Help me please

[help]

My 97 G was stolen. To make things short, I think someone took parts off of their SE and put it on my car. I have other reasons to believe it's my car. I use to see their SE and the driving gears where NOT connected to the wheel, now it is, but the bumper says SE. By doing research here I learn the SE was made in 98. Did any 98 versions have the gears connected to the wheel? Also I tried to check the vin, but the plate of the VIN is OFF!


*yes a police report was filed*

[help]

Their car had looked like this (or very similar)



now it's like this like my 97 G...with a SE bumper

[JW657]

Originally Posted by help

My 97 G was stolen. To make things short, I think someone took parts off of their SE and put it on my car. I have other reasons to believe it's my car. I use to see their SE and the driving gears where NOT connected to the wheel, now it is, but the bumper says SE. By doing research here I learn the SE was made in 98. Did any 98 versions have the gears connected to the wheel? Also I tried to check the vin, but the plate of the VIN is OFF!


*yes a police report was filed*

Were the cars the same colour? By driving gears, I assume you mean the gear shifter location, being on the floor versus the steering column. It would take a lot of work to convert it into a column shift setup. I'm thinking if it is your car, they changed the emblems or something. Something has to be wrong with the situation, if the vin plate has been removed. There's usually only a few reasons why vins go missing. There's probably another location on the vehicle with the vin stamped on that most people won't know about, but I don't know where it would be. If you really think someone stole it, then I would be talking to the police.

[help]

Originally Posted by JW657

Were the cars the same colour? By driving gears, I assume you mean the gear shifter location, being on the floor versus the steering column. It would take a lot of work to convert it into a column shift setup. I'm thinking if it is your car, they changed the emblems or something. Something has to be wrong with the situation, if the vin plate has been removed. There's usually only a few reasons why vins go missing. There's probably another location on the vehicle with the vin stamped on that most people won't know about, but I don't know where it would be. If you really think someone stole it, then I would be talking to the police.

yes the car is the same color. What I think they did is put a SE bumper on my car to through it off. (since the car has the same body as mine). Yes, I mean gear shifter location. Hence why I'm asking people with more Taurus knowlegde did the SE gear shifter is on the console.

[Roach]

It takes a lot of effort to change the gear shifter. Getting the counsel, running the new cable, and removing and adding a delete plate to the steering wheel.

By the bumper, do you mean the bumper cover or the logo/decal that says "Taurus SE" on it?

Dealing with stolen cars is a very tricky issue. You need to check every last detail of the car in question to make sure it is or isn't your own. The smallest details matter the most in these situations.

I hope I don't sound like an ass, I really do want to help you. I'd be pissed as hell in this situation. But you need to let the police know whatever you can find out.

[Lgbpop]

Looking at the big picture, and no matter how attached you are to your Taurus - I sure am to mine - it's highly unlikely someone would be so enamored of a base-model, 15-year-old Taurus that they would steal it, convert it to a column shift and put a new bumper on it.

[help]

Maybe I'm not describing it right. They didn't convert the column shift. They simply put their bumper on what I believe to be my car. This is the second time my car has been stolen. When I got it back the first time...the back door panel from the inside was gone and some other small things. Nothing like a battery or anything else like that. I live in a baaad area. Yes, people will steal a 15 year old car around my way.


*We had the same car on the block, however their column shift was on the console. I know because of course when you see someone with the "same" car, you are going to take a peak inside. Now their car "magically" has the column shift attached to the steering wheel. I guess they thought I never got a good look at their car. Hope it makes sense. I'm speaking with the police, but I just wanted to get more info to give to them.

[help]

What I want to know is does the SE model comes with the column shift on the console or steering wheel?

[JW657]

Originally Posted by help

Maybe I'm not describing it right. They didn't convert the column shift. They simply put their bumper on what I believe to be my car. This is the second time my car has been stolen. When I got it back the first time...the back door panel from the inside was gone and some other small things. Nothing like a battery or anything else like that. I live in a baaad area. Yes, people will steal a 15 year old car around my way.

Well, if you ever get your Taurus back, you should consider using the alarm if it has one, or put one in. Sounds like you could really benefit from it.

If the vin is missing on that guys car, I would bring the issue up with the police (like you said you did). They will know right away if something is fishy with the car, there's probably a way for them to figure out the true vin number, lots of times it's also stamped into the sheet metal. I don't think police like it when you tamper with the vin plate on a car, so they'll probably want to see whats going on with that anyways.

[JW657]

Originally Posted by help

My 97 G was stolen. To make things short, I think someone took parts off of their SE and put it on my car. I have other reasons to believe it's my car. I use to see their SE and the driving gears where NOT connected to the wheel, now it is, but the bumper says SE. By doing research here I learn the SE was made in 98. Did any 98 versions have the gears connected to the wheel? Also I tried to check the vin, but the plate of the VIN is OFF!


*yes a police report was filed*

1998 was the first year for the SE trim I believe. In '98, they also changed the front bumper:

The Taurus front end had a redesign; the front end had more of a SHO look too it. The previously rear amber turn signals were now red to match the brake light, even though the wiring and lighting stayed the same. The Sable had a slightly different grille, with the Mercury logo embedded into the grille. The trim badge style for the Sable also changed for this year.