Black Cat

I'm posting this because I still can't believe what happened to me today.

While I was stood on the second floor of where I worked I could see two little B'tards hovering round my car.. before I knew it the door was open and the alarm was going off...... 5:00 pm today, daylight, company car park with CCT camera's and they still took the chance..... they didn't get her thank god... but it was very close they had the door open but I expect the alarm put them off.... so... what I want to say is

guys/gals just be aware of where you park your scoobie... I'm still shaken... I love my car.. and there is no way I want two little ****e heads interfering with her....

Penni

BHORT

Did you have a steering wheel lock fitted?

Brendan

Mellow Yellow !

iTrader: (1)

Sorry to hear your news Penni.....take a drink on me to settle you down....most of these opportunist guys are usually high as a kite and take risks that most others dont, they're the dangerous ones ! All's well that ends well.......that's what Wallace says.

Rob W

Penni,
I think it's my worst nightmare, glad it never went walkies.
Did you manage to catch the b******s?hope there's not too much damage.
Regards
Rob

Black Cat

Bhort
What I am planning to do tomorrow is look for the best preventative that money can buy... if you can recomment something I would be grateful.... my hubbies suggestion is 'sell it' but I don't see why these low lifes should stop me from having the car of my dreams.... any suggestions for further protection would be grateful.

johnfelstead

rule number 1, leave nothing in view in the car that will tempt the oportunist.

I went through this with my cosworth, some scum poped my bonnet with wire cutters and pulled the alarm wire of the bonnet triger then cleared off for an hour. this was at 4am.

My alarm never false triggered so i sat there for an hour waiting for the scum to come back, i lived about 500yards from a police station that is manned all night and had there number on redial.

As soon as they re-apeared i pressed redial, there was a van at my car within 2 minutes and they caught the buggers.

Sadly its a price we have to pay to own top cars, just do all you can to prevent attacks but whatever you do wont deter them all, thats the world we live in.

jjones

removable steering wheel? would be effective but a bugger to carry about!

do you have a steering wheel disc lock - apparently time consuming to remove and a very visual detterent.
Car doors are very easily opened (do scoobs have deadlocks?) and throwing a brick through the window is always an option (Toad© window film can stop this).

much heavier sentencing if the toe rags are caught?
"3 strikes and your out" as in some states in america?

thinking about it these w**ke*rs sound more like joy riders than professionals ( i use that word reluctantly). Probably knew what a great car a scoob is and just "had a crack" at nicking it. it's the pro ones who follow you home and then take your pride and joy in the early hours.



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

robski

Penni,

buy a BIG dog, and leave it in the car

or try these other trciks

buy removable steering wheel, ala F1 (seriously you can buy these)

remove seat

remove wheels

remove engine (bit extreme i know)

buy sniper rifle, and paint target on drivers seat

robski

DocJock

Penni

Get a barrier deadlock fitted.
Like a patio door lock but locks gearbox in reverse.

ChrisB

One of the guys at the Midlands mini-meet recently has a removable steering wheel.

You need a key to take it on and off, so you can leave it in the car.

I really should know his name (sorry!).

Cheers,

Chris.

Ian Cook

Demon Tweeks do the removable steering wheel with the key lock, i can get the part numbers if you want ?

moz.g

Sorry to hear your news Penni at least the little b######s didn't get away in it.
We all shouldn't under-estimate how easy it to break into the scooby, the latest issue of What Car broke into it in 5 seconds, the best thing you can do is to have a visual deterant (stoplock,discklock,barrier deadlock etc) and fit a good alarm/imob on earlier models. (I think the alarm/imob are meant to be pretty good from MY99 on)
I hope Subaru can improve the entry time on the new car, that is if anybody is going to buy it

Graham

bernmc

Get a tracking device with a remote disable installed - something like the RAC TracStar. It's a couple of hundred fitted (not sure of exact amount- my P1 came with it), and around 90 squids a year. I think its better than tracker because it's tracked by sats, so you don't need a police car to be nearby. Once the car's been found, RAC call the police, and then disable the vehicle when they're nearby. Doesn't stop thieves from taking it, but at least you'll find it again.

muddy

Black Cat,

Although I have a Cat1 alarm, Which to most car thieves isn't worth the money you pay for it. I also have a Snap-Off Steering Wheel, it beats any steering wheel Locks or aftermarket gizmos on the market. I would recommend it to any one, costs about £150 from the likes of Demon Tweeks and the like.

How many thieves can you see carrying steering wheels about with them? Especially a Wheel that will fit on to the boss. All bosses are different, one wheel will not go on another boss.

Regarding carring it about with you, It's no great deal. It makes you look like an idiot but who cares when you know that your car will still be there when you get back(Looks like you have an expensive car anyway!!!).
That's unless the b******s tow it away!!!!!

Good Luck!!!

Muddy.

Steve_B

All these security devices are good but unforunately require a key or other activation device........

This makes attacking the property where the vehicle is stored... an attractive option to acquire these keys etc.

We were recently targeted, broke into the back off the house after coming across two gardens and through a thick hedge.

