Stacey's Mazda RX-7, Responses from the Internet Community

"Guys,

I rec'd this message the other day from a young lady in Vancouver. I've already replied to her with my estimate of what her car was probably worth, but thought that maybe, just MAYBE, some of our list members in the northwest might keep an eye out for this car.

(I've already rec'd her permission to post her message on our list.) Dave Randall, could you perhaps forward this to your club members? I wouldn't be at all surprised to hear that there's a new GSL-SE tearing up the streets of Seattle, lately.

In a separate message, she sent me a photo of the car, which is now posted at:

http://www.jimrothe.com/mazda/staceys-rx7/stacey-rx7.jpg

Note the Canada-only installation of headlight washers on an otherwise stock-US-trim-looking GSL-SE model.

JR"

"You know, although you guys live from all across North America, I am truly amazed what a tight knit group you are!"

"Yesterday morning, the RCMP contacted her and told her that they found her car. I don't think I need to tell you that it was a shocking day for Stacey, as her car is far from stock or original now. I took her to the tow yard and her once red car is now at least half black. We believe the car was being primed to paint.

However, Stacey was in shock and said 'that is not my car.' I assured her that it was, as I had checked VIN's before taking her to the tow yard. It is, in fact, Stacey's car. She thought they had burned it but that was not the case. I will leave the rest of the details for Stacey to share with you."

"It's really a shame. You can see how mint the interior was before it was camouflaged. Some people don't deserve the air they breathe. When I see things like this... I mean, really! What kind of person could take such a beautiful car and turn it into that?! And they really had to work to make it look that way. It wasn't an accident; it was a look they were going for. I can only think of one word right now: lynching."


"Sad, very sad. Just as a matter of curiosity, I wonder if they caught the guilty parties, and just what the sissy-ass judicial system will do to them. Please pass along my sympathies."


"Is that fire damage or did they spray paint it or what? That's just terrible!"


"It looks like they gave it a quick $10.00 spray can paint job so it would not be easily identified. Another thing I do not understand is the interior: did they tie-dye it? If something like that ever happed to my car, all I can say is the person(s) who did it better hope the cops get them before I do. This is a major tragedy in the RX 7 world."


"Well, all I can say is don't smoke crack and steal cars. What a waste of a nice car."


"Now what in the heck possesses someone to steal such a nice car (obviously because it's nice) and then do that to it? Sort of defeats the purpose of it, doesn't it? Ah, man, I'd be sooooo pissed! Heck, I nearly came unglued when I discovered that someone had tried to get into my car by prying the doorlock out (one of the stupidest methods I've seen -- learn to use a slim-jim, moron!)"


"I had tears in my eyes while viewing the pictures. I had to go outside and make sure my baby is ok. I have an 85 GSL, not nearly in as good condition as Stacey's, but none the less, it's my baby. I could never imagine being without her. My girlfriend doesn't understand why I feel this way about a car, but I do. Please let Stacey know that I am thinking about her and I hope that everything can be fixed. This is just a bump in the road.

I remember when my engine blew: I cried for three days because I thought I would have to sell it, but I got a raise at my job and had enough money for a new motor in a month. I believe that everything happens for a reason and it's our choice on how to interpret it.

Avid RX-7 lover. Owner of an 85 GSL and 86 GXL."


"The people that did this deserve to be sprayed the same way they did the car. What a shame! Such a beautiful car. Boys, round up the posse...we got a job to do!!"


"Damn straight. I would kill to be the original owner of a pristine GSL-SE but to it have yanked out from under you like that.....ouch."


"So sorry to hear about this car being stolen!! It looked like an awesome car. I love my RX-7 GSL-SE as much as you did and I am sure it just breaks your heart.

A couple things about why I wrote. First, it would be of great importance for all of us "Seven" owners to know the circumstances of how this car was stolen. Where was it broken in to? Was the car in a bad area? Was the car locked? Any theft devises on it? I think this has been an eye opener for us all. There are so many other more expensive cars to steal out there, why this seven? Joy ride...kids?? Anyway, if you could shed some light on all of that at some time....

Also, I am a claims adjuster. If I can help you at all, let me know. There a lot of ways to get a value of the car, and the insurance company will go the cheapest way. Hopefully, you have more good photos of the car to show the adjuster, receipts maybe... anything to show that it was in excellent condition, so you will get top value. But it may all depend on what kind of insurance you had. It is hard to get classic car or antique insurance on the car cause it is just not that old yet. Our sevens are in the in-between area. Most insurance companies, unfortunately, look at these cars as just "old cars" and not appreciating vehicles. Start with auto trader ads and any other ads you see in the papers or what ever that show other GSL-SEs going for $4000, $5000 or even $6000. I would guess that the insurance company will try and say it is an old car and worth 2000-3000. I would be very upset with that myself. You not only lost your car but get barely anyhing for it.

Anyway, good luck. Anything that I may be able to help you with , e-mail me...I will try. I really feel for you. It looked like an awesome car!"


