Vandalized!

[epbrown]

Damn. Since getting the Rolls-Royce, I've been parking the Porsche on the street so I can garage the former (so I have room to work on it). Yesterday, I noticed the car was covered with bird crap so decided to wash and wax it (and find a better spot) first thing this morning. So at 6 a.m. I'm walking over with my Zymol, Meguiars, and rags only to discover it covered in dirt. Someone had taken a *planter* and thrown it on the car! A big one, the size used for small trees. The Targa itself is dented, but it appears to have been thrown from the sidewalk, landed on the roof, and rolled off the other side of the car onto the street (it's still there). Dirt is all over the hood and passenger side, but I don't see any dents or scratches to the metal. I came back in to calm down, but I'm about to head out and wash it and fiddle with the top to see if it's permanently damaged.
Really sucks. I looked all around, and the car is parked legally and not taking up a bit of space it's not entitled to. Probably just some drunken *******s (had to be plural, the planter is too big and heavy for one person to get it onto the roof of the car!).
I've got a $500 deductible, which is more than a replacement/rebuild of the targa would cost, so no sense in reporting it. Damn.
Emanuel

[cegerer]

Sorry to hear that! It's one of the few negatives to owning a P-car. There are many people out there with perceived class-envy and jealousy who get their jollies by doing these things. -- Curt

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1971 911T - 2.5L Big Bore

[epbrown]

Thanks, Curt. This is my 2nd incident - someone broke of my antenna in the Loop a couple of months ago. If the Porsche is going through this, what'll happen to the Rolls once it's done?

Anyway, I'm back. The car's washed and waxed, and I took it for an hour drive down to the nearest Krispy Kreme with a stop at a Starbucks on the way back. It essentially is one of those "looks worse than it is" deals. Though there was dirt and crud in every crack and crevice (the bay at the car wash looked like I'd been four-wheeling by the time I was done), I've got no dents and the only paint chips were there already.

The ribs inside the targa were bent from that heavy planter bouncing off the roof, but none appear to be broken. I did some careful bending and got the top back to passable shape, though I'll likely remove the skin and inspect it more closely later. Some of the clips on the skin don't catch the frame when it's open like they used to. I'm getting new seals for front and rear anyway, so it may be time to consider a new skin as well. Mine's always had a drawn-up appearance along the rear side.

Still pretty ticked, and I really hate the fact that it happened right on my street - I'll never feel safe parking the cars again. Only way I could afford another garage is to rent one in another neighborhood where they aren't at such a premium, which would mean driving just to change cars. Some friends of mine do it, though.

There are several other Porsches in the neighborhood that park on the street and we've never had a problem; some 944s, a 924 and 968 cab. I'm thinking of printing out a letter warning them to be careful, just in case this wasn't an isolated event.

Emanuel

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Everybody wants a normal life and a cool car;
most people settle for the car." Chris Titus
1983 Porsche 911 SC Targa

[This message has been edited by epbrown (edited 09-16-2001).]

[nostatic]

this is why surveillance cameras were invented. You can even get ones with night vision capabilities. And if you want to be politically correct, you can put up a notice that the premises are under video surveillance.

Yeah, it sucks to have to resort to such tactics, but technology is one answer to bad behavior. Now if we could just get the losers to wear those shock collars....

[wckrause]

They pulled a fire truck out of the WTC ruble today. It was pretty beat up.

Sort of puts things into perspective.

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Bill Krause
'79 911SC Euro
MY PELICAN GALLERY

[Saffs]

Vey true, Bill....
Last week someone had thrown milk all over my 911! Easy to wash off and better than brake fluid (had that happen to an old BMW), but it went in to the fresh air intake on the hood. I had to do a 200 mile journey with the smell of milk blowing in my face - not sour at that stage. Put me off milk in my coffee for a few days.
hope the cars OK, Emanuel.

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'75 911S Targa
'81 BMW Alpina C1 2.3

[pwd72s]

Emanuel, sorry to hear of the happening. The psychology behind it is sick: "I can't afford a car that nice, so nobody else should either." And for those who could use a little giggle? This morn's paper had a story on a "mountain man" festival held each year in Merlin, Oregon. The reporter noticed some signs on fenceposts along a road. Said they were much more effective than the usual no trespassing signs. They read: "ARCHERY RANGE-DO NOT ENTER". Too bad we couldn't find an effective sign to stop the sickies who feel they must vandalize...edit: Maybe we could use Jack's writing skills here? A good warning sticker?

[This message has been edited by pwd72s (edited 09-16-2001).]

[Eric Coffey]

I like the video camera idea. You could probably find an old/cheap video camera and vcr in the paper, eBay, etc. for $200 or so and setup a continious loop system. If anyhthing like that ever happens again, you will have rock solid evidence.

-Eric

[Jack Olsen]

Glad the damage wasn't too bad. The only way to prevent this sort of thing is a locked garage, unfortunately.

On the bright (well, for me, at least) side, your post got me to go locate a Krispy Kreme here in Los Angeles. Went for a nice morning drive, got a coffee and a dozen of these things. Never had them before. They're good!

