ways to prevent your car from being stolen?

[BMW_E30vert]

i spotted a car today which looked exactly like mine same color thought it was mine so i chased it down and the guy pulled up at a petrol station so i got chatting to him and told him i had one that looked almost identical, he started describing my car to me and where its usually parked and that it had a hardtop which is now removed i was quite shocked he then tells me there is someone around my area who has been watching my car for a while and have told him they would pick up my car if he needs any parts we were at a petrol station so i couldn't tw*t him as much i wanted to but i got some info that sets my beliefs firm on a local recovery man who has a garage in bushy London, the guy did apologize to me saying he didnt know it was my car but he just wouldn't tell me who it exactly was anyways i just wanted to make a thread were we can discuss ways to protect our pride and joys right now my car is squeezed in between my two other cars and the wheels are turned fully also ive removed one of the leads to prevent it from starting my brother who does recovery for a living says if the wheels are turned its almost impossible to pick up a car i didn't want to take any risks so went abit extra any other ideas?

[jb81]

By tuneing the wheels and leaveing it in gear makes it harder and noisyer to drag, a good alarm with antilift, the prick that stole you can will do it to the wroung person one day and he'll get what he deserves what go's around come's around

[Ajsingh]

If the car is not gonna move for a while... Just remkve the DME relay... No way of starting it then!

[clipper]

Unfortunately this kind of thing has and will always happen.

I had a motorbike which was involved in an accident parked in the street (the insurance companies wouldn't let me dispose of it while the case was open).

One day I got a knock at the door. It was a guy that had been to a local breakers a few streets away looking for parts for his bike and the owner of the yard told him that he knew of a bike nearby that he could get the parts from and if he went back the next week he would have the parts ready for him....

Luckily the guy got suspicious and drove round until he saw my bike and knocked on my door....

As far as the car goes, I remove the steering wheel when I go away for anything more than a few days, it's more visible than the DME but at the end of the day, if they want it they'll just come back with a wheel to bolt on, of they'll put it on a truck and drive off....

[driftmaster808]

i've resorted to hiring a garage at work, its behind electronic gates plus undercover, just not heated. so now I only take my car home at weekends. Plus ive got a few extra quid in my pocket from the petrol i've saved.

i've got a drive way with a gate so when I do take at weekends I think I may get a phat padlock, I know they can always cut through it but its just another way of slowing them down

[m8782538]

My E30 is boxed in overnight as 1 have 3 cars so if anyone does want to nick it, they have to move another car out the way first. Plus you can't really see it very well from the road either. Plus its only a 316i an nobody really want to nick it anyway lol.

[Sanchez]

BrianMoooore and his fuel pump wiring mod is a good we imobiliser.

[daimlerman]

BrianMoooore and his fuel pump wiring mod is a good we imobiliser.

It's reasonably easy to prevent the car being DRIVEN away,but a lot harder to prevent it being pulled onto a tow truck and taken.Afterall,if you saw a truck with the big flashing lights at work,would you question it?

When parked at home,it should be possible to keep a car secure,allocated parking place? Security post that can be locked.Got a garage?Clear the crap out and lock the car in it.Parked on the kerb?As written above,turn the front wheels into the kerb.

IMO,we are most at risk when away from home,parked in a carpark.

[Jhonno]

Anyone else get out of breathe reading that..?

[nickso]

Doesn't matter what you do, any E30 can be stolen with a spoon remember.

[m8782538]

discarnect (i think thats the right spelling) immobilisor seems a good idea, it connects to the battery and without the specific attatchment cuts the battery off, so you could not start it, stops it being driven, you can always buy yourself a clamp and use that when the car is parked for a few days.

[DHFiS]

Anyone else get out of breathe reading that..?

+1.

OP - here are some full stops (..................).
Feel free to help youself.

[Speedtouch]

You should have got the guys number plate, then if anything untoward occurs, you have something to go on...

[BMW_E30vert]

lol sorry guys i wasn't in school long, its just that ive heard of alot of e30's going missing in the london area. yesterday just got me scared, i live in a rough area and have had one of my cars gone missing literally 5mins out my sight and my e30 is by far my most loved car its just the way my car was described to me and the guy saying its being watched so be aware

[m8782538]

4 wheel clamps, steering wheel lock, handbrake lock, thatcham cat 1 alarm/ immobilsor and an RAC trackstar with subscription, plus and IR home CCTV Camera linked to your tv and solid state recorder pointed directly at your car.

Should do the job, a bit pricey mind but should give piece of mind.

Actually maybe a OTT.

[Rav335uk]

Custom made Post, the base is 4 foot in the ground, and it's heavy and in front of my car, no way is that moving.

[iceox]

you can do whatever you want to try and stop people stealing your car but if they want it that much they will just break into your house and take the bloody keys for it!

[m8782538]

That's true and unfortuanately becoming more and more common.

