ATV Jack Stolen, While Supporting Motor!

[shrouded]

Yup, thats right. For the past week or so I've been working my way through my first engine drop in, in my driveway. I left last night with the back wheels off of the car, with the back end up on jackstands. The engine is bolted to the transmission, but not yet raised completely & bolted to the back motor mounts.

I stepped outside today to lift the motor back into place & bolt the rear in, and realized there was something missing... the jack! Apparently while I was at work today, someone helped themselves. Thank God I had cinderblocks/etc. under the motor to support it in case the jack failed. The backup plan worked... but not quite in the circumstance I had envisioned.

I'm annoyed that the jack is gone, but I'm incensed at the idea of someone screwing around with the car while I was gone.

[RallyJon]

Lemme get this straight: someone stole the $50 jack and left the $5k motor?

[shrouded]

Originally posted by RallyJon
Lemme get this straight: someone stole the $50 jack and left the $5k motor?

Yup. Given that the bolts on the bellhousing were in, and the rear bumper was on (leaving not quite enough clearance to get it free), the jack definetly required less effort.

[tdatk]

Somehow I'm even more pissed that it is a rosewood metallic brother that got dissed. Glad to hear the perps left the good parts. Sorry about your loss though.

[kqw]

You must have a carport vs. garage. None of your neighbors saw or heard anything???

[shrouded]

Originally posted by kqw
You must have a carport vs. garage. None of your neighbors saw or heard anything???

We have a single-car garage, but when I started this project it was filled with the extra furniture & junk from my recent marraige. A garage sale last weekend cleared it all out, so future projects will all be inside.

No, I doubt the neighbors heard anything. They aren't the most friendly on that side of the house.

[Bobboloo]

I think I would check and see what they're using to jack there car up with now if you know what I mean.

[safe]

Originally posted by shrouded
No, I doubt the neighbors heard anything. They aren't the most friendly on that side of the house.

Aha, a suspect!

[randywebb]

They might be back. Move the car inside ASAP.

You can rig up a surveillance camera on your home PC for pretty cheap... night vison is harder but not beyond the motivated tinkerer.

Be sure to report it to the police. Ask them to cruise past the house periodically - tell them you are afraid the crooks might return.

[craigster59]

A guy in Ventura had his tools stolen a few times from his carport. He wired a motion sensor from the carport to a spotlite in his bedroom. A couple days later it came on about 2 a.m. He was out there with a baseball bat in no time and held the guy till the cops came. They recovered most of his tools.

[scoll911]

I guess there are more ATVs than porsches in Burque