Update on Stolen Catback
#56225
October 28, 2003 08:47 pm UTC
October 28, 2003 08:47 pm UTC
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 2,637 NiagaraFalls, ON
Paul Bratina
OP
Insane Member
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OP
Insane Member
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 2,637
NiagaraFalls, ON
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As some of you are aware, I had my BR Catback stolen off my car a week ago. I've been doing a little detective work since then and it has bore some fruit.
I neglected to mention in my initial post that in addition to my catback being stolen, a number of other items inside my car were also stolen (jack, worklight, flashlight, extension cord, etc).
Anyway, back to the story. I've been prowling around my underground the last few nights (mostly during prime-time theiving hours) looking for anything interesting (like people, cars, etc. that shouldn't be there, look suspicious, etc., etc.) During one of my searches I happened upon a white Honda Civic (mid to late 80's?) that I'd never seen parked in the underground before. Well, well, this could be interesting. Move in for a closer inspection and it starts getting even more interesting. The glass is all heavily tinted so it's tough to see inside. Check out the passenger compartment: nothing noteworthy. Walk around the back to peer into his hatch. Oh, what's that. It sort of looks like my jack. And that light in the corner, that sure looks like the one I used to have. And wait, isn't that my blue extension cord underneath it. Yeah, it sure looks like it. Insert Elmer Fud accent: "There's something very scwuie going on here". Anyway, to cut to the chase, I open up his hatch (his doors were open) and sure enough, all my missing items are there. Well, except for my exhaust, of course.
(Just in case anyone sitting at home sits bolt upright and declares: "How do you know those items were yours! Did you have your name ingraved in them! Maybe the guy just shops at all the same stores you do!" Well, that is a possiblity. Maybe he does have all the same items in his hatch as I used to. But wait, did he also, coincidently, happen to have black Tremclad paint splashed on the top of his jack? And what about that tire iron. Did he just happen to cut off the pry bar end, and start a cut on one of the other ends before changing his mind? 'Cause that's what I did with mine, and that matches the one I found in his hatch. And what about that yellow work light. It's got the same little "melt" mark on the top corner where I burned it on my ex-mani a long time ago. Isn't that a neato coincidence! I could continue, but I think you get my point.)
Back to the story. Actually, that's about it. I took all my items back up to my apartment (didn't put them in my car this time). I've spent most of my spare time since contemplating my next move. I'll probably eventually file another police report and, probably, contact the building management. Still weighing all my options. Just thought some of you may have been interested.
I'll post more info as it occurs.
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Re: Update on Stolen Catback
#56226
October 28, 2003 08:58 pm UTC
October 28, 2003 08:58 pm UTC
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Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,987 Mississauga, Ont
Jerry Rose
Insane Member
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Insane Member
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,987
Mississauga, Ont
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Paul you should have left the stuff there and call the cops right away. Then they can work on twisting the screws and maybe getting your exhaust back. I dunno might be enough evidence to take em to court to get the cash at least. Either that or we can have the club meet in your underground and see how fast we can completely disassemble a white honda civic and then take all the bolts and throw em in Lake ontario.
Every day I beat my own previous record for number of consecutive days I've stayed alive.
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Re: Update on Stolen Catback
#56229
October 28, 2003 09:28 pm UTC
October 28, 2003 09:28 pm UTC
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 2,637 NiagaraFalls, ON
Paul Bratina
OP
Insane Member
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OP
Insane Member
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 2,637
NiagaraFalls, ON
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You're right Jerry, that's what I should have done. The problem is, how was I going to prove to the proper authorities that those items were mine (and to the exclusion of all others). It would be damn near impossible. Also, I've had a few experiences with the Hamilton police in reporting thefts, and, to be perfectly blunt, they really seemed disinterested. I'm not making a blanket statement about the police in general, I'm just reporting my personal experiences with a specific police force. I mean, let's be serious for a monemt here: are they really going to give a flying f*ck about the sad stories of one sorry John Q Public? I mean, I don't know anyone. I'm not the mayor's son. I don't rub elbows with the elite of Hamilton society, etc., etc. And to be fair; is the theft of one lousy exhaust system really worth the resources of the police? Especially with so many crack heads wandering around in this city. I just don't have the patience to wait six months for the police to get around to looking into things.
I'm going to contact the building management and, with any luck, they may contact the police. They may have more pull than I do, but I'm not betting on it.
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Re: Update on Stolen Catback
#56233
October 28, 2003 09:55 pm UTC
October 28, 2003 09:55 pm UTC
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Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,987 Mississauga, Ont
Jerry Rose
Insane Member
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Insane Member
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,987
Mississauga, Ont
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I'd be under that hood messing stuff up so that his car runs like sh!t until he spends $$$$$ at a mechanic to figure out why it isn't working... haha Rob its a Honda and the drivers an idiot how else is the car going to run. I think when the guy comes down and finds all the stuff gone he will be paranoid cause he knows that you know that he knows you know...you know? Make him sweat
Every day I beat my own previous record for number of consecutive days I've stayed alive.
