Guest Ben @ GT-C.com Posted June 17, 2004 Share Posted June 17, 2004 Hi Guys, I was hoping that some of you eagle eye'd supra owners maybe able to help us / keep eye's peeled for some very expensive BBS LM alloy wheels with near new Bridgestone Potenza tyres which were stolen Southampton Docks. A little while back some std R34 wheels were also taken off a BNR34. There is a very worring trend of thieft from newly imported Japanese performace cars occuring @ Southampton docks. We do not know if this is being done by other traders an inside job... but its proffessional. We are trying to make as many of the message boards as possible aware of this, as well as BIMTA. The shipping line won't take responsability, same as Southampton handeling company... the blame seems to keep getting shifted. Japanese blame the UK and UK blame the Japanese. Shipping law is such that carriers will not be responsible for such thefts, thieves are replacing our wheels with cheap rubbish so nobody is the wiser until the cars arrive at our yard. This is in addition to the thefts of hifis that have been going on for years. But these alloys were on the supra when she was loaded onto the vessel and its highly unlikely the car could have been jacked up and wheels taken off and replaced here as the cars are so tightly packed together. The BBS are now likely to be on another (cheaper) supra. A substantial reward will be paid for information leading to the capture of thieves responsible. Contact [email protected] in complete confidence Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ben @ GT-C.com Posted June 17, 2004 Share Posted June 17, 2004 Thread also ongoing here http://www.gtr.co.uk/forum/upload/showthread.php?t=23963 Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Posted June 17, 2004 Share Posted June 17, 2004 Gutted...IMO that's nigh on the prettiest MKIV I've ever seen. It needs those rims back. Saw it advertised before it had landed and would have coughed up the money instantly if I could. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve W2 Posted June 17, 2004 Share Posted June 17, 2004 Will keep an eye out, I have my stereo and stuff knicked and was told there was nothing that could be done about it. I got so fed up with chasing the company I just gave up in the end. Hope you catch the theiving bastards!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
osso Posted June 17, 2004 Share Posted June 17, 2004 Theft from both UK and Japanese docks are very common when it comes to importing cars unfortunately, but never heard of wheels being stolen tho.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulfurn Posted June 18, 2004 Share Posted June 18, 2004 Stupid question, but have the police been informed of this? If so, then why arent they keeping an eye on the yards? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbeh Posted June 18, 2004 Share Posted June 18, 2004 Originally posted by Alex Holdroyd that's nigh on the prettiest MKIV I've ever seen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Posted June 18, 2004 Share Posted June 18, 2004 Originally posted by Bobbeh Elaborate - if you will? Do you not appreciate the fact the previous owner has made it look very very smooth and sleek? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MONKEYmark Posted June 18, 2004 Share Posted June 18, 2004 Originally posted by Alex Holdroyd Elaborate - if you will? Do you not appreciate the fact the previous owner has made it look very very smooth and sleek? does not look anything special to me. with not having rear spoiler it looks weird. its hardly going to be a sleeper car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake Posted June 18, 2004 Share Posted June 18, 2004 True, it look like every other Supra to me apart from it has no rear spoiler. It has (or had) a niceish set of wheels, the Veilside skirts that every bugger has got (Inc. me) but no spats, and the old style Bomex front that everyone hated when I used to have it. Don't get me wrong, it's a nice enough car but it's hardly the prettiest Supra. £0.02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Peace Posted June 19, 2004 Share Posted June 19, 2004 Those style of BBS alloys are very common, especially on Imports, not being funny but it would be near on impossible to track them down, as those style of wheels have been around for a bit and theres a lot in circulation. But if I see some for sale or anyone gets offered some I will of course pass it on as I'm sure we all will. Hope they do something about this Dockside theft thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbeh Posted June 19, 2004 Share Posted June 19, 2004 Originally posted by MONKEYmark does not look anything special to me. Elaborated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Miguel-Newera Posted June 23, 2004 Share Posted June 23, 2004 Originally