Black Cat

I posted my 'My car was nearly stolen' before I read Rannoch post.... something is going on here guys... particularly with the ram raid... the Track Marques theft... David's post... and my nearly loss... we really do have to be diligent and make sure we have the best security for our cars...
What right have those little ****es got to take away our prizes possessions the things that we have worked hard to get... I'm sorry but I really am very very angry....

Hos

iTrader: (1)

Has it all started happening since the prison escape story in the newspapers lastweek?
Security Wise get a G4... , i know i should post this in your other post, but how did they get your door open so quick? and was there any damage? If one scooby door can be opened quickly... all others can and that concerns me as to what i keep inside my car , i.e stereo.. flying gear.. etc
Ian

Black Cat

Hos,
They got the door open so fast your head would spin... it's scarey... and there was no damage... I've never been nervous before but honestly I am now... very... very nervous... and it was all so quick...tomorrow I buy something.. anything that's gives me more time... to get to my car before they get her away...

Puff The Magic Wagon!

iTrader: (2)

Penni

Not good news

I remove fuses. Bit of a pain, I know, but they are going to look stupid sitting there trying to work out why it won't start. Fuel pump is obvious but there are a couple of others that help the "no start" too.

Alternatively, a micro-switch cut off to either say coil or fuel pump. Rerouting a bit of wire into the cabin to a switch under the carpet/dash/seat/fascia etc etc. Month of sundays to locate & they do not have TIME.

(Also a giggle when a pal wants a drive & you throw him the keys & he can't start it )

Nerve agent

Bright Kar

Hi,

This may sounds pretty stupid but its at the back of my mind. Doesnt a Cat1 alarm help ?

If got one of those clifford things and I thought they would immobolise the car in X different ways.

Are the thiefs bi-passing this ?

bkar

Stuart H

I was involved in an *incident* last night involving a T-plate UK Turbo.

The two little tinkers involved had by-passed the Thatchem Cat 1 alarm & imobiliser. Draw what conclusions you want folks........

Hos

iTrader: (1)

Bright,
Yeah i've got a cliford G4 300 or 400 (whichever the cat 1 is). It is absolutely fantastic i think , and my sister has the 800 version on her Wrx, it's like fort knox but on 4 wheels
The G4 immobiliser is fantastic aswell i feel, and you can set it all up to how secure you want your car to be.
What i was talking about with my last post, was the actual locking system of the car. I am worried at how quick Black said they got into the car, (It's been happening alot with other Scoobs?) I know they can simply break a window if they want into your car and any alarm will not stop that- but it's scary when you think what you may sometimes leave in your car, from personal experience anyway.
I have G4 stickers on all the windows and no one has ever gone near my car (it's only a sport but it still looks good)
Ian

IWatkins

Hos,

I would be very careful about having stickers in the window. It is just like having a flashing alarm light which says "Clifford" on it.

Toe-rag comes along to your car and sees flashing light and thinks "Er, em, looks like this tasty motor has an alarm. Wonder if it is one that I know how to by-pass ?"

Then he notes the "Clifford" flashing light and the "G4" stickers etc.

He then thinks "G4, oh yes, my mate Dave told me how to get around one of these, once I have the door open I have 5 seconds to get to XYZ cable that is in the left hand footwell and cut the black wire to kill the ultra-sonics"

etc. etc

Hope that makes sense, even a toe-rag works off information you provide.

I have worked out how to by-pass my alarm system and (2x) immobs. on my CAT 1 system by carefully studying the wiring diagram that was left in the car after it was fitted. I do not believe that these diagrams would be hard to get hold of for most systems.

Be careful. Also, if I wanted to steal a silver 4-door Scooby (MY99), I know where it is likely to be parked, what its. reg no. is and what alarm system it has fitted.

Cheers

Ian

[This message has been edited by IWatkins (edited 08 August 2000).]

madbrit

Hi Penni,

Sorry for your troubles, but do take care when 'getting back' to your car. Remember there are some real toe rags about - and would rather hear about a damaged vehicle than a damaged person

Martin

RichB

This is something that has always concerned me and this BBS is an ideal way to 'find' cars. I know these days Scoobs are more common but most are garaged but nowadays that isn't enough. It would not be hard to find where us guys and gals keep our cars if we publish things such as surnames and locations. I also won't be putting SIDC or BBS stickers on the car as you never know what lengths people will go to.
I managed to get chatting to someone on this board and worked out exactly what road he lived on. Even the Chuckster told me where to find his car on Saturday night!
I am lucky, Dorset seems to not have been hit like other places but I am still not taking any chances.

TimsEvo

Is it just Scoobies being targetted? Are Evos being hit too? I suppose they stand out more, but then again do the current thieves really care?

NickF

I've given up on Scoobys. I've driven a few, and loved them to bits.

Even though I need lots of space (2 little kids, resultant massive amount of clobber)I still wanted one. Nearly went for a Forester, then thought 'sod it.' I was on the verge of buying a low-mileage 6 month old car, but I've now backed out.

All the while I've been considering the Scoob I've had 2 major concerns - reliability and nickability.