[pud1]

..just happened to relations of mine. Husband and wife, brand new jag and a mini on the drive at 10pm, got up next morning, cars gone, keys gone from the kitchen draw, no broken locks/ windows etc. They made the fatal error of leaving the sash open a little for ventilation. Those are on the continent or beyond by now. Its all done to order. 12 hours and they are in a container and away.
Its sad but you cant have anything worth nicking now...
sign of the times I suppose.

[polsta]

you can do whatever you want to try and stop people stealing your car but if they want it that much they will just break into your house and take the bloody keys for it!

keep them under your bed



how about that story on here the other month with the fella with the (cant remember what bmw it was?) something like...they stole the wheels, he then spent a few grand on new ones, they came abck and stole the whole car, he got it back due to tracker, then they came back and removed a window in his house, took the keys then took it again, and another car too wasnt it ?

unreal

[hongkongfuey]

park it over a drain , and chain it to the underneith of your car, they will have a bloody shock when they try and lift it

[meltonbmw]

you cant have or enjoy anything anymore without some jealous idiot ruining for you.

Hopefully the guy that told you will also tell the other guy that you now know and are expecting something to happen.

[TouringMatt]

Remember seeing something years ago about a fella who kept getting his car(s) stolen off his drive, in his frustration he brought every item of security lock you could get, chains round the suspension arms etc and had a feature in a paper about it, saying it was now unstealable.

Sure enough, the car got taken a few days later, they even left all the locks and chains neatly lined up on his drive. Basically, if they want it, they'll take it.

[bmwbmwbmw]

just dont get out from the car, ie eat, sleep, piss, shit, all in your car, and if your other half wants some quality time well that in the car too, so if anyone wants to nick your car they got to take you too, and you could shout from the window "DEAD OR ALIVE IM STAYING WITH MY CAR"

[groovylee]

i have got some really strange looking security(?) device on my cab. it is a second keyhole on the drivers door, with what looks like an indicator light on it. haven't investigated it yet, but i'll get some pics tomorrow to see if you guys know what it is.

[bmwbmwbmw]

i have got some really strange looking security(?) device on my cab. it is a second keyhole on the drivers door, with what looks like an indicator light on it. haven't investigated it yet, but i'll get some pics tomorrow to see if you guys know what it is.

its a dead lock

[penton08]

Alarmed, immobilized and blocked in by another car. If anyone wants to come in for the keys the dog will be pleased to see them.

[Jim320i]

Best thing at my old house was having the dogs on guard... If anyone came into sight they would bark like mad... Expensive alarm but works a treat and you can even play with them too which is good.

Fit an alarm and remove some engine parts every night... It will slow them down atleast, but like what has been said, if someone wants it, they'll get it...

[e301988325i]

http://www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk/ALARM_MINES.htm

[toby]

http://www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk/ALARM_MINES.htm

Liked this statement that, "we pay for the prison service (crime school as it is better known)" how true that is.

[BackPeddler]

Get a touring, put an ex-police german shepherd in the boot. Simples.

[Green]

Just had a quick look on ebay, there's a number of GPS tracking devices that could be used in car to locate it some that can be wired up to cut your car engine by SMS. Variant on price of course, majority are from China/HK so quality could vary but some being about £40-50 can you really go wrong for that?

In regards to having it prevented from being stolen in the first place is going to vary depending where it's parked.. obviously the more awkward to better... you might look like a bit pleb placing a clamp on your car after getting out of it down the high street but if you're going to leave it for a day or two in a station car park it's probs one of the best deterrents I'd have thought.


I had my Corsa stolen before christmas after the plod made me leave it at the side of the A5 for being unsafe due to a 1 inch rust patch and an unsecure battery which I would've been able to fix at the roadside. It was stolen in broad daylight on the back of a flatbed within 24 hours! Cops did F all and then slapped 3 points on my license for having a dangerous vehicle.. total bollocks that!
After that I'd never leave a car somewhere for a while without at least fully locking the wheels

[chewy320]

The thought of any of this makes me cold. You can always do the classic and get the flame throwers installed....

[mattrs]

Its sad, but a hard fact of life... The uk is the car crime capital of Europe! More and more sports seem to be going missing especially in London.

Most of the above measures will slow opportunist or little tda bandit joyriders down, but if a proper gang has your car on order it may only be a matter of time!

As for turning your wheels to the side that would only slow down certain trucks (namely beavertails), Any thing with a spec won't be remotely perturbed!

Boxing in won't stop them either, a fork lift can lift a car and have it up the road on a truck in seconds in near silence (compared to a diesel engine anyway).

All of the above can help and will hopefully make them go down the road for an easier one, but if they really want it they can get it!

Further more all the hard men who's answer is to run out with a bat or let the dog on them... I mean really?? Get run over or kicked half to death for a car


Thats what insurance is for

[gaszman]

at home i used to park my motorbike out side so droped in a secur post 5 ft concrete post with a steel temperd ring on the top and i have a chane from work temperd steel and chain the old girl . like to see any body get my motor