posted by Green Peace Those style of BBS alloys are very common, especially on Imports, not being funny but it would be near on impossible to track them down, as those style of wheels have been around for a bit and theres a lot in circulation. But if I see some for sale or anyone gets offered some I will of course pass it on as I'm sure we all will. Hope they do something about this Dockside theft thing. Thanks for your comments. This is my first post on this forum, but I feel it's important people know of the problems that have developed in Southampton. Please see: http://www.gtr.co.uk/forum/upload/showthread.php?t=23963&goto=newpost I've been buying Supras for 6 years. Until JIC decided to stop trading (Tim Miller the owner had a heart bypass and several heart attacks afterwards, so he shut the business down and retired), Newera was the source though which many of their Supras were selected. I have to say, I disagree. BBS LM2's are very rare wheels on Supras. Sure, BBS's may be, but these are the most expensive forged alloys available from BBS and I can't remember buying a lot of them with these alloys. It's likely these wheels will turn up either loose, or on a rough looking Supra. There are another 3 sets of wheels also stolen, 2 of which should be pretty distinctive. We will be advertising a reward in Jap Performance and Banzai Magazine - being offered for the return of wheels, or information (Confidential) leading to the return of these wheels and hopeful prosecution of the thieves involved, if we are able.. Please view the thread on http://www.gtr.co.uk Below I will post my most recent reply which is also on the GTR thread. It will make a lot more sense if you read the GTR thread first... Thanks in advance for help anyone can give. Miguel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Miguel-Newera Posted June 23, 2004 Share Posted June 23, 2004 On Monday 21st June I got a phone call from Edgar Wainwright who had been away last week. He expressed concern about the recent thefts and explained that neither Hual nor Wainwright Bros. can stipulate where unloaded cars go. This is the responsibility of Southampton Cargo Handling / Associated British Ports. Wainwright Bros, SCH and other concerned parties have each been made aware of the forums on which these matters have been discussed and this appears to have brought about a greater sense of urgency in doing something, as the general public who buy these imported cars is watching. So I thank all of you who have posted here with your experiences and comments. Wainwright Bros. have contacted the MD of Southampton Cargo Handling and apparently this week there will be meetings to discuss this obviously severe problem. Edgar suggested that perhaps these thefts have not occured at Southampton's docks, but perhaps in Japan.... We know this is not the case, as cars are sent by staff to the docks just hours before loading (Our yard is 1.5 km away from the loading area, so we don't need to send cars a day in advance). Cars are delivered in broad daylight with loading staff around the region all the time. It just wouldn't be possible for someone to change wheels there without being noticed and apprehended by security. Also in Japan theft is not a problem to the appauling extent it is in the UK. Remember we don't even have car alarms in Japan, as there's no domestic car theft, theft of hifis, etc. It's nearly impossible this could have happened on the boat, as there's simply no space. cars are parked within a few inches of one another and strapped down. Edgar then suggested perhaps wheels were being switched by our haulliers. However, we have been using the same Haulage company for 5 years and know they wouldn't do this. We have a professional relationship with the driver. You can even see the cars being unloaded on our first DVD, just by Motormall's premises. IT's CLEARLY APPARENT As 2 sets of wheels were also stolen from Pyramid Auto's cars which arrived on the same vessel, but cars transported by different means - that it's NOT the Haulliers. I can imagine the response of SCH may be to pass the buck and say something like, "Well, how do you KNOW for sure the parts were stolen from the common storage area in Southampton!?" I am sure with cars being in a "common yard" in Southampton, in an area where anyone can come and go as they please - close to where some "dubious looking " people attend Southampton's import auctions, there's plenty of dishonest people about. As cars are stored at this "Common Yard" overnight and security is best described as "relaxed" - this is where the thefts of wheels have occured. One point Edgar did bring up is that it's unlikely Security would allow wheels to be taken in and different ones taken out... That is, of course - assuming Security aren't somehow involved or turning a blind eye.... I think it is highly