The Colonia Buenos Aires, in central Mexico City, is full of chop shops where you can buy spare parts or get your car repaired at bargain prices. Auto theft is a common crime in the city, and many claim that the neighborhood's cut-rate rear-view mirrors, windshields, radios and steering wheels come straight from stolen vehicles.
Don't lose heart, though: your purloined auto may have had a higher purpose. On the traffic island in the middle of Calle Dr. Vertiz, just north of the Viaducto, there is a series of sculptures made from auto parts. Of course no one wants to get their car ripped off, but show some sympathy: We all know how tough it is for struggling artists to acquire their materials.