Local man to restore stolen Miata sunk on national TV

"Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To" (murdersofa)
08/20/2016 at 21:55 • Filed to: poopywater, miata

Remember the red NA Miata that was seen on national TV as a woman and a dog were pulled from it? Well, as it turns out ClubRoadster.com forum member Ethaniscool does, and with the help of a local Mazda dealership is restoring the car - which was stolen from the rightful owners by the woman with the dog - for the family that owned it and had lost everything in the Louisiana flood. Love or hate the Miata, this story warms the cockles of even my cold heart.

DISCUSSION (46)

Sovereign, Purveyor of Coupes > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/20/2016 at 22:11

Wait, so that lady stole it? I hadn’t heard that part of the story.

Tohru > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/20/2016 at 22:13

there’s nothing left to restore, just get them a different one

Die-Trying > Sovereign, Purveyor of Coupes
08/20/2016 at 22:15

is this true...........?...........

Boxer_4 > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/20/2016 at 22:20

Here’s a link to the thread, for those who are interested:

http://clubroadster.net/vb_forum/home.…

Urambo Tauro > Boxer_4
08/20/2016 at 22:21

Thanks, I was just looking for that.

When I saw the word “stolen”, I started to do some investigating, but it looks like someone else is already on the case:

Kinja'd!!!

Thomas Donohue > Tohru
08/20/2016 at 22:28

Agreed. I think this is where Mazda steps in and gives them a new ND.

Sovereign, Purveyor of Coupes > Die-Trying
08/20/2016 at 22:36

Seems like it. Stolen by an idiotic drunk lady.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Boxer_4
08/20/2016 at 22:39

Shit. I thought I posted that.

Die-Trying > Sovereign, Purveyor of Coupes
08/20/2016 at 22:39

what an amazing plot twist..........thanks.............

pjhusa > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/20/2016 at 22:54

“Poopywater” tho.

Frenchlicker > Tohru
08/20/2016 at 23:15

Everything is restorable if a person is crazy enough.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/20/2016 at 23:24

Interesting. My wife’s cousin claimed that the car belongs to his ex-father-in-law and that the woman driving it was his girlfriend. I’m going to have to give him a call tomorrow.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/20/2016 at 23:31

Take the gear shift knob and put in on another Miata of the same color that hasn't been dunked.

Urambo Tauro > TheRealBicycleBuck
08/20/2016 at 23:36

Please do. And you might want to contact Patrick if you find anything worth putting in the story.

BTW, I was just skimming through the comments in last week’s article , and I happened to notice that you seem to be the only one pointing out that the Miata did not belong to the woman in the video. Do you have any other insights to add?

Invinciblejets > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/21/2016 at 03:04

I called it right when I saw that video.

Knew that lady was a fucking scum bag.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Invinciblejets
08/21/2016 at 11:01

“I’m trapped” well, if she actually owned a Miata she’d know how to put the damn top down

TheRealBicycleBuck > Urambo Tauro
08/21/2016 at 12:30

No other insights. According to the cousin, the car belongs to his ex-father-in-law and the woman is the owner’s girlfriend.

I reached out to the cousin, but haven’t heard back. We aren’t close, so he may not bother to respond. I did forward Patrick’s e-mail, so perhaps they will contact him directly.

Boxer_4 > Urambo Tauro
08/21/2016 at 12:42

Nice catch!

Urambo Tauro > TheRealBicycleBuck
08/21/2016 at 12:49

“Wife’s cousin’s ex-father-in-law’s girlfriend” ...I think my head’s going to explode lol. But a connection’s a connection!

For her to be the owner’s girlfriend makes me question the whole “stolen” thing. But really, if she was drunk and took the keys without permission, yeah, I think I’d be comfortable using that word.

Urambo Tauro > Boxer_4
08/21/2016 at 12:53

Haha, I don’t even know what made me even look at that part of the page, but there it was!

At any rate, this is one hell of a twist to the story, and I can’t wait to see what he finds out.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Urambo Tauro
08/21/2016 at 13:33

“For her to be the owner’s girlfriend makes me question the whole “stolen” thing.”

My thought as well. I’m wondering if they are saying that for liability reasons. Perhaps for insurance reasons....

mazda616 > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/21/2016 at 13:42

The project is admirable but seems overwhelming.

I was way more concerned about the dog than the drunk woman in that video.

daender > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/21/2016 at 14:15

Please tell me that bitch is getting jail time.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > daender
08/21/2016 at 14:37

I would hope so. Drunk bitch stealing a family’s roadster and almost drowning her dog and ruining the car? Hope she gets lots of time and her license taken away.

daender > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/21/2016 at 14:40

Proper karma would be for her to do community service by helping clean up garbage left behind from the flood...starting in the most foul-smelling areas.