"Oh my God! How awful! It looks like they torched it like they did my 626 in '86. Bastards"


"I wonder how much trouble one of us would get in if, when they are caught, we bail them out of jail and spray paint them like they did that beautiful car? Maybe a reward for "beautifying the area?" Wonder if the judge would see the humor from our point?"


"They're idiots. Too stupid to work for a living, too stupid to steal a car and make a buck off of it, and even too stupid to turn a beautiful car into a beautiful car. IQs below common house-pet level. Even a dog knows better than to shit on it's own rug. Well... most do."


"Yeah, dittos. I take some comfort by a strong belief that people that stupid will eventually discover some chlorine to take themselves out of the gene pool, one way or another."


"Someone mentioned lynching as an appropriate punishment for this. Let me remind you that in the old west, lynching was a common punishment for cattle and horse thieves. Isn't a car today akin to a horse in yesteryears? So I say hear, hear. My personal idea is to let the person or persons loose in a field as live targets for some long range rifle practice. Yeah, the first couple shots might miss, but that only makes them wet their pants and defecate in them before they are "reached out to and touched." Now, if I could just find me a Barrett Light 50.

I think that we should start contacting her with suggestions and encouragement to get the car back on the road. Jim, why don't you suggest she join the list as a resource for help on this one, or see if she would like to receive private e-mails for guidance. Isn't something like this one of the things the list designed to help for? Let us know.

Hope we can help"


"No mater how much time and money is put into the car to get it back to its pre-theft state of being, the knowledge of what has happened will always be in the owners mind and the car will never again be the car of before."


"I would look at it from a slightly different angle if this were my car we were discussing, especially if I owned it since it was new. The damage may not be forgotten easily, or at all, for that matter, but underneath the horrendous damage lies the same car that Stacey has loved for 17 years. It might be a cathartic experience for her to see the car recover from this assault. In fact, making it happen with the insurance money might just be therapeutic."


"The pictures of Stacey's SE are sad, indeed. Death to the Guilty! What I really want to know is, any pictures of Stacey? A women who has a red GSL-SE and keeps it in mint shape is marriage material!!!"


"You know I had my GSL-SE stolen and I was lucky to get it back. Not quite as bad of shape as that. I wish I could afford to rebuild the car for you, that's how bad I feel."


"I guess I looked at that in too quick of manner as was pointed out. Since there is no permanent structural damage, the car can be stripped and repainted back to original. As for the interior, with a little time and the right products and info, I am sure it can be taken back to its original state. Given the looks of the car before, this lady is someone who takes much more pride than the average person in her car. I would have to say that if she was to redo the complete interior, it would be an even greater bonding and personal pride in her car. I would recommend that she take lots of pictures and at any time she receives a compliment of how nice her car looks when she is done, she can explain the history of the car from when she first bought it off the showroom floor to the theft of it and the recovery and now its rebirth. All I can say is she had one very nice '85 with a lot of potential of becoming perfect again after a very hard few days."


"It would be a shame to lose a clean SE to a few dumb-ass punks that need a lesson in leaving people alone. Although the cost will probably be rather high, and the car may never be quite right, my two-cents say to save it. And, she should at least get support from as many of us RX-7 enthusiasts as possible no matter what she decides!"


"I hope you can convince her not to restore this car. Originally, the car had high value as it was pristine and original. Any restoration lacks originality and will never be as valuable as the car she once had. Perhaps she will consider searching for another SE that someone else has owned and taken care of like she took care of her SE. If I remember correctly, there is someone up in Michigan that has a beautiful blue SE with low miles in excellent condition. When I was looking at replacing my RX-7, I strongly considered buying his. Instead, I decided to restore mine. Foolish mistake! I should have bought his or given up all together. These cars are like sand. They have no value. Not because they aren't great cars, but because there are so many of them. Either way, best wishes to her and I feel sad for her loss."


"I don't agree with you. If she was restoring it for its 'collector value,' then your point would be right on the money. But she's not -- it's her baby! I don't think she's looking to recover the car's monetary value; it's personal value that she's after. If she can clean up, repaint and repair the car to its prior condition, or even close to it, then she should be able to regain all of that. And, as some have already stated, going through an experience like this may even make the car more valuable to the owner."


"I'd sort of disagree on the value though. I currently own three first gens, although sort of hoping to sell 2 of them soon. Even in pristine condition, the cars don't seem to be worth much to normal people. Collectors, and fans like us might pay a premium, but the blue book is usually pretty low. From the looks and sounds of things, her car was pristine; one owner means a lot. Even if she restores it, she can still say that she's the sole owner.

Having said that, and loving these cars as much as I do, I'd also say that if the insurance settlement is a particularly good one, I'd be torn. It sounds like she has another car for a daily driver, and truth be told, it is hard to match a first gen for a price/performance/fun perspective. I might be tempted to take the insurance, and use it for a down payment on an RX-8 that I could talk about as an original owner in fifteen years."


"I feel the same way. I only wished I had such a nice car, before it was vandalized of course! Mine isn't half as nice looking and doesn't even deserve this treatment. It's just a sign of these times I'm afraid. If you hear and read the things people do to each other nowadays, treating a car like this fits nicely in the picture."