This all happened while we were ASLEEP upstair !...... watch out
Police didn't seem to think that they would come upstairs and risk confrontation....

However a fake subaru key and fob left downstairs but out of direct view did the trick....!

Nick

Penni

Sorry to hear of your scare.

How did they get the door open? Maybe you could look at a keyless entry system?

The Zohan

Trackeralike, disklock and i take the keys to bed and leave them next to my Beretta 92SF

Go ahead punks make my night!!!

DrD

What happens if your car is stolen as a result of the thieving gits getting your keys, (either by breaking into house, or threatening you with a good beating). Does it affect your car insurance that they had the keys to steal the car?

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

Sorry to hear about the attempt Penni
To Bernmc,
The Trackstar cost me 933 quid, inc 24hr guardian and paid all the costs in one go so no annual fees!!
To DrD, recommend a system that has anti hijack facility, ie clifford g4 300/600 so even if they had the keys and started the car, they would only get 50 yards before it cut out and no way to start it!!
To Penni, definately get something like a barrier deadlock or a disclock, disclock is better because its visable, its the price you pay to have a nice car, in total i have 1800 quids worth of security on mine, then again i do live in manchester!!

Tony

BHORT

I always use a steering wheel lock, even when in the car park at work which has locked gates, 8 foot fences with razor wire and day/night vision CCTV. In addition I use a Bulldog wheel clamp when leaving the car in a less desirable place or it is in my garage but I'm away. My garage is connected to the house alarm and the garage door bolted shut and double padlocked from the inside.

All this and I still have to pay £600 insurance.

Brendan

robman

I think insurance normally says if the car is stolen with the keys then you are not covered. So much for discouraging vigilantes then...

I would recommend the Autolok2000 though. Got the top result in a recent survey and withstood more than 5 minutes attack with drills, saws, hammers etc. Only cost about 70 quid from Motorworld. Easy to fit, and stashes away behind the seat.

Black Cat

Thanks for the comments guys, and I do know how they got the door open, but don't think it's a good idea to put graphic detail on here... just in case.... but you'd be surprised.

rob oneill

My mate knows a bloke who drives a newish M3(I know,I know!)Other week he was followed into his local gym and some lads broke into his locker to get his keyes and nicked his car!
I always keep my keyes on me now, Girl friend thinks Im parranoid but I dissagree!!

Rum*

Re the insurance thingy I think that if the keys were forcibly taken from you or from your property then insurers would pay out.

However if you leave the keys in the car (DOH!) thats when cover would be void.

With regard to carjacking etc I was told of this little tale the other day - in Bradford the other week a doctor (scoob owner) had just finished his shift and was just getting into his car outside the Infirmary when 3 lads jumped him - set about him with a few tool, beat the lad black and blue and then drove off in his car, leaving him to be treated by his collegues.

The moral (if you can call it that) is to try not to park in the same places all the time...travel to and from work different ways/routes...check your surrounding when approaching your Scoob...lock the doors immediately you get in...and pray!!!

In reality, this is not really something that happens...tho its worth thinking about!

Be safe

Rum

EdwardH

Black Cat

Sorry to hear your news.

I use a Disklock and a Barrier Deadlock, the latter is very tidy and discreet( but has indiscreet stickers for deterrent.)

I always;
-deploy the physical devices
-look around me before getting in an out of the car
-lock the doors when I get in
-look to see if I am followed
-keep a look out for unfamiliar vehicles where I live (easy as it is a dead end!)

Whilst I felt a bit of a freak doing all this at first, now it is second nature.

There will always be risk, but the more you do the less that becomes.

Like someone else said, there will always be some scumbag who will have a go.

Ed

CharlieWhiskey

millband: and since when have the badlands of Bradford/Leeds been any different?

I have a Disklock as a purely visual deterent, work is reasonably safe and secure and I always keep an eye out for being followed or when getting into/out of my car.

Does make you worry though?

Chris

KenG

The other evening the key snapped off in my Disklock when I was parked in a shopping centre car park.

To cut the story short, I had to call out an emergency locksmith to get the Disklock removed. Two things bother me from this experience -

If you know what you are doing and have the right gear the Disklock can be removed in 20 minutes. Anyone can get the right tools.

Despite the car park being very busy, not one person came to ask why someone was obviously trying to remove the steering wheel lock.

A word of warning, if the lock on your Disklock is a bit stiff, through time unlocking could weaken the key, which is not that strong, and you could end up in the same boat as me. I had a spare with me but the broken part could not be removed from the lock.

Cost of removal at 9pm - £100

Ken

millband

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by Rum*:
<B>With regard to carjacking etc I was told of this little tale the other day - in Bradford the other week a doctor (scoob owner) had just finished his shift and was just getting into his car outside the Infirmary when 3 lads jumped him - set about him with a few tool, beat the lad black and blue and then drove off in his car, leaving him to be treated by his collegues.[/quote]

Bradford! I thought that only went on in London/Manchester! Bloody hell, this is getting scary, I may have to buy a VW Polo!

S