My beloved van stolen

[tinofmaggots]

Hi folks my van was stolen yesterday from Rochester Way eltham se9 just by the Well Hall Roundabout.

It's White clean Suzuki super carry 1996 Reg: N518 BOA

The van is very distinguishable, has I had it on my drive for almost a year before passing my test an taking it to the road.

In that time I had done many modifications an cleaned it up to suit my fishing, an just last Thursday it was in an accident so there's a dent in the front there's  also a dent over the real wheel arch an a cracked back bumper from the previous occupier,

I changed the headlining to cream leatherette an sprayed the support bars black. all the panel infills were also re-lined by me in black leatherette, the two front seats were modified into a  bench seat that folded into a bed, there was a small seating area over the passenger wheel arch an a larger cupboard space over the drivers wheel arch.


There are also modifications around the engine an underneath that I have done. I could spot these in an instant.

there are certain bolts that frayed of in the passenger foot well. where i relined with carpet. there were curtain rails around the front and rear tailgate windows, if taken of there will be little holes.

the rear inside was painted in white hammerite up  untill the front door quarters.

the choke cable is frayed the idle screw as a slit cut into so a  normal screw drive can fit it..

So many distinguishing marks.

There's 3 chips in the windscreen. all the door pulls covers were painted in black. the rubbers round the doors were painted in black with a shoe dye. there is white mist on some of these from where i never masked thoroughly on spraying,,,

There could be a trace of millet (yes bird seed) in the rear tailgate!!!!

if you get offered any parts please keep me in mind...

[zaphod]

I have just posted this on another enthusiasts site (Bambi).

HTH.

[AndyP]

Yet another warning to us all!  Sorry to hear your bad news and hope you get some come back from these posts. My other half chuckles about me religously fitting the steering locks every night, but Id hate to have that feeling of being totally gutted. Woe betide any little scrote I ever find sniffing round our vans! I will be a case of clobber first and hard then ask questions.
Best wishes
Andy

[Dell Boy]

Sorry to hear of your loss. I was towing one today in Erith when a couple of guys in a blue rascal pulled up alongside & asked if I was selling it. I said no, its not going to Africa. They laughed & drove on. I guess they knew I had them sussed.
They get sold for export with no questions asked as to where they came from because of there relatively low cash value.
Remember!!!!! Lock your vans securely or lose them.
Derek.

[tinofmaggots]

I spoke to Tim of bedford rascal .com he said through all the years of selling parts his never been offered a nicked one which he finds unusual. an also puts down to stolen ones being exported,

like he knows of many who go missing but none that turn up

I've had to buy an dihatsu hijet. literally just got home. as I need it for Monday to carry on working.

I'm gonna get some shut eye an tomorrow I'm heading down to the docks. passing by a pikey site or two on the way.

[AndyP]

This business of exporting stolen vehicles is obviously quite well known, and can only take place at a port. What I don't understand is! these arn't small items and surely can be spotted at the said ports being loaded into containers. There must also be a process they have to go through with the authority's before being allowed to be loaded!?

[J J 007]

unfortunately they are not andy,most are loaded from warehouses into containers then taken to the docks,i used to load cars in rainham to go to the docks did think it was strange waiting for cars to turn up.turns out they were nicking them driving straight into a container within an hour sat on the docks eventually they got caught