Dave Fischbach of Bellaire, Michigan left police work to start his custom car restoration business nearly 30 years ago.
But with one trip to Detroit, he is once again following leads and looking for clues in a grand theft auto case. He's not only the investigator, he's also the victim.
Fishbach is in town for the Detroit Autorama. He hauled his 1960 custom-built Corvette and his 2000 Jeep Wrangler, which he intended to drive while visiting the city, in a white 42 foot, all aluminum trailer that was pulled by a turquoise Ford F-350 conversion truck.
He chose to stay at a Holiday Inn in Southgate after he was assured the lot was protected by video surveillance cameras and an overnight security guard who patrolled the parking lot.
When Fischbach walked out to the parking lot early Wednesday morning, the truck, the trailer and the vehicles inside it were gone.
Facebook posts helped Fischbach track the trailer to Troy's towing on the city's east side. The Jeep was towed to the city's impound lot on Joy Road.
But the conversion truck and the Corvette are still missing.
Fischbach said the truck can be replaced. But the Corvette is one of a kind.
His employees spent more than 15,000 hours building it. The car has won the National Corvette competition three times.
Fischbach's concerned about the vehicles and his wife. She is battling cancer and he is worried that the stress of the thefts will take a toll on her health.