From what I see, the car is only marginally reliable if used hard (and if I'm honest, I wouldn't treat it any better than any other mechanical device I've even owned) but a UK car with warranty should more or less sort that.

The other was the worrying cost of insurance - it's not actually the costs that bother me (well, up to a point) but it's a pointer to the fact that an Impreza Turbo is now as much of a target as a Cosworth was (still is??) when it was a mainstream car. And I want to be able to park where I want (within reason) without worrying about it.

So with a heavy heart I have to say I've now dismissed the Impreza as a serious car - I need a car that will start every time and take huge amounts of abuse without wilting, but more importantly I want it to be there when I come back. Obviously any car can get stolen, but nobody is interested in a Mondeo/Corolla/insert name of other shed here, hence the fact that very few (as a percentage) are stolen.

Sorry guys, I think the bubble has well and truly burst. There'll still be loads of enthusiasts, but not many people will be willing to pay what it will cost to insure something which has a very high likelihood of being nicked.

Nick

Leigh

Hi,
All this talk of theft is pretty scary stuff! An impreza turbo was stolen from just around the corner from me, and was duly put through the front window of three local supermarkets! They had a great way of bypassing the alarm. They broke into the house and took the keys while the owner was in bed! Me? I'm now extremely paranoid. Cat 1 system, disklock, my missus's car parked right up to the garage door, house locked up like fort knox, keys on my bedside table! What more can you do?

firefox

Erm..

Put the missus in the car at night ?

lol

J.

Kev

Scary stuff ....

I have it on my drive

1. Wheels on full lock
2. In reverse gear
3. Alarmed ( obviously )
4. Disklok 'ed ( even during the day )
5. House alarmed at night
6. Keys upstairs with me
7. CCTV camera on long play record all night
8. Auto floodlight lamp thingie

Sad and paranoid I know but "needs must" I'm afraid, it probably won't stop 'em but it makes me feel better and I'll have a video of them taking it I can send off to you've been framed and get my £250 ....

"paranoid k"

BrewandBake

Set of Impreza Keys (which dont fit my car) with key fob (minus battery) downstairs in view.
That way if they get into the house looking for the keys they will grab what they think are the ones & leg it to the garage where the car is.
By the time they realise the fob dont work & the keys dont fit I will have heard them & had time to load my shotgun.

Brew.

DazW

iTrader: (1)

Penni, Sounds like you were pretty lucky!

My tip would be to fit a fuel cut out switch hidden under the dash or hidden as another unused dashboard switch, I know this works as my mate had a Metro GTi and it was broken in to 3 times in one year, but the thieving little gits couldn't figure out how to switch the fuel pump on

DazW

DrD

Use the 'superlock' facility on the alarm (ie, need to key in pin No. as remote won't disarm the alarm) if you are away for weekend. You can also use this at night if you don't mind disturbing the neigfhbours when you get in your car in the morning and alarm goes off while you type in pin (better if you live in the sticks and have no neighbours!!)

pslewis

One word of warning with the fuse removal idea - when I had my Calibra I would always take the fuel pump fuse out .. it was so easy.
Then one day the car started acting up - cutting out, hesitating, and finally stopping and requiring the break-down man ... the fault? a cracked fuse (on the spade so it looked fine)
Just a warning - it did take 6 years of movement mind you!!
Pete

sunilp

....look, at the end of the day, alarms are made by humans and will, therefore, be bypassed by humans....its like hacking, the internet etc - what can be created can also be demolished or the like.

Buy the best security you can reasonably afford, take care and hope for the best. What more can you do?...sell the car?, dont sleep at nights?, dont work and just watch out the window all day or every time your out socialising?. You could get run over by a bus (not that i wish that on anyone) but, hey, **** happens.

Its a car, lets just hope no one gets assulted/injured in the process (except for the scum doing it)

PS...if you dont put the Clifford stickers on then they dont give you the 1k if your motor is stolen and not recovered (or at least that was the case with the Concept 50 on my last car)

robski

good point made by sunil on the clifford stickers, worth checking whether that is still current.

Ive got a mate who is an alarm fitter, the theives do know their stuff, but a good fitter will make it harder for them. Every single wire under my dash (previous car)was covered with black tape, so you couldnt tell what was original and what was added after (i.e. alarm, immobiliser, ultrasonics, microwave sensor etc etc). I have been shown numerous "professional" fitted alarms (and Im talking the expensive versions) that even I could tell which wires were obviously aftermarket. Even better when they send nice colour coded alarm looms for the fitter!

robski

Craig H

Think we all need these electric shock gizmos you can buy.
They break in, we electrocute the f**ckers.

Makes me wonder how many ******* look at this board and try and trace through the members info

Kev

Robski ..

In Belgium last week and the Toad system in my car "glitched" .. would'nt turn off just would'nt respond to both remotes ... not a nice position to be in I can tell you. The dealer who fitted it said all the wiring was black and they have the car on a file with the wiring diagram and will "pull" the file this weekend when it goes in to be checked out ..... my questions will start with "how safe are your filing systems ?" as I gave them the serial number on the certificate and they knew the car reg and my address ...

K