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Re: Update on Stolen Catback
#56236
October 28, 2003 10:27 pm UTC
October 28, 2003 10:27 pm UTC
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Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 1,197 Toronto
Mike Vince
Serious Member
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Serious Member
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 1,197
Toronto
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Paul,
All I can say is WOW, its great you found the guy but I was in a similar situation to you a while back. I had a PPI EQP (relatively expensive equalizer) stolen from my 90 laser (among other things, ie: one racing pedal, shift knob, one 6.5" woofer)
Fast forward a few weeks. I work a SpeakerDirect (we manufacture speakers and sell them through our store), this guy comes in looking for wire to do an installation in our parkinglot. So I go out there to see what he's installing, no sh!t isn't that a PPI EQP... That's funny I think, why would this guy buy such a nice EQ when he only has a discman to connect it to... Why does it look like it was RIPPED out of a car. Oh that's right, ITS MINE. So I was trying to coax it out of him and he admited that it was stolen property (a "friend" stole it). I was VERY certain that this was mine, not too many people have this unit and it was missing the same screws that I lost from it!)
Anywho, the whole point to this was that once I told him it was mine and I want it back, his whole story changed, it wasn't stolen, a friend gave it too him. Took down his plates but even if I called the cops I couldn't do anything. I couldn't prove that it was mine, I didn't write down the serial numbers. It was my word against his, man was I pissed, but what can you do.
The one thing I didn't know was whether this guy did steal it or whether indeed his "friend" stole it and sold it too him. You on the other hand know that this guy did it, and I'm with the others in the fact that you MUST get some sort of vindication.
Sorry to hear about all of this, please keep us posted.
2002 Acura RSX Type S
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Re: Update on Stolen Catback
#56240
October 29, 2003 01:51 am UTC
October 29, 2003 01:51 am UTC
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Joined: Aug 1998
Posts: 2,071 Windsor/Toronto Ont
Peter Tarach
Insane Member
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Insane Member
Joined: Aug 1998
Posts: 2,071
Windsor/Toronto Ont
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Unfortunately these days if Paul were to rough him up a bit then Im sure he and his 'posse' would rough Paul up even more and the cycle would continue until someone was really hurt. Or they will screw with the car, smashing windows, slashing tires etc...
I have found with situations like this its not worth the trouble. The cops are a waste of time but I would try the building management they may actually do something.
95 Nissan 240 SX - SR Powered - 324whp@16psi 95 Honda Accord - H22A 191whp, 152tq. Melted Piston
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Re: Update on Stolen Catback
#56241
October 29, 2003 02:15 am UTC
October 29, 2003 02:15 am UTC
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 542 Toronto, ON
Michael Druciarek
Serious Member
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Serious Member
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 542
Toronto, ON
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Originally posted by Ziggy Dietrich: I'm for the disassembly....first his honda, then him!! Ok, I`m gonna show up with Ziggy and do the dissasembly thing if you don't
DNP T3/T4, GT30R, 272/272 HKS, Wiseco 9:1, Eagle Rods, Metal HG, ARP Studs, Fidanza Flywheel, Tial 44mm, FIC 850cc, 3" Turbo-Back, ACT 2600, Aeromotive FPR, AEM Wideband, Walbro 255, Huge FMIC, Greddy Type-S, Tein Adjustable Coilovers
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Re: Update on Stolen Catback
#56243
October 29, 2003 07:00 am UTC
October 29, 2003 07:00 am UTC
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Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,987 Mississauga, Ont
Jerry Rose
Insane Member
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Insane Member
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,987
Mississauga, Ont
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10 or 15 DSMers maybe a compressor with our tools and that car could be laying in pieces on the ground in no time . But accidentally opening the gas cap and dropping a cup o sugar couldnt hurt much but wait for a few weeks.
Every day I beat my own previous record for number of consecutive days I've stayed alive.
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Re: Update on Stolen Catback
#56247
October 29, 2003 02:06 pm UTC
October 29, 2003 02:06 pm UTC
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Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 1,914 Toronto, Ontario
Jakub Kowalczyk
Serious Member
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Serious Member
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 1,914
Toronto, Ontario
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Great, he broke into your car and now you've broken into his car to "steal your stuff back". No matter what, you broke into his car as well. I would play a game with this dude, just approach him and tell him that cops are watching him. Tell him that you have not failed an official complaint, but if he does not give you your exhaust back thery's going to be cops knocking on his door. YOU don't have to beat it out of him.
GOT SURGE?
