Hey, guys. I know that some of you know about the continuing saga of Jon's stolen Talon. You may or may not have been following some of the threads I've been posting as I try to overcome this problem and that problem trying to get my car back on the road. Well, there has been some new developments that I'm pretty proud of that I want to share.

First off, let me give you a the 10 cent version of what happened, just in case you're unfamiliar. My car was stolen from outside my apartment complex in April when I was still in San Diego attending grad school. They broke in, popped the lock cylinder and drove it away. I got her back a few days later, but she'd been pillaged. Body damage was minimal, but the interior had been stripped. Someone was after parts for their car, they saw mine was in good shape, so they stole it. The engine compartment had been messed with a bit. A handful of things were taken out of there, but it was relatively intact, compared to the interior. They also jacked the obvious things, like the rims and tires, the stereo, and all of my tools.

That's not where the story ends, though. Six weeks later, I came outside and it was gone again. Apparently, these guys didn't get all of what they wanted and came back for it again. Funny thing is, it couldn't be driven away this time. I hadn't done anything to fix her, so they'd have had to bring in a tow truck or some sort of flatbed trailer to get her out. Pretty ballsy, if you ask me. They must've wanted her pretty bad. This time, she was gone over a month, and they stole some more of what they needed. If you're curious, I've got pictures.

So, I finally get my car back to Nebraska in late August. I decided to take a semester off to regroup. I wanted to put my car back together, and I knew that there was no way I could accomplish that before the fall semester started. Everyone told me I was crazy. They told me I'd be an idiot to put that car back together. They told me the smart play was to scrap it and get a new car to start fresh. I couldn't do that, though, for two reasons. First, I'm really attached to my car. I'm sure that on this site, I don't have to explain that. DSMers are almost invariably in love with their cars as much as I am with mine. Most regular people don't understand that. Especially not the chicks. Guys can relate a little more, but by and large, women don't seem to get as emotionally attached to their cars as men. Guess that has a lot to do with the idea that we wrench on 'em and they don't. The other reason I couldn't let go was strictly principal. I couldn't let those guys win. I don't know if that makes sense to you, but I felt this obligation to resurrect my car as a big "f*ck you" to the jerk-offs who had the audacity to jack it in the first place.

So, anyway, it's been a constant chore for me over the past few months to get the logistics together to get my car back on the road. I had to find a parts car. Special thanks to Bud in Illinois for help with that. Finally gained access to one over 400 miles away. I rented a mini-van (which was painful in itself), and made the roadtrip to pillage what I needed from that thing. Got back here and got started. Over the past month or so, I've been picking and choosing parts from three different DSMs and diving in and out of the salvage yards, trying to get the best parts I can to put my car back together.

Well, I'm happy to say that all of my hard work has finally paid off. This weekend, I started my car for the first time in over seven months. I was so proud of her. She popped right off. It only took three five second burst from the starter to get her going. She didn't act at all like she was grumpy for not having been run in over half a year. In fact, it was the exact opposite. It was like she couldn't wait to get back on the road.

If you had any idea of what I've gone through, I think you'd be amazed. It's not over yet, but I'm getting there. The hard part is over, but there are still a few little things that need to be accomplished. Oh, and I've still got to buy new tools and a new stereo. That can wait, though. In the mean time, I've still got a few cosmetic things that I need to find. Plus, there are a few minor mechanical glitches that still need to be worked out. She sputters a touch when I kick the turbo in. I'm wondering if there's a boost leak. Plus, she's idling way too high, even when I turn the BISS all the way in. Vacuum leak, maybe? Still need a downpipe, too. Over time, I'll get all this worked out and she'll be just as good as ever.

I want to thank each and every one of you on this site for helping me with this. I couldn't have done any of this without the DSM community. You guys were really there for me in my hour of need and I appreciate it more than you could ever know. Like I said, though, we're not done yet. You'll be hearing from me for a little while longer. I'm sure as long as there are little things that need to be tweaked on that car, I'll be posting something somewhere.

Until then, take care, and thanks again, guys!!
Jon

I'm glad to see that you're getting everything up and running again. Just one note, though: I think the crooks did win. You've been pouring all of your time and energy into this, and you're no better off than if you had started fresh. I'm not saying you're wrong or dumb or anything. I understand the attachment, but you have to understand that your time and energy are your two most valuable resources, and that's exactly what they ended up stealing from you.

I'm sorry this happened to you, and it's definitely too late to be looking back. Best of luck on getting her finished up and back to spec. At least then you can snub your nose at those filthy pricks that destroyed it.