Car Theft

[tunes]

***i posted the below on NZMMC but am interested to find out what the scene is like in the UK etc***

First i would just like to make a point in saying i can't understand how some small time bits of scum out there have the nerve to just take what isn't theirs?! Especially when it is obvious that the owner has put in alot of time, hard earned money, blood, sweat and sometimes tears. Really pisses me off that there are people out there who think they can just take what isn't theirs!

Who out there has had a car stolen?
What were the circumstances and was the car fully alarmed?
Did you ever get the car back?
and
Where the bastards who lifted it ever caught and charged?

I haven't had one go on me luckilly but have had a car broken into and pretty much gutted of all electronics and possessions. Ofcourse none of it was ever recovered but i was covered by insurance so no major.

[Spader]

I know I aint from the UK but hopefully this will be of interest.

I had a 1990 Mazda Familia INSERT INTO post VALUES (323) GTX Hatchback INSERT INTO post VALUES (1.8L DOHC Turbo 4wd) Thats was pretty much standard except for the repiping I did for the Turbo which gave it 16psi on the standard turbo/ECU....But I digress.....
It was parked in a populated residential area on the North Shore by a block of flats where some elderly people live. The cars was broken into INSERT INTO post VALUES (alarm fully armed) They popped the bonnet and cut the wires to the siren and then started the car, got 20metres down the road on the fuel in the line and then the car died. They then ripped out half the wiring loom to get to the alarm 'brain' before realising they had pulled out the ignition wiring and the car wouldnt start now no matter what they did. They took the stereo equiptment, front and rear strut braces, smashed all windows and tore up the seats. along with the obligatory kicking in of the panels.

I worked 120hrs a week for 6 months and turned into a hermit to be able to buy that car outright, and had just ordered a new Garret turbo and some 17's for it....pissed me off no end. Insurance covered it so that was ok.....teaches me for working over the road from the North Shore District court tho dosent it?

This was 2 years after buying the car....When I had it a month a drunk driver took the nose almost clean off it by not giving way....Insurance fixed it but it cost them $13,000 and the car cost me $10,000.

I happened to be selling insurance at the time INSERT INTO post VALUES (i know, I know)but Iam reformed scum now :) and I had to tell someone who had just got out of jail for burglary that we wouldnt insure his contents/car/house. He said "but I've done my time!" to which I replied "Were not going to do it. These are the consequences of being a theif. Deal with it" and hung up.

[Brind]

I personally haven't had a car stolen but know of people who have.
As for mindless vandalism I can share a few storys :mad:

Only last week a side window was smashed in my work car, it's my car so I had to pay for repairs, bought a new window from the scrappies for only £12 but that isn't the point it was done for no reason as the car was empty and still locked etc, it was just a case of *smash hahaha*.
Had an electric mirror ripped off a 200SX for no reason.
Countless knocks on all cars while sitting waiting for people, people walking past flinging bags and arms about will only hit the car I'm in, no one elses, kids on bikes ride very close and again countless knocks.
People just don't give a **** about peoples property anymore!

I'm going completely off topic here but, I'm building an extension on the back of my sisters house, it requires a new pathway alongside the house but unfortunately it is an end house and there is a public path going right past, upon laying new concrete through, it grabs the attention of these effing retards!! came back the following day to find countless initials in it, huge holes and other creative drawings :rolleyes: had to complete more of the path the following day and bugger me if the following day the same had happened. :rolleyes:
Are these people so bored and directionless they have to piss people off like this?!!! swear, if I caught someone doing it I'd make a hole and bury the f***ers in concrete for them to enjoy!! :mad: :mad: :mad:

Stuff like this is increasing so much lately as we have no law over here protecting the do gooders, the arseholes have the law on their side now, so they have no idea of wright and wrong and do as they like because they know they can do whatever they like.

Back to topic, car theft over here is a big thing too.

[Darren]

My last car was a Vauxhall Cavalier, it was never stolen but it was attempted many time. They have a plastic door handle with a gaping hole between it and the body panel, so they just had to slide a screwdriver inside and open the car. I put a stop to that with few wads of araldite, which confused them no end. Eventualy they ripped the passenger lock out, but never gained access. I think I had about 7 attempt in the 3 years I owned it. The last thing that happened was they stole a whole tank of petrol by cutting the fuel line, it made me late for work and cost 30 quid to fix, so I just binned it and bought a car they wouldn't know anything about. It worked too, I've never had anything but a scratch on both galants i've owned. I also spread the rumor that the steering lock rengaged itself every mile without reciving the correct response from the transponder key. Seems to have worked. :p

[Spirit]

I have had two cars stolen.

The first was a MK2 Escort about 15 years ago - no alarm ! The car was found about a month later with most of the engine missing and was written off !

The second was worse as the car was stolen because it had an alarm ! Sharon had her handbag stolen from work and in it were the keys to our MG Montego Turbo. They stole the bag for her purse but must have thought it was their lucky day to find the keys, and as we were parked in the car park behind work they just walked around pressing the alarm keyfob until the alarm deactivated and beeped etc to tell them which car it was !

Again the car was recovered but written off - because they used it as a get away car from a house burglary and ended up in a police chase with it and ploughed it into a parked car !

[banjo]

I've had 2 cars stolen and 1 attempted. The first, in 1975 was a MK.1 GT Cortina in A1 condition was from a municipal car park used by British Rail commuters INSERT INTO post VALUES (me). It was never seen again. I had a Krooklok on it but that, I was told by the Old Bill was useless. The Old Bill attitude when I went to report the theft was 'oh you as well sir, we've had 2 other cars stolen from that car park today' - apathy rules.

