Locate my dads old car

Johnnybecool

Hi all, my dad had a 1981 ford escort back in the day, he used it to rush my mother to the hospital back when I was being born, and he still talks about it to this day, what is the best way to locate the car and maybe buy it off the current owner as a gift to my dad? I have the reg and description of the car reg is Wzn266, will motor check.ie give the current whereabouts?

Duke O Smiley

The car isn't on the NCT's database which means it hasn't seen the road since the NCT was introduced c.00. Still on the records on Motorcheck, so it might be lying in a field somewhere, rotten...

Johnnybecool

Thanks for looking! I hope not! Poor car, but I shall keep looking, but would u know if it gives last known location on those pay for websites?

Duke O Smiley

Johnnybecool wrote: »

Thanks for looking! I hope not! Poor car, but I shall keep looking, but would u know if it gives last known location on those pay for websites?

Ah no, they don't. Hardly worth your while paying the 30 quid or so for one of those anyway, they're mainly just for mileage records etc on newer yokes.

Johnnybecool

Duke O Smiley wrote: »

Ah no, they don't. Hardly worth your while paying the 30 quid or so for one of those anyway, they're mainly just for mileage records etc on newer yokes.

Ok so, cheers anyway, got the answer I needed! I'll just leave it up to faith now then

W0LFMAN

I was in your situation,

I bought a Ford blue over silver escort 1987 xr3i convertable E304 LNP, when I was 20 years old (15 years ago). My Dad went crazy when I arrived home in it. money was very tight at the time and I spent a lot of time working to save money for it. He went absolutly ballistic and nearly disowned me for stupidity. Anyways I had the car few years and it was my pride and joy. Drove all around Europe in it and was everywhere with me. Some of the biggest things in my life happen when I had the car. I was not thinking one day and parked it outside with a for sale sign on. Within 4 hours someone pulled over and bought it.

That night I knew I shouldn't have sold the car. The 800 pounds I got wasn't needed. But the memories were. And for some stupid reason I didn't have the new owners number.

After 6 months I knew I wanted it back. I knew the reg and the colour. Got hold of the police and tried asking if I could get the car owner on the database. There said only if I'm pressing charges on them for some reason and they open a report. Then they would search there database. but it was a dead end.

I got weekly subscription of auto trader and kept eye on ebay every week for Ford escort convertible Blue over silver. Comming up for sale. I did this for 3 years

I spoke to all my friends and family to keep eye out also. I started telling sad old stories about the times in the car and everything. It made me sad talking about it. And I came to terms I'd never see it again.

One day, I'm parked up in the centre middle on the dual carriageway. ( I'm a roadworker ). It's a normal day and I'm reading the paper when I should have been working and I feel a warm push on the bottom of my chin. I look up and out the van window and I see a clear road in front of me. I think to myself God its quite out on the road today. I focus at the end of the road and notice it's actually a humb back bridge. So when a roof started to rise from the road line I knew that a car was approaching up from the other side towards me.

What happened next I'll never forget for the rest of my life.

AS the roof became to rise from the road line. I noticed that the car frame was small. Within 0.001 of a second I new car was going to be a classic. The windscreen stated to come in view and I quickly knew it was a Ford escort. I stopped breathing then when the colour blue flooded my brain receptors. My eyes only had one direction to go and that was to the number plate.

E304 LNP

I EXPLODED!!!!! The newspaper I was holding went into the air! I screamed from histical shock which filled the van and the 2 other roadworkers who were half nodding off started to scream at me screaming! I jumped out the van and stood opened eyed at the car driving passed. Without a second thought of safety I began to run down the middle lane of the duel carriage shouting at the car to stop.

As the car began to get away from me a second time I knew that I couldn't let it escape. Lucky there was a set of traffic lights were were around 200 meters away. With each giant step of the full speed run I was currently in I took my first deep breath. I shouted to God to keep the lights on red. To stop the car which they did. But they were fast lights and wouldn't hold the car for long.

My running wasn't the best and as a got close to the escort I could see the traffic pulling off... A million things went through my mind as a approached the back of the car in the middle of the duel carriageway on how was I going to explain to the driver how I wanted my car back. The driver window was open and my only option my fully starved of oxygen brain could think of was to dive in.

Bacchus

Tune in next week for the thrilling conclusion....

Way to leave us hanging Wolfman!

Duke O Smiley

I'm on the edge of my seat here reading that!

rockatansky

W0LFMAN wrote: »

There said only if driver window was open and my only option my fully starved of oxygen brain could think of was to dive in.

And..........?????!

Duke O Smiley

On the bright side the MOT only ran out in 2013 and it's on SORN

BabysCoffee

I need to know what happened!!!

rockatansky

Pins and needles or no pins and needles, I am not moving off the jacks until that Story is finished!

jayo26

Noway did I read all that for a cliff hanger ending lol.......

Tearin It Up

Finish it Wolfman, what happened next?

Is there a happy ending?

HeidiHeidi

Can someone call around and make sure Wolfman is ok?

Maybe he's had a heart attack with the excitement of re-living the capture......

BabysCoffee

My dad attempted to locate a motorbike that he owned in the late 1970's.

When he located it eventually he discovered it that it had been cut down and converted in to a chopper style motorcycle!

When you put the picture of the original bike and the redone version you can barely believe they are the same bike.

PirateShampoo

Wolfman has Blue Balled us.

selous

As he dived in the window he banged his head on the bedside locker as he fell out of bed!!!!
Twas all a dream.:D:D

W0LFMAN

Sorry lads. Phone died. And had to put baby to sleep. Second part tomorrow. But before I go. Maybe one quick paragraph.