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Re: Update on Stolen Catback
#56248
October 29, 2003 03:32 pm UTC
October 29, 2003 03:32 pm UTC
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Joined: May 2001
Posts: 874 Toronto
Wesley Burke
Member
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Member
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 874
Toronto
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The ECU is at the passengers feet, near the firewall. Steal it.
2006 Jetta 1999 Ultra 150 18' Baja
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Re: Update on Stolen Catback
#56249
October 29, 2003 04:01 pm UTC
October 29, 2003 04:01 pm UTC
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 274 hamilton
Jordan Markwith
Member
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Member
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 274
hamilton
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I live nearby if you need some help confronting the guy or his car
1990 tsi awd- Big 16g fully ported, k&N, 2g mani, mbc@18psi, 255 pump, 3" turbo back exhaust no cat, hks turbo timer, datalogger, autometer a/f boost, unorthodox underdrive pully, big fmic, safc 2, JE 9:1 pistons, b/s removed, safc-2, 550cc's, 2g mas
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Re: Update on Stolen Catback
#56250
October 29, 2003 04:10 pm UTC
October 29, 2003 04:10 pm UTC
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Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 4,210 Niagara Falls Ontario
Vince Amato
Senior Member, with Far TOO Much Time on Their Hands
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Senior Member, with Far TOO Much Time on Their Hands
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 4,210
Niagara Falls Ontario
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Wow paul, this is a crazy story, I missed your thread about having your cat-back stolen. To jack up your car, crawl under and steel your car-back exhaust is a lot of work. They must have scoped your car out for a while before they did this. I would have parked my car right behind his car and called the cops, that way he's not going anywhere and the cops will see your stuff in his trunk. But now that you already have your stuff back it's a bit more complicated. Yhe important thing now is geting your exhaust back and making sure this guy (or his friends) dosn't try to steel it again. At least he didn't steel the stupid jack Some theives are really stupid. This summer Mark Edmond (from the board) knew a guy that got his rims stolen, he was at work when some guy in a riced out civic drove in with his buddies rims on his car. Long story short the guy said he baught the rims off a friend for 400.00 or something and after a little talking to didn't mind giving the rims back to the original owner. How stupid are you to steel rims and then drive around with them on your car? Especially in a smaller city like welland.
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Re: Update on Stolen Catback
#56251
October 29, 2003 04:13 pm UTC
October 29, 2003 04:13 pm UTC
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Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 348 Toronto
Kapak Leung
Member
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Member
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 348
Toronto
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Paul;
That was good work and at least you got some of your lost stuff back. But I think the main item is still the exhaust, which worths a lot more than the sum of the others.
Did you check under his car to see if he actually have your muffler installed?
Did you get to see the guy?
Were you be able to tail him to his nest?
By taking your stuff, you exposed yourself to him which may reduce your chance of getting your exhaust back to zero.
Anyway, for dismantling his car, I can at list "light you".
Kapak
Proudly The Original Owner 91 Talon TSi AWD Departing From Stock Since I Know You Guys
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Re: Update on Stolen Catback
#56252
October 29, 2003 06:43 pm UTC
October 29, 2003 06:43 pm UTC
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Joined: Sep 1998
Posts: 851 Mississauga, Ontario
Dennis Camacho
Serious Member
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Serious Member
Joined: Sep 1998
Posts: 851
Mississauga, Ontario
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I'm glad you found some of your stuff, Paul. Good Detective work on your part there. For all we know the guy (or his buddies) could be lurking here reading all these postings. I think any suggestions on countermeasures should be dealt with offline just to be on the safe side.
'92 TSi AWD/FWD
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Re: Update on Stolen Catback
#56253
October 29, 2003 06:51 pm UTC
October 29, 2003 06:51 pm UTC
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Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 631 Scarborough, ON
Chris Krawczyk
Member
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Member
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 631
Scarborough, ON
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Let me tell you a little story. Once I lived in this apartment building in Scarborough (no flaming please)... The place was pretty civilized car theft was a rare occasion. Then this one week some one started to break in to bunch of cars, smash and grab style. Cops didn't do much, just take a report and leave. Time went on and the smash and grab continued. Every morning I was wondering, "would I be next"? Hopefully my car was left alone, I guess the flashing LED in my Driver Door was deterring the thieves (good ol' VW factory security system). Some people wanted to save their glass and left the cars opened, or at least open up the glove box so that the stupid thieves could see that there is nothing to grab. My uncle left his beater opened all the time, but that didn't stop the thieves, they still smashed the glass to get in.. DUHHH! The supper and his buddy didn't have anything better to do, so they decided to setup a surveillance post. For their viewing point, they used one of the rooms that had its back wall to the underground garage. They took the effort to remove one of the bricks from the back of the wall, and observe the garage during the night. After few nights of drinking (opps, did I say it out loud?) the thieves, or thief I don't remember, showed up to do their deed. The super and his buddy, all through a bit tipsy caught them red handed breaking in to a car. I'm not sure if they grabbed them and held them or if the cops arrived in time, but in any case the cops had them. Good stuff you might think? Well it turned out that the cops didn't feel like filing a report, because they let them go with a warning. That's what you get for your effort to protect your community property? Maybe they learned a lesson. In any case the smash jobs have ceased, and we had a thief free garage for a while. Then some one got shot or stabbed, but that's a different story, it was time to move out. Other one from a paper article. Group of teens was bored or frustrated and decided to take their frustration on bunch of cars parked on the street. Few shoots at a windshield with a baseball bat sounds like a relaxing thing to do. Little did they know the owners of the cars were also good baseball fans, and they brought their baseball bats with them. When the Police arrived, they found few teens with broken bones and head concussions. I guess they had to file a report for this outrageous crime. I don't think the vandals ever returned to that street, and no that was not in Scarberia.