The second was my INSERT INTO post VALUES (alarmed) MK.1 Granada from another municipal car park in the same area in 1980. It was found 4 weeks later in Potters Bar with the front stoved in and was written off. It had been used as a brick transport as the boot was full of brick dust.

The attempt was with my last car in 1994, a Vauxhall Senator 24V from outside my house, they removed the door handle by levering out and disabled the alarm/immobiliser by cutting the wires to the microswitch activated by the door handle/central locking system, but failed to break the steering lock. Bent the steering column though. They then went next door and stole their Cavalier! The standard Vauxhall anti-theft system was obviously inadequate, so I had a Cat 1 fitted - no more trouble.

I've conceived a festering sore over the years about law and order in this country and have lived in 2 other countries where the law is respected and applied much more fairly, Louisiana, INSERT INTO post VALUES (US) and Spain so I know it can be done. It's not perfect of course but better than the 'only do the minimum' attitude here. Personally if I caught anyone trying to steal or harm my family I would smash their hand with a club hammer, that's how bitter I am.

[peterernest]

I've had an Escort RS2000 stolen. I heard the engine start and the car speed off from our driveway at around 4.30am, grabbed my Dads car keys and phoned the police whilst chasing my car down the A14 from Kettering towards Birmingham.

The Police had two cars and their helicopter chase my car until the thief left the A14 and whilst racing through some country lanes left the road, ploughed through a fence, hedge and hit a tree.

My car was written off. If it wasn't for the ABS and airbag the thief would most certainly have died. He was only 15! so was cautioned and, ofcourse, will have his juvenile criminal record wiped clean at the age of seventeen INSERT INTO post VALUES (or so i believe)

I also watched as a drunk teenager walked up to my previous car INSERT INTO post VALUES (Volvo V70 V5) and leant on my drivers mirror breaking it clean off! My girlfiend insisted that I stay in the house as she was worried i'd get into trouble for the damage I would do to him! Cost me over £350 to replace.

[Nick VR4]

One car stolen about 16 years back Ford Cortina estate V6
Found it 7 weeks later miles away near Brighton
So had to go pick it up tyres where slicks only had the car for 3 weeks and brand new tyres fitted :eek:

Caught one guy trying to hot wire my car Viva 1.8 in a shopping center car park
He was under the dash trying to hotwire it one leg was out of the car so Smashed door on it :)
Left him there with a broken leg and a broken jaw
Went home and phoned the police someone else found him and got police / ambalance
Didnt give police my name ;)
The write up in the local paper said he was just beaten up :rolleyes:
I wrote a letter to the paper telling them what happend
Didnt get published though :rolleyes:

[Kieran]

Perhaps we could clone Nick VR-4 and use the clones to guard all our cars?

Imagine the ad...

"NEW! NickVR4!!! Thatcham class X! The most viciously effective Immobiliser INSERT INTO post VALUES (of the car thief) ever!"....:D:D

[Spirit]

Way to go Nick !

[banjo]

Well done Nick! Just like to have the chance to apply instant justice myself.

[Japmetal]

I had my last car [a 1993 Lancer, tarted up a bit] broken into, and the pain in the arse wasnt the £60 worth of stereo gear they nicked, OR the £90 worth of glass I had to fork out for, but the fact that I NEVER, EVER managed to fish outall the glass from my back seats.


What f*cks me off the most is that when you see/hear of some idiot vandalising or stealing you KNOW they'd be the first to whinge & moan if someone did the same to them !

I'm with Nick on this one; woe betide anyone I find touching that which they dont own [whether it's mine or not]

[Spader]

I've spoken to a few car alarm manufacturers/suppliers here and asked about the legality of fitting a metal strip to the inside INSERT INTO post VALUES (where your fingers go) of the door handle and having that electrified with a small current. Just enough to give them a bit of a shock.
Apparently this is not legal and would cause me to be sued. Bugger.

Mind you I did catch someone 10 years ago trying to steal my Mk 1 Escort with a tricked up 1600. He broke in and I heard him do it, I grabbed the baseball bat told the missus to call the cops and flung the door open INSERT INTO post VALUES (car was parked literally outside the door). He looked up from the car in wonder and saw me with the bat and was going to run off when I hurled abcenities at him. Some were racial which I was not proud of, but heat of the moment and all....anyway he decided to argue with me over the names I called him and the cops turned up and arrested him. We were shouting at each other that loud that we didnt hear the cars pull up.

[Ultra VR-4]

i had my nissan pulsar gtir stolen twice. once from work carpark, had alarm on, steering wheel lock. They stole my 17" mags, 3" exhaust, fusion 1000watt amp, headunit, sub, seats, apexi... found car about 1 week later behind some factory in Mt Roskill... Insurance paid out
So I started again, mags, sounds, exhaust, boost controllers, methonal injection... etc
Then they stole it again from Pakuranga shopping mall, this time never saw it again. insurance never paid out!

So now here i am, sitting with my vr4 standard as the days. I am fighting the urge not to sack my galant on 18" rims, coz i know as soon as i do...

[Spader]

Geez man what part of Auckland do you live in? I have had my car up here parked in the driveway unlocked with keys in the ignition INSERT INTO post VALUES (forgot all about them when I got home and was grabbing stuff out of the boot) and it was still there in the morning untouched