Fender theft from street-parked vehicles?

General Discussion
41

Thieves will steal what they can sell. The complete lack of fender theft should tell you something. I repeat - how would you sell a ‘hot’ fender? How many BMW repair shops would buy a ‘hot’ fender?

42

Got any proof?

43

Having never seen or heard of it in 50+ adult years, I ask you for proof it exists.

Or are you just having fun today?

Anyway, YOU’RE the one that said it’s uncommon! Are you arguing with yourself???

1 Like
44

Does this help?

45

The retail price of a part isn’t the issue, it’s the ability of a thief to make money stealing one. Combine crazy difficult theft and transport with a very limited market for ‘hot’ body parts, and you get your answer. What don’t you understand?

2 Likes
46

More than enough has been said about this issue imo. I won’t make any more additions to this thread as long as nobody else does.

47

Guy comes back to his car an hour later and says what are you doing to my fender?

But really under $400 Nevada is not bad. Of course another $800 to paint it and blend.

48

It seems some progress has been made on this topic at least. Fewer claims the only value for a fender is what it would bring for scrap metal, which of course isn’t generally true.

49

It is if removed with a sawzall, the only practical way to do it quickly.

1 Like
50

Depends on the def’n of “quickly”.

51

Stolen body parts come from chop shops that stole the whole car. Fenders, cats and all. They are stripped very quickly and the shell with the VIN is shredded before the cops come.

But many body parts have the VIN marked on them just because of theft so they become worthless to sell whole.

52

Well, someone with a 1988-1992 Corolla sedan might need them. But so few of these cars are still in use that there might not be much demand. The last time I went to the You Pull It junkyard (a few months ago), I saw a 1991 Toyota Celica, and two 1987-1991 Toyota Camry’s, and amazingly, no one had taken any parts from these cars. As recently as 5-6 years ago, a Camry from this generation would have been picked clean. Even the motor and transmission would have sold. Not anymore, I guess.