I Was Saved By The Club !!!

[donsrods]

I just found out that some lowlifes tried to steal the car that was parked right next to mine in the parking lot last night. His car is like mine, but it is a real POS, and mine is pretty clean. I bet they looked at mine first, but I always put the Club on the steering wheel when I park it, and I bet they figured they would take an easier path with the other car.

They smashed out his steering column, and generally messed things up, but for some reason couldn't get it started, or maybe got scared off. I think I am going to buy one of those dummy little flashing blue lights that look like you have an alarm installed. I really don't want to go through the hassles of installing an alarm, plus they go off from all the idiots who come through with their bass booming on their stereos. Dan has to reset his all the time when these clowns drive by........I can't be bothered with that nonsense.

But I feel pretty good about what the Club probably did for me.

Don

 

[35Mastr]

You were lucky that they didnt try to take yours.As far as the light goes.My nephew had one of those in his GMC.They still busted the quarter glass and took his laptop case.No computer in it but still had some paperwork from his parents.Long story short about a year later he gets a call from the police.they raided a house for drugs and found his bag still with the contents in it.

 

[gassersgarage]

My bug had a club, kill switch and I removed the rotor. They still got it.

Went to sleep at 12am, heard a noise at 1am, car was gone and never found. It's been 16 years.

A professional car thief once told me that to protect a car, you need an alarm that is isolated from the rest of the car with an independent battery source.

 

[donsrods]

Dan had a Cal Look bug that real pros broke into a bunch of years ago. He had the most sensitive alarm you could buy, and he installed it himself, and know how to do them. But they got past it. They cut the alarm wire, working through a 3/4 inch hole in the bottom of the spare tire well.

He also had electric doors with shaved door handles, so they removed a rear window and gained access that way. If a real pro wants your car, they will get it, like in the rotor situation you mentioned.

D*** thieves !!!


Don

 

[gassersgarage]

I don't think anythings gonna deter thieves until we will go back to the old west and hang'em high.........

 

[35Mastr]

Tracking systems are the only way you will find um before they can get yoo far from you and get cut up.

 

[donsrods]

Yeah, Lojac would be cool. I guess they never did find that '32 roadster that was stolen from the guys Condo garage in California, did they? What a shame.

Don

 

[Tripper]

The club!

But I feel pretty good about what the Club probably did for me.

Don,
This makes me reconsider the club. Thanks!

BoB

 

[gassersgarage]

A club will work on a car in an area where the thief can pick'n choose what he wants. But if he wants your car, it takes a second, using a small bolt cutter, to cut through the steering wheel. Lo-Jack only works when you find your car stolen. If it's stolen overnight, say 6 hours, you discover the theft in the morning, police take stolen report then finally enter it into the system as stolen, the Lo-Jack will then be activated. Meanwhile, the thief as got a 7 hour jump. Also, Lo-Jack beeps constantly, so a lot of officers turn it off.

If the thief is locale, you have a good chance of recovering the car. The thief knows about Lo-Jack and will park the car for 24 hrs to see if anyone recovers it.

There was a post on another site about a GPS locator. Originally designed for kids. It's the size of a key fob. Hide it in your car and you can located your car using a PC. Cost was $129 a year. Allows 6 times to locate on PC. Great thing is, if the thief parks in an underground parking lot, the fob switches to a cell site to locate a signal.

 

[donsrods]

The new Clubs have two prongs on each end, like a claw, so if you install them over the rim around two spokes, they would have to cut the wheel in four places to get it off.

Or, some 14 year old kid with a screwdriver could probably get it off in 2 seconds.

I bought a Granada one time for parts, and had no ignition key, so I figured if some of these kids can steal a car real fast, I should be able to do it too. An hour later I had that thing opened up like a bomb had gone off inside the column, and still couldn't get the ignition to release the wheel. Finally did get it, but it took almost every tool I own, and lots of time.


Don

 

[35Mastr]

A club will work on a car in an area where the thief can pick'n choose what he wants. But if he wants your car, it takes a second, using a small bolt cutter, to cut through the steering wheel. Lo-Jack only works when you find your car stolen. If it's stolen overnight, say 6 hours, you discover the theft in the morning, police take stolen report then finally enter it into the system as stolen, the Lo-Jack will then be activated. Meanwhile, the thief as got a 7 hour jump. Also, Lo-Jack beeps constantly, so a lot of officers turn it off.

