angry ************! at any rate, i personally would rebuild what you have. sentimental you know. sure it would be eaiser to buy a new one, but you know that car and it has loved you for so long. do not let it down when it needs you the most the people who stole your car knew you and they knew what they were doing. look for any 7's in the area and ask if anyone has a motor for sale for your "82 GS" trickery is the key my man. my se was pretty far gone when pretty much everything died. i just COULD NOT let her go. i am restoring her. i have too many memories in that car to let her die. i trust you will make the choice that is best suited to your practicality. good luck with it though. also, for note, i would make small markings on all of my major parts so that if they are stolen, they can be easialy identified. just a thought. good luck.

 

To add to 79+80's post, keep a look out for first gens in your area SE or otherwise. Try and make small talk with owners and get a feel for what they have done to there car. If it's one thing that I learned is A: people like to brag about what they got because there itching to tell someone about it, And B: If they don't tell you or try to blow off the question acting all nervous you can start your little investigation with them. Don't even mention you have a rotary, just say something like " I'm thinking of buying one" or " I have one but it's sitting at my grandparents place" or whatever. Use or imagination and don't ask to much because the less you ask the more people are willing to volunteer.

 

Get it back and rebuild it - $400 wouldn't go very far to try to pick up another one in good shape, and besides, you already know the history on this car.

I still have the 80LS that was stolen from me, twice. There is a sentimental attachment, but you need to think about what it is that you want to do with it. If you just want to buy it back to let it sit, then consider buying another car. If this was a project, and you want to continue on the project - buy it back.

Just because someone stole it from you doesn't permanently taint it somehow.

I also agree with the other posters that someone knew what they were looking for. Maybe you have a neighbor with a friend that has one, or a 'friend' that tipped off to someone that he knew you had one - they came and took it for what they wanted. If they wanted the car to drive, they'd still be stripping it down, or driving it around. They wanted your engine.

Somewhere, your engine is going to be running in someone else's machine. Find out what shops will do this work and you're step closer to finding out who did this - if it matters to you. Insurance payout for loss should cover some toward a new motor. Up to you, good luck,

 

Go get your car. Do it for yourself.
When I PMed you, I had not realized yours was a 13B, but I will still do what I can for you.
Any interest in SPing a 12a? That with a Banana carb would kick ***.
I'll give you a 12A with 90K and no blue smoke (wrecked her) along with a tranny. All you have to do is drive up to NY and pick 'em up, buddy! (Got a cross member for the engine, too.)

 

Man that sucks! I would buy your car back, and use this as an excuse to go turbo!

And if you ever find the theif, show no mercy!

 

glad to here you found your car, sorry about the condition. on the bright side your car can be salvaged. Fortunatly the worst thing i've had stolen was my bike....bastards took sandpaper to it.....sigh that was a good bike. and no not a motorcycle just my bike, who the hell steals a bike? anywho i would buy the car back, i have only had mine for a few months and have already formed a close bond with it. that's somthing a new car can't replace. my guess is that there was two of them, one to drive the car they came in and one to *sigh* drive your car. that is if they drove to get your car, if they walked that means they don't live far away. It's a sad world we live in these days...Here's what i'd do if i found them: Cut off their eye lids tie them to a chair and stick them in a room full of fans in sub degree weather they'll think twice about stealing again.

 

$1200 to get it out of the impound lot? That's true love. I hope the banana racer feels special.

 

Yea it better. They waited months to call me to come pick it up, so the fees just mounted.

 

The person who stole your car obviously looks like they stole it for the drivetrain, see if you hear or know of anyone who just put GSL-SE drivetrain parts in their car, also this has to be someone close to where you live.

 

Hey. I talked to the insurance company a today. Now to put a little twist on the story! They told me I do have comprehensive coverage on it, which I didnt even realize! So now the insurance company is sending me out some paperwork and I need to fill that out and send it back along with a copy of the police report.

They are going to assign an adjuster to come take photos and I guess decide whether they are going to take the $500 deductible from me and fix it, or just total it and give me market value? I'm guessing the latter. So thats the good word for today! If they do end up fixing the car somehow, and me just paying the $500 deductible. I"ll be in heaven!

 

Haha nice! I wish I had comprehensive and didn't know it...

Good luck with all of that!

 

Thats sucks!!! Sorry about your loss and good luck...............lol

 

If they declare it totalled, take the monly and buy back the car.

See link, this will give you some hope.

http://www.jimrothe.com/mazda/staceys-rx7/index.html

 

If they declare the car a total loss and cut you a check for "replacement value" less deductible and less "buy-back" price, does that give your car a salvage title, or does it remain a clear title?

 

Dude not to sound bad or anything about your car, but to me $400 for your car the way it is is like nothing, I would buy it in a heart beat because of the gsl-se package. If somehow you end up with it, and I cant find SE parts in my neck of the woods, I'll gladlys grab that from you! Dont let it get junked whatever you do....

 

Tell the insurance company it just got a turbo put on it! who knows you might get a new turbo engine out of the deal for just the 500 deductable! just lookin on the brightside of things. if not that you would get a fresh engine and tranny and what not for 500 not a bad deal...but if people weren't morans and respected other people's property no of this would have happened. glad to here the good news about the insurance though!

 

if they declare it as being too expensive to bother fixing, and you buy it back, it does get a salvage title, which will potentially lower the resale value... that's they way it works here with ICBC anyways...