possible a rogue trader swapped wheels from his cars onto our's and kept the nice alloys. So I am awaiting pictures from Pyramid Auto of the MX-5's from which they had wheels stolen, which I will post on this forum. Edgar explained that some 2-3 years ago, hi-fi thefts were a big problem, but this had now been "virtually eliminated". As a supplier of cars and the many times we hear complaints from Traders that hifis are missing and dashboards broken upon arrival, we know the problem is still existent! However, in the past when people have complained, they have found after lengthy waits the shipping company, etc. admit no responsibility. The pattern is often to blame another place for where it could have occured, as nobody has proof of exactly where thefts occur... Hmmmmm! SO, as a result people no longer bother to complain... Why bother? It's always been a waste of time in the past, so people have resigned to it and at best have hifis removed and sent by post, or not at all.. Newera Imports will place adverts in the next issues of Japanese Performance & Banzai Magazines that a substantial reward is available for information (Confidential) leading to the return of said wheels and prosecution of the people involved with their theft. The wheels will be shown in the adverts. I hope somehow the stolen wheels will be noticed by a few of 100,000 readers nationwide - and someone inform of this... If we find the rogue trader or thief dealing in this sort of stuff, I want to make sure as many people as possible know who he/they are. Next stage would be to get BIMTA involved and writing something about this problem in their journal, perhaps appealing to traders to inform a register of thefts from cars in the future... Better still SCH can set up a register of such thefts, so the problem can be monitored. If an independent body can monitor, these records made could be publicised to make it clear this is a problem that must be dealt with. Perhaps I will ask Japanese Performance Magazine to write something in their next issue, to help quell this problem too. I therefore await SCH's decisions on how exactly they're going to make sure this CANNOT continue to happen. In addition, as clearly the security in SCH's yard is not acceptable at present - We will continue to hold SCH PLC responsible. The cars are stored there supposedly in safety. We pay for this, so liability should lie with this group. In the meantime, Edgar Wainwright has promised to keep me informed of how things are proceeding in Southampton and what steps are being taken to ensure this problem cannot continue. I do not intend to make SCH's response to Newera confidential. People should know what this group decides to do in compensation, etc. In the meantime, until such solution is found, I will recommend to people to have cars shipped to Bristol or Newcastle which are known to have very tight security and where such thefts do not occur. I would appreciate any help people can give to create awareness of this problem, by posting your experiences here and directing people on other forums to this thread. The more that SCH and Wainwright Bros. are made aware of, the greater the efforts to stop these thefts re-occuring / worsening. The more people who know of these problems, the greater the urgency to find a permanent solution. 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Guest Miguel-Newera Posted June 23, 2004 Share Posted June 23, 2004 BBS LM 2 piece items with 275/35/ZR18 (Rear) & 245/40/ZR18 (Front). Bridgestone Potenza JDM spec tyres - Approx 75% wear remaining. Below are pictures of the car the wheels were originally fitted to. You don't want to see the rubbish wheels the thieves switched onto our customer's car. Understandably our customer is upset at this loss and we have had to buy another Supra with nice wheels, to depart shortly for the UK - with replacements to switch onto the customer's Supra. The BBS LM's fitted to the Supra in Japan: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Miguel-Newera Posted June 23, 2004 Share Posted June 23, 2004 And another Picture of the wheels fitted. Please remember - We will give a substantial reward for information leading to the return of these wheels / prosecution of the person/people who are stealing wheels from cars in Southampton. Contact [email protected] in complete confidence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Peace Posted June 23, 2004 Share Posted June 23, 2004 I do apologise, BBS LM2's look quite like a lot of BBS wheels I and most wouldn't prob know the difference between the LM1, LM2,LM3 so glad you pointed this out to us, they all look v similiar. It must be very frustrating, and annoying will certainly keep my eyes peeled. Hope you nail the theiving scum. Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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