If the thief is locale, you have a good chance of recovering the car. The thief knows about Lo-Jack and will park the car for 24 hrs to see if anyone recovers it.

There was a post on another site about a GPS locator. Originally designed for kids. It's the size of a key fob. Hide it in your car and you can located your car using a PC. Cost was $129 a year. Allows 6 times to locate on PC. Great thing is, if the thief parks in an underground parking lot, the fob switches to a cell site to locate a signal.

Most of the dont even use the cutters anymore.They use the 18 volt cordless sawzalls.

 

[35Mastr]

They have been stealin all the cat coverters off of every Toyota truck and 4 runner that they can find.Even in broad daylight.Cutting them off clean right before the flanges.I have seen so many of them rollin into my shops with open exhaust its not even funny.

 

[Tripper]

Gps

There was a post on another site about a GPS locator. Originally designed for kids. It's the size of a key fob. Hide it in your car and you can located your car using a PC. Cost was $129 a year. Allows 6 times to locate on PC. Great thing is, if the thief parks in an underground parking lot, the fob switches to a cell site to locate a signal.

Gasser,
Do u remember where that was? I'd like to ck that out!

BoB

 

[gassersgarage]

It's www.anytrack.com

 

[The Denarchist]

Tracking systems are the only way you will find um before they can get yoo far from you and get cut up.

No way am I EVER getting any system (including NAV) that the government can use to track me!

As for alarms. Most are set TOO sensitive and only annoy people. You want it so a good hard WHACK will set it off, like a tow truck backing into it. otherwise, it's just there to impress your friends.

The lights are cool, but most REAL thieves know the fakes and will just ignore it. If you're going to put an alarm in, make it look like it's more than a quick install. Use a back up battery too as all they need to do is cut power.

In my case I insstalled extra bright LEDs in my old Crown Vic in the front speaker griles and rear brake light houseing. (On top) and used multiple sirens. if you stood near it when it went off your ears felt like they were about to bleed!!! (I also had an over-ride switch to wake up cellphone users when driving......) I remember my lawyer who parked in our undergropund told me his partner "is scared to walk near your car, he walks to the other side as he goes by!!" HAHAHA.

Alarms, "Clubs" etc are merely deterrants. They are meant to SLOW THEM DOWN!! If they deem YOUR car too much trouble, they will go to the one next to it as Don has proven.

The Club is basically considered a mass marketting gimmick and a joke but it's better than nothing. it's key is NOT that it's that effective, (A can of refrigerant and a rap with a hammer will shatter the lock cylinder or they'll just remove the steering wheel) but that it's SEEN!

The more trouble the car looks like it's going to be, the more likely they will move on.

As for a "smash and grab", well. DON'T LEAVE STUFF TO BE SEEN!!

On the sensitivity issue, I remember my nephew had the alarm on his Honda set so senstive you could rap your fingers medium hard on the area ahead of the windshield and it would go off!! He walked out one morning to find his rims gone and his car on the ground in his driveway!! He told me he had stopped using the alarm because it was always falsing. I didn't say "I told you so" but he got the message.

I hear so many "alrms don't work" storys and 9 times out of 10 it was just a basic Corner Audio shop install.

You have to do it PROPERLY!! HIDE the components. Use factory looking looms, dirty it up. Hide the sirens under the battery, etc. Use proper glass break sensors, Use multiuple shock sensors so they can be set even LESS sensitive. If they're REALLY trying to steal your car, they WILL set it off. I could park the Crown on a Construction site and nothing would set it off.

It doesn't cost that much more to do a little more effort.

Ignition kills, etc are all good. The more you do, the longer it will take them and maybe you will get their with a baseball bat after all because they'll still be there. OR they will move on after getting frustrated.

One idea I always liked was years ago you could get a smoke module that would make the windows impossible to look through. Never harmed the interior and if hooked to a perimeter sensor would meake a thief go "WTF??"

Thieves are basically stupid and lazy. That's why they steal. If they had any brains they'd have a JOB!!