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Jack Olsen
My Rennlist page • My Pelican Gallery page • My Porsche Owners Gallery page

[Saffs]

Jack,
Krispy Kreme...is that on/near Highland? Think I've been to that a few times when I lived there for a while....

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'75 911S Targa
'81 BMW Alpina C1 2.3

[Leland Pate]

I think PlanterC2 is responsible!


Very sorry to hear about that...I know the gut wrenching feeling you get when someone does something randomly for kicks. It is very angering.
I feel the same way when I find a new door ding in a parking lot. I hope you file a police report and ask your neighbors if they saw anything.
Best of luck,

[Jack Olsen]

Not so far from Highland, Saffs, just a little further south -- Crenshaw, south of the 10. I think the next-nearest one is in the Valley.

I've gone through hald a dozen of the things today. I'm beginning to think it's going to mess with my car's power-to-weight ratio.

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Jack Olsen
My Rennlist page • My Pelican Gallery page • My Porsche Owners Gallery page

[Saffs]

Ahh...I think I remember now!
I got introduced to it by a friend and it's a little habit forming.....
Do you ever go to "Mishima" - in a small Jap. cafe in a Mall corner of 3rd and La Cienaga (sp)? Also in the Valley now too, I believe.

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'75 911S Targa
'81 BMW Alpina C1 2.3

[BKOMAR]

Dang...that comment made me think PWD72S.."I can't afford a car that nice, so nobody else should either."---> i cant live in and enjoy the freedom of a country like that...so I will just fly a plane into it. Hate to bring up the obvious correlation... just on a bit larger scale...I will now think of the whole thing as...(quote)There are many people out there with perceived class-envy and jealousy who get their jollies by doing these things. (-- Curt) I'm still amazed at the happenings of this week... glad things here in "Porsche land" have calmed down too! I'm really sorry to hear about your misfortunes Emanuel!...I'd like to see pics of the Rolls tho'..not many here in Kansas

Brian

[epbrown]

Thanks for the condolences, everyone. I grabbed the classifieds and started looking for a 2nd garage for a decent price and have a couple of prospects. I'm not going to do a police report, but I did go ahead and leave notes for the other Porsche owners in the neighborhood. I left my cell phone number and one from a street over came by to inspect the damage; he looked it over and cocked his head at me: "Umm, what exactly did they do?" I showed him where I was parked when it happened, with the planter and dirt strewn around, which led to "They hit your car with that?."

Other than that, like a guilty parent I'm shopping for presents for the car. I'd been thinking about replacing the valance with the Carrera style one, and there's one on eBay for $60 or so. Probably get the rock chips in the bumper and hood fixed when I get it put on, and replace the rubber "smile" as well.

And Jack, watch those doughnuts - they're 300 calories a piece. I can take them on Sundays because that's the day of my long run (15 miles or so). I avoid the place like the plague when I'm not training for a race :-)

Oh, and there are "before" pictures of the Rolls on my web site at home.att.net/~epbrown/shadow.html.

Emanuel

[john70t]

San Francisco- VW Golf in four years:
1. about 10 door dings(two impertanentely done by the same lady while I was in the car)
2. 2 window smashed and 2 radios stolen (one middle of day in busy area).
3. Right mirror leaned on, torn off, and kept.
4. Quarter panel hit by truck 3 foot scrape who kept going.
5. $100 Software stolen from trunk

I feel your pain my friend.

[Kurt B]

Video cameras are pretty cheap now, and maybe it's time you set one up out there, along with a spot light.
Obviously, someone's out to get your Porsche specifically, some miscreant who needs to be caught. You can sue him for damages of course, as well as have him arrested.

[Planter91C2]

Originally posted by Leland Pate:
I think PlanterC2 is responsible!


Very sorry to hear about that...I know the gut wrenching feeling you get when someone does something randomly for kicks. It is very angering.
I feel the same way when I find a new door ding in a parking lot. I hope you file a police report and ask your neighbors if they saw anything.
Best of luck,

lee, that all depends on what the definition of "planter" "is"

maybe steve stromberg should camp out by the targa and capture the bums.

[Wayne 962]

Car covers work magic sometimes. The theory is that a car without a cover looks like every other car on the street. However, if someone is messing with one that has a cover on it, then it become immediately obvious that they are not the owner, and it looks very suspicious. Plus, it takes a bunch of effort to remove a cover to do damage.

Most crimes like these are not pre-meditated (if they are, you have other things to worry about). Putting a cover on the car would protect it both from physical damage, and would also be a psychological barrier to messing with it. This really does work...

-Wayne

[epbrown]

Does anyone here know the rule on car covers on a public street? I've thought of using one, but the cops in the neighborhood are very aggressive about ticketing and towing cars (I live near Wrigley Field, and we have a serious problem with non-residents on game days). I've always thought that if they can't see my neighborhood parking permit and both front and rear plates, there'd be trouble.

Emanuel

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Everybody wants a normal life and a cool car;
most people settle for the car." Chris Titus
1966 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow
1983 Porsche 911 SC Targa