1990 Eagle Talon, TSI AWD - SOLD 2002 Mazda Pro 5
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Re: Update on Stolen Catback
#56256
October 29, 2003 10:58 pm UTC
October 29, 2003 10:58 pm UTC
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Joined: Aug 1998
Posts: 2,071 Windsor/Toronto Ont
Peter Tarach
Insane Member
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Insane Member
Joined: Aug 1998
Posts: 2,071
Windsor/Toronto Ont
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I dont understand why some of you are still telling Paul to screw with the guys car? So Paul pours sugar in the tank, or keys it, or smashes some windows. The thief is going to put two and two together and what do you think will happen to Pauls car the next day? Instead of being out a catback hes gonna need to replace windows,tires, or whatever they feel like doing to the car. Back in the day if you got into a fight and beat the guy up that was it, no retaliation for the most part. These days you beat someone up, they round up all their crew and beat your ass even badder. There is no damn respect amongst people. This is the exact same situation but in a different manner.
Unless Paul is prepared to beat this guy to near death, so bad that he wont be able to retaliate then these small payback tricks are more trouble then they are worth.
95 Nissan 240 SX - SR Powered - 324whp@16psi 95 Honda Accord - H22A 191whp, 152tq. Melted Piston
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Re: Update on Stolen Catback
#56257
October 29, 2003 11:08 pm UTC
October 29, 2003 11:08 pm UTC
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Joined: May 2001
Posts: 1,575 Mississauga, ON
Rafal Kraskiewicz
Serious Member
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Serious Member
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 1,575
Mississauga, ON
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While my heart is telling me to say "Shut up Peter!", my brain tells me he's right. Is it really worth it?
I think all of us here who've been victimized by one of these asswipes would love to see some damage done to this punk. However, not only do you risk retaliation from this guy and/or his 'gang', you risk being on the wrong side of the law.
'97 Cherokee '92 Talon TSi AWD
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Re: Update on Stolen Catback
#56261
October 30, 2003 08:09 am UTC
October 30, 2003 08:09 am UTC
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Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,987 Mississauga, Ont
Jerry Rose
Insane Member
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Insane Member
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,987
Mississauga, Ont
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I know we are just having some fun with some possible courses of action but the reality of it is the world is a crazy place and people get killed for less sh!t than this. A report to the police and management if applicable just so there is a record . The fact Paul repo'd the rest of his stuff makes it tough to bring up who he thinks did it. Have a chat with the Honda guy if the opportunity presents itself as he could be a 300 lb drug pusher wannabe who walks his two pitbulls for fun Or worse a 90 lb punk who thinks he is a gansta and pulls a gun. Plus Paul is a nice guy. Anything I did would be up close and personal so the little bitch was absofckinglutley clear why his car had Louisville slugger holes in his windows...and I could answer any questions he may have at that point. If I had caught the fckers who stole my 92 the only reason the police would need to be called was so they could fill out the paperwork while EMS was wheeling them into the back of the ambulance.
Every day I beat my own previous record for number of consecutive days I've stayed alive.
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Re: Update on Stolen Catback
#56262
October 30, 2003 03:02 pm UTC
October 30, 2003 03:02 pm UTC
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Joined: Aug 1998
Posts: 2,071 Windsor/Toronto Ont
Peter Tarach
Insane Member
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Insane Member
Joined: Aug 1998
Posts: 2,071
Windsor/Toronto Ont
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Guys dont get me wrong. I have been a victim of this sh!t many many times and Im sure if I ever caught someone doing it the first thing I would do is beat his ass. I also realize most of the comments made here aren't very serious. The reason I said what I did is to hopefully save someone else from doing this down the road and save themselves some trouble. I am speaking from experience. Now Im going to shut up.
95 Nissan 240 SX - SR Powered - 324whp@16psi 95 Honda Accord - H22A 191whp, 152tq. Melted Piston
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