Finding his beloved 1979 Corolla abandoned and relatively unscathed was the best possible outcome of a bad situation.
Most stolen car stories don't have a happy ending. Only a small percentage of stolen cars are ever recovered, and when they are, many have been wrecked, vandalized, or stripped for parts.
Thankfully, this stolen car story has a happy ending. Levi Charles, a 17 year old student from Melbourne, Australia, recently purchased a 1979 Toyota Corolla to restore with his grandfathers and learn to drive in.
Unfortunately, it was stolen from in front of his home in the wee hours of the morning. A few days later, the police received a tip that a car matching the description had been dumped nearby.
Although Charles still doesn't know who stole the car, he's glad to have it back, according to The Australian. While his car is a little worse for wear, it wasn't damaged much.
A few things were stolen, such as the radio, but overall, he's just thankful that the car has returned. As you can imagine, it holds a lot of sentimental value, as it's a bit of a family project.
Both of his grandfathers have been involved with the restoration, and all three have something of a passion for older iron. The late 1970s Toyota Corollas make great project cars because they're simple, lightweight, rear wheel drive, and they make a great home for a variety of Toyota four-cylinder engines. We've even seen a Mazda rotary under the hood of one.
From here on out, Charles will be sure to keep his Corolla under lock and key. He was lucky to get his car back, and he doesn't want it to happen again. We're just glad that this story had a happy ending.
