HEY!

[Mitch]

Hi guys, it's been a while since I've been on, I've been busy at leading a successful Junior cycling campaign recently and driving a sh... '95 Honda Passport with 175,xxx miles and tons of problems.

So anyways, I found a super-nice 2002 today in Brunswick, OH that's apparently been sitting for a while with nobody to claim it. Pretty much everything is there, the rust isn't too bad at all, some flaking behind the front valence, bulging at the drivers rear wheel well, a missing lock cyclinder for the trunk and some weather stripping issues. Otherwise, it's awesome. The original Solex and air box is still there, but I'm having trouble dating it. the front doors were open so I helped myself, and noticed that;

a.) The door panels have wood grain on them

b.) The rear seat was cloth and had a pull-down arm rest

It was a round taillight, and I could immediately tell it was older than my '73 because the bumpers, while still having rubber stripping, didn't have rubber in between the body and the chrome so they were tucked in more.

The only things that I didn't check out was the trunk, whether or not a 2002 emblem was on it (could it have been a 1602?) and I also didn't check to see how many pieces the dash was.

Speaking of the dash, it didn't have a single crack on it, and the interior was immaculate except for the brake pedal having no pressure and the clutch pedal being disconnected, also the pedal box foam was torn out. The tires also had some air in them, despite how long I was told that it was sitting.

Also, besides some minor rust issues, the body was nice, some clear was flaking off, and it was a Polaris paint job and sticker under the hood. I forgot to get the VIN, too.

Does anyone know the rules on abandoned cars, just in case I don't find the owner?

[jerry]

i thought you were dead....

[76duece]

Wood grain on the doors? Fold down armrest in the rear? Do I smell possible Lux? snag it!!

[KFunk]

it have plates? If you gave me the plate number, I could have one of my friends run them and help you find the owner.

You can see if you can find the laws on the Ohio Revised Code website (they're all online), or I can check with one of my friends that are Ohio policemen.

[JohnW]

With the wood on the door panels and the rear armrest it sounds like you may have found an 02 Lux or an 02 with Lux interior. Desirable stuff.

Don't know about the abandoned car thing. Did it have plates on it and was there a registration in the glovebox. The absence of both would -- to me -- make it seem like it has in fact been abandoned.

[KFunk]

I've checked on abandoned car laws in other states, and there's never a policy that says "if a car has sat in such and such place for X number of years, grab whatever you want, its all free."

You have to contact the owner, or if its on a public road, have the state officially call it abandoned, they tow it away, and then you can buy it back at auction.

[Mike Self]

roundies with a Lux interior? I thought they were just on squarelights...

Also, Ohio has several laws on the books about abandoned cars, those without titles and "assembled from parts" cars. Your local clerk of courts office at the county seat (they issue titles) can tell you more.

Also, you can order an abstract from the DMV if you have the VIN (the license plate # would help but is not required). That'll tell you all the owners names back (I think) 7 or so years or from when it was first titled in OH, whichever came later.

Sounds as if it may be worth pursuing if it's not a rust bucket. Hopefully your previous car has taught you where to look! ;-)

mike

[Mitch]

I only thought that the Lux's were on the 00 four doors. I checked the glovebox, nothing. I don't think there was a plate on the rear, there was no bumper on the front either. But it even had the original radio and everything was in very clean shape. I tried to get a VIN, but I could only get the hood open about a foot and a half before it seized, and there was no VIN riveted to the vinyl plate behind the steering wheel.

It's a good ways away from me, and it's parked behind a business in an industrial parkway. The guys at one of the business's said it's been there a long while.

Also, another thing that piqued my interest was the fact that there was a yellowed SCCA thing taped to the windshield. it was like a thick construction paper with the logo, not a sticker.

[Mike Self]

and not for the US market. If you can get the hood open 18 inches or so, you should be able to read the VIN stamped on the right inner fender housing.

If there's no evidence of one on top of the steering column, chances are it's a Euro car. Another giveaway would be lack of side reflectors, no bumper guards and flat (Euro) parking lights...

Let us know whatcha find...

mike

[Mitch]

I'll try to get out to see it on Thursday, I'm booked 'till then. I might get to talk to someone about it a little bit more.