"That is heartbreaking! If there is a bright side, it is that perhaps her car can be restored.

My 1985 GSL-SE was stolen in New Haven, CT. When the police found it a week later, it had been through a professional chop-shop; even the wiring and lightbulbs had been stripped, even the trim and badges were gone; the mechanicals in the door were gone; just a shell found. Oh, and the police located the vehicle because the frame had been left on the street. They tried to get me to pay the tow charge.

I empathize with Stacey, I really do."


"Wow! Sorry about your car. That must really suck"


"By the looks of the pictures I saw that were posted on your website, it looks to me that the car was probably stolen to get a means of illegal substances through out and in the border. It seems to me that they resprayed the car black so it would not match the one that was reported stolen. It is very easy to deem these cars as transportation for illegal substances by the fact that you just take out the storage boxes in the back of the car, and put the things that they wish to transport in there."

"Any update on Stacey's car, besides that it's been found and vandalized? I am fourteen years old, and in Texas, but if there is a slightest thing I could do to help her, ask me. I own 2 RX-7s (a 79 and an 80, with two GSL-SEs on the way) and can only imagine how she feels about her car being hurt like that. I wish I can get my hands on those hateful little vandals and teach 'em a lesson, for the rotary car of course. Well, for any update, I will be grateful. Make sure she restores it, and does not sell it for parts."

"What did Stacy ever do with her Mazda. I saw the pictures in your site. I was disappointed when I saw what the thieves had done. I've owned three Mazda RX-7s myself, a 1980 GS, a 1984 GSL-SE, and 1985 GSL-SE. It's a shame. it was a beautiful car."


"I was surfing for info on idle trouble I am having with my '84 GSL-SE and came across Stacey's story - it made me sick.

As it happens, I live in Vancouver, BC myself. As an owner of one GSL-SE and the former owner of two others and a few second generation sleds, it sure would be neat to get in touch with a local enthusiast and share in her grief. If you are able to forward this to Stacey, that would be great."


"I read with empathy about Stacy's baby. You see, my baby was stolen in October of last year, it was then driven 20 miles north east of where I live, and set on fire. They took my Optima battery, Jacobs coils, K&N air filter-nothing else.

Even though it's circumstantial, I am 90% positive a former co-worker/former possible current car thief did it. I have owned a Mustang- a '69 with a 302, a '69 Plymouth Road Runner with a 383 magnum big block, a '69 Dodge Charger 383 4 bbl and the assorted beaters. Never had I had so much fun with a car than my 83 RX-7. (Although, my Road Runner was a blast). It was beer bottle brown, with a 5 speed, cruise control, air conditioning and the pop top. I paid $600 for it and never was driving the curvy roads, or powering up steep hills more fun.

So I was very close to tears when I took a cab out to where my car was torched. The interior was gone, all the glass was either broken or melted. The engine's rubber was toasted. So I paid to have it towed and scrapped. I live in a mobile home park so I couldn't really bring it back, had I access to a place to work on it, I would of put it back together. I don't have pictures because the ones I took did not develop and the arson investigator for King County here in Washington, will not let me have any.

So please tell Stacey I am sorry, I know how she feels and I know the frustration and disgust she is going through. Tell her to buy a battery cut-off switch and have it installed somewhere in her car that only she can access. Wheel locks for her wheels are a start too; McGuard -- I think that's the spelling -- makes locking lug nuts. I bought hood pins that lock, a battery cut off switch, and a device called Pedal Jack that locks the gas and clutch pedal together. See www.pedaljack.com. They make units for just one pedal, too. There is also a device that is essentially a clamp that goes around the tire, similiar to what police use to impound vehicles that are in parking violations. She may not think so but I am glad she has her baby back, I didn't get that option, plus I only had liability insurance on it. So now I drive a '78 Ford Courier. The good news is I finally found an RX-7 2 months ago, it's an '86 with 5 speed, cruise control, and air conditioning. The body is rough and I need to do exhaust and tire work, but now I can have another shot at things. And yes, both vehicles are fully insured and will be getting an alarm, too."


"I was reading about Stacey's RX-7 and wondered what she decided to do with it. I have a 1985 Mazda RX-7 GSL, 62,000 miles, stored winters, all original as well. Not to be too 'vulture-like' but I can't find a power antenna for it. Do you know if she decided to fix it or part it?"


"I'm very sorry about your RX-7. I have the exact same RX-7 in a 1984 and I am the third owner. My car has been raced and autocrossed it's whole life. I just stored the car for the winter with only 31,000 original miles on her. They are great cars and I am very sorry that your car ended up like this. I just found your article; sorry it's a year later."

"It's wonderful of you to keep forwarding the letters you receive about my car. THANK-YOU!

The letters really do give me the courage to continue to restore it.... Without your support and theirs (everyone who writes), I doubt I would have done it. And I can tell you now that I would always have regretted the decision to walk away from that car. It's my baby. It's also my baby's baby [Stacey's daughter Ashley]. She loves the car. I didn't let her see the way it looked in the tow/salvage yard, and I will not let her see it until it's repainted."

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