As my legs were weak from running the 300m unexpected sprint. The height of my dive was enough to get most of my top body into the car. Everything from the my waist down was still out the car. You would think that me seeing the joys of the inside of my long lost car would bring a big smile to my face, but in reality my face were now about 6 inches away from the tender bits of a large man.....A extraordinary large man, who unexpectedly just had an unexpected visitor in through his window.

I felt this mans body immediate enter fight mode the initial shock factor did buy me a few seconds, but it was only a few seconds.
I knew I had to open my mouth and say something, I needed this man to become my friend, for ultimately he was going to sell me this car. Choosing the right words at this time was very important, and while a was head down in his crotch and I could feel the fists rising, I shouted,

"This

is

MY

Car!"

There were better words to use in a time like this, but for some reason these words came out first.










Tomorrow lads. It's late. Night.

Bacchus

W0LFMAN wrote: »

..., I needed this man to become my friend, ...

I can just imagine the thought process... "right, it's been 14 years but I'm IN the car now! My face appears to be in the current owners crotch, time to start working on our trust issues and strike up a friendship"

deckie27

Put an advert in donedeal.
friend did this the owner didn't see the add but some one else who was buying a different car from the owner spotted it and told him about the wanted add.

Dades

W0LFMAN wrote: »

Tomorrow lads. It's late. Night.

Just added this thread to my follow list!

W0LFMAN

"This is my car", I repeated a second time.

This was the second unexpected sentence to come out my mouth.

The floor beneath my feet, began to move. Things were not looking good, the driver of my car, his car, our car, managed 1st gear and the distance between the car in front began to grow.
I really didn't know what to do, all I knew was that after 3 years looking for this car, I wasn't going to let it go. Funny how things happen, and situations you can find yourself in.

As he started pushing me out the window, and the sound of the engine reving hard, I knew my brain had to resolve this situation.

I lifted my big belly back outside the door in order to get more weight on my feet, my tippie toes were doing poorly in the big steel-toe cap rigger boots (company issue PPE), I felt solid footing and with one hand on his jacket and another reaching into my pants pocket, I pulled out a handful of papers.
One business card who I knew, was pinched and the rest was left to blow in the wind. With a firm grip, I looked him in both eyes, and said clear and as cool as a cucumber,

"This WAS my car and I want it back. Call the number on this card" with that and a two finger flick, I tossed the business card into the inside of my old escort.

I watched the car drive off for a moment, My eyes never once diverted since I saw it coming over the top of the hill. Every moment was a pleasure looking at it. I stood for afew seconds and turned around, with shock I had forgotten I was in the middle of the duel carriageway, My new audience of parked cars 3 lanes wide behind me all had the drivers mouths wide open. No-one wanted to pass me, in case they were going to become the next victim of unlawful driver window entry. I slowly walked to the side of the road. I could see my work mates driving up stuck in the queuing traffic.

When I opened the door into the works vehicle, all the workers where WIDE EYED, the Driver who looking a little in shock himself said "What the **** happened to YOU!"

"That was my Car" I said.

The following day I received a phone call from a woman,

"Are you the man, who assaulted my husband in his car yesterday," she said.

"Yes," I said

"He said you were one of the Previous owners of the car?"

"Yes, I must buy it back" I said.

Long pause.

"I'm very sorry, i didn't mean to scare your husband, I saw the car and have been looking years to get it back and I lost hope in finding it."

"Very well, but we want a thousand pounds cash" she replied

"I can be there in the next hour, whats your address." I smiled.

When I drove up the long driveway to the address to the very last owners of my ford escort, I knew first thing I was going to do was go up to my car, put my hand on it, and say "It's all right, I'm finally here, I'm going to look after you now, you don't need to worry about anything ever again." and that's what I did, I drove straight up to my Precious Escort, didn't care about where I parked got out and embraced her.



I would close with this, and I should, but I need to mention something..... You think cars are just metal and Plastic, they are not.
The old owners parted with my escort within 24 hours, they got more cash than they paid for it, nearly double. The husband when he handed me the keys said "The car is not in great condition mate,Your mad" I was driving it into the ground, the engine has problems, the Driver window is smashed and when its was going to go I was going to Crush it." It was a kick in the balls to hear this, but I think he was pissed off with me for mentally scaring him the other day, I didn't care what the guy had to say anyway.

I had my friend drive my other Escort which we arrived in (which was my mental substitute for my missing car).The journey home was 15 miles away, amazing that the car was so close to me, yet so far.

3 miles away from home, my escort lost all power, It pulled over to the side of the road and couldn't move another inch, I had to toe it to the garage.

"She gone mate, the engine is bollocks" said the mechanic, "I can get a second hand one in for around £350 pounds"

"How much to get the original engine reconditioned and cleaned up" I said.

"That's stupid mate," he said "would cost nearly a grand to do that,"

"Do it!" I walked away

In my mind she lasted 3 years took the worse abuse ever, survived and waited knowing one day I would find her.

I was a dozen miles away from losing her.

OP I hope you find your Dad's Escort. I'm clad I found mine

beertons

Brilliant story.

Johnnybecool

Em, thaks Wolfman, that was pretty epic.....now i defo hope i find the car, my dad would have had the same feelings about his baby. Anyways, its good advice about the done deal ad!

kev1.3s

Brilliant story, you had all of us petrol heads hanging just like my wife after eastenders and that's no easy feit.

slinky2000

Brought a tear to my eye!