...And while she’s at it, dump herself in a garbage can since she’s basically trash herself.

Tohru > Frenchlicker
08/21/2016 at 15:05

just because you can doesn’t mean you should

Frenchlicker > Tohru
08/21/2016 at 17:24

I agree, but where’s the fun in that?

effse7en > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/21/2016 at 17:55

note that it’s clubroadster.net, your article says clubroadster.com

KinjaNinja > TheRealBicycleBuck
08/21/2016 at 19:41

Kinja'd!!!

yea, came across this last week. So reading it was stolen?.... seemed questionable.

TheHondaBro > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/21/2016 at 21:55

WELL YOU DIDN'T.

cluelessk > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/21/2016 at 22:29

Sounds like an awful idea. Flood damaged cars turn into money pits real quick.

Just think, all electrical connections have had water in them. Sure you’ll let it dry but you won’t get all the water out and corrosion will set in.

TheRealBicycleBuck > KinjaNinja
08/21/2016 at 22:37

Small world. Yeah, that’s them. According to them, the guy restoring it is doing it for the dad and is doing the restoration for free. Perhaps he means just the labor. I can’t imagine that he means the parts too.

My Miata Looks Like Mike Tyson > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/22/2016 at 01:30

The place where it flooded is less than a mile from my sister’s house. My dad and I drove by there a few days ago and saw it sitting in the ditch. Kinda funny to see something so close to home plastered all over the internet.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Boxer_4
08/22/2016 at 10:17

Thank you, I was about to ask for this.

Justin Young > Frenchlicker
08/22/2016 at 11:10

I think he means “just because you can quit doesn’t mean you should quit ”

TheRealBicycleBuck > Sovereign, Purveyor of Coupes
08/23/2016 at 08:31

Not necessarily. Several sources confirmed that she is/was the girlfriend of the miata’s owner. Whether she had permission to drive it, implicit or otherwise, remains to be seen.

TheRealBicycleBuck > My Miata Looks Like Mike Tyson
08/23/2016 at 08:32

I’m in the same camp. I took pictures of it when I spotted it in the ditch. Did everyone in your family stay dry?

Sovereign, Purveyor of Coupes > TheRealBicycleBuck
08/23/2016 at 11:52

That’s what I saw yesterday. Hopefully Jalopnik puts together a piece on this interesting story.

Sneaky Pete > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/24/2016 at 04:48

Dumb lady nearly drowned the guy that saved her too because of her stupid dog.

ClintonForFederalIndictment > daender
08/25/2016 at 19:57

Shes actually currently running for house of representatives, and is the leading candate on the Ratchet platform.

Dogapult > Justin Young
09/05/2016 at 17:21

He’s tired of dealing with me and my rusted out 70's Celicas that I want to save.

L_M_D > Urambo Tauro
04/14/2020 at 03:30

WOW, Y’all have so much to talk about... even though it’s been 4 years, y’all are pissing me off . The car was taken without consent and my father IS the owner , he is disabled and this tramp took advantage of that! She was told to leave long before and my father was asleep and his car was gone. Don’t speak on my dad and his judgement. Any other questions, I’d be happy to answer. Just message me, he lives with me now after losing his home so I’m sure he’d be happy to address any questions as well.

L_M_D > TheRealBicycleBuck
04/14/2020 at 03:32

You sound dumb. This is my father’s vehicle. You have no idea.

L_M_D > TheRealBicycleBuck
04/14/2020 at 03:36

Oh! To add to that, think about the year of the Miata... you think my disabled father, fixed income, had full coverage? Douche bag of the year award goes to you. You’re welcome.

miatamonster > L_M_D
04/14/2020 at 09:28

You do realize that the entire article and the discussion about the article all happened four years ago, right? As far as I can tell, you just confirmed everything that was said - the car was stolen and the woman driving it had problems. As for the insurance question, if the car was driven by the owner, then the owner becomes liable for the costs associated with rescue and recovery. So, nobody said anything or speculated about anything that wasn’t true.

If you really want to get mad at somebody, take a look at what Ethaniscool had to say about your dad: “Being 100% the actual owner of the car is an asshole. But his son who is super cool is going to take the car over once its all done.” In case you don’t recognize him, Ethaniscool is the guy that brought the car back to life. Don’t believe he wrote that? Here’s a link: https://www.clubroadster.net/threads/how-to-dry-out-the-na-that-sunk-on-national-tv.234289/page-9#post-6155962

Keep in mind that he wrote that in 2018, two years after he started working on the car.

Urambo Tauro > L_M_D
04/14/2020 at 09:34

Thanks for commenting. I wish you had been here while the story was fresh to help clear things up. Our imaginations can run pretty wild sometimes.