Stolen Camaro returned to owner - 36 years later 05/13/2011
An anonymous New Jersey woman likely got the shock of her life when she was informed that her car, originally reported stolen 36 years ago, had been located.
The caper started when Keith Williams of Santa Maria, California, was looking into buying a 1969 Camaro SS online. Williams has bought cars online in the past and protects himself via buyer's insurance - which will refund you if you make a purchase that turns out to be fraudulent.
Williams got his Camaro but wasn't satisfied. He noticed a few details that weren't quite consistent with SS models of the time period, making him think that the car was modified from its original appearance - something which turned out to be correct.
Once Williams went to police, they ran the unique vehicle identification number. That led them to New Jersey, where officers in the Newark Police Department busted out the microfilm of a police report from 1975 - for a stolen Camaro.
That was enough for Williams to get his buyer's insurance to kick in - he's already received his check. Meanwhile, police tracked down the original owner, who did not wish to be identified. When she first answered the phone, she thought it was prank. Later, officers went to her house, but she said it wasn't worth her time.
After police informed her that the thief had made modifications to the vehicle including a new 427 V8 engine, she warmed up a bit. It might not be an original Camaro SS, but this is still a beautifully-restored classic car that's likely to draw some interest from buyers. It's likely that the original owner stands to make quite a bit of money off of the whole thing - 36 years after her car was first stolen.