Hoodlems

Topic: Hoodlems (Read 6518 times) previous topic - next topic

Hoodlems

February 28, 2005, 12:32:35 AM

I was at a formal event tonight when one of my friends told me I was needed outside. ON my way there I didn't think a whole lot of it until I began to climb the stairs to the door. As I neared the top I saw police lights flashing. My first thought was "oh no, someone hit my baby" But my friend then told me someone had broken into some cars. "Mine?" I asked, he said yes. Greatfully when I got there it turned out not to be the case, but someone had definatley tried to get in. The rubber weatherstripping had been pushed down the window in several spots where someone had tried to pry. Interestingly enough, this was one of the few times I neglected to take off my stereo's face plate, so I was releived to find out my car was safe. As it turns out, 3 young teenagers had broken into two vehicles (smashed the windows) and had gotton one of the two car's faceplate. Immediately after they broken the second window, another one of my friends caught them. Unfortunatley wearing dress shoes and a suit, he couldn't catch them. Even though my car is safe and no permenant damage, I'm still a little on edge from the whole event. I'm curious why my car seems to be the only one they tried to pick their way into and I'm curious why my window wasn't broken. I'm assuming it is that I was parked under a light and lightening is proven to deter crime. Something probably spoked them and they went on to darker prey.

Re: Hoodlems

Reply #1 – February 28, 2005, 02:04:38 AM

hummm getting into the mind of a criminal?

what were the diffences in the three cars?
year, make, color,,

Re: Hoodlems

Reply #2 – February 28, 2005, 03:08:25 AM

Not to hijack your thread or anything but when I was going to school in Long Beach, campus police (actual LBC cops) caught a suspected murderer breaking into my '88 t-bird. All he did to get in was pop the lock out with a screwdriver and then somehow got the door opened and disconnected my alarm's wiring harness. Damaged my door but didnt touch the glass. I really understand that feeling when someone has jacked with your car. Pretty py. I keep wanting to "break-into" a junkyard t-bird/cougar to see how hard or how easy it is.

Re: Hoodlems

Reply #3 – February 28, 2005, 09:21:33 AM

It's insanely easy to break into these cars. I know lots of ways....not going to repeat them here in case we've got some idiots lurking. Needless to say, though, you should just be smart and protect yourself. Take your faceplate with you, always....get in the habit. It's a pain in the ass, sure, but at the very least a missing faceplate will give the appearance that there's no radio in the car, therefore nothing worth breaking in for. Hide all your valuables in the trunk. Don't leave your CD's or tapes out in the open. Basically make your car look like an old person owns it. If you can swing an alarm system, do it, but have the installer get creative with the location of the head unit, sensors, etc.

At least y'all have coupes. I can break into the convertible six different ways...

Re: Hoodlems

Reply #4 – February 28, 2005, 09:55:22 AM

MN12's are really easy to get into as well. I locked my keys in my 1990 XR7 once. I didn't have any spare keys and I didn't what to call a locksmith either. It only took me about 3 minutes to get in without the keys.

Re: Hoodlems

Reply #5 – February 28, 2005, 11:10:04 AM

The other two cars were:
A red early 90s Escort
A brown early 90s LeBaron (parked in a very dark spot)
Both cars were stock other than stereo systems.

I beleive the LeBaron was the car that lost his faceplate.
I would say >90% of the time I take my faceplate with me, but last night was not one of those times.

The only other thing visable in the car was a completed 1/4"=1'00" Architecture model I was bringing home. Maybe my design was so great they wanted to steal that :D

Re: Hoodlems

Reply #6 – February 28, 2005, 05:18:38 PM

I dont lock the door to my cougar. Stock radio and only one speaker works. Locked my keys in one, and it took me about 15 seconds to break in the first time. With a jimmy, less the 5 seconds.

Re: Hoodlems

Reply #7 – February 28, 2005, 06:39:30 PM

hmm... i should start locking my cougar.

Never really did..... but for a early graduation gift I'm getting a full alarm system w/ pager and stuff. can't wait!!!

Re: Hoodlems

Reply #8 – February 28, 2005, 07:47:40 PM

It's time to chain dogs to all four wheels. Let the s try it again.

Chris

Re: Hoodlems

Reply #9 – March 02, 2005, 07:49:50 AM

SSX - Although it sucks that someone tried to violate your car, just remember that it's more than likely just a random act and that you weren't specifically targeted. There are two things you can get out of this experience. One, let hate and fear build up so much that it consumes you or two, learn from it and make your car more secure. Eric's suggestion of having the installer hide everything they can is exactly right. The boys at Stereo West in Omaha do a great job with alarm installs....give them a call. Finally, go Cyclones! :-)

Re: Hoodlems

Reply #10 – March 02, 2005, 12:49:48 PM

I'm not shaken up about it, it's just one of those things I never expected to happen to me. I think there are much more valuable cars to break into, so I don't think I'll be getting an alarm. I just need to remember to remove my faceplate. If they want more than that, then so be it. I do think I will install the sneaky blinking LED to fake an alarm though :) One last thing. Go Huskers :D

Re: Hoodlems

Reply #11 – March 02, 2005, 06:54:04 PM

We'll have to agree to disagree on who the better collegiate team is, although everyone knows its the 'Clones. Anyway, I put a blinking light in my cougar for a temporary "alarm" years ago. I drilled a small hole in one of the blanks to the right of the headlight controls. Before you go drilling in yours, I'm going to replace mine shortly and you can have the old one if you like. Let me know.

Re: Hoodlems

Reply #12 – March 03, 2005, 01:15:44 AM

sorry to hear about that.

i loathe bandits. lol. tis the reason i never lock my car. i'd rather have stolen property than broken glass AND stolen property. i hate it when they screw your locks and sheetmetal up too! i will gladly leave everything unlocked so crackhead won't get desperate and screw up my car. ugh!

by the by, every car i've locked my doors with has been broken into. kinda sucks that way. >.<**

Re: Hoodlems

Reply #13 – March 16, 2005, 12:19:54 AM

The very first thing I did was get an alarm when I bought my car back in 1992. I went to a lot of shops, and I went with the shop that claimed to have the best install. They were adamant that their install was designed to best prevent theft of the car (the school I was going to was in a wealthy area and they did a lot of expensive cars -- I never saw so many Jags and Mercedes'). The lessons I learned:

1. All connections should be soldered for the best durability.

2. The alarm head unit should be somewhere that's extremely hard to get to. Mine is hidden somewhere behind the instrument panel, so high up that I've never even seen more than a corner of it. They must have pulled the entire dash out or something to get it up in there, or their installer is plasticman...

3. If your alarm has a valet switch (mine does, and I assume it's a pretty standard feature), disconnect it, leave it where it is as a decoy, and put in the real one that's well hidden. It should be somewhere where you have to actually remove something to get to it (I'm not saying where mine is :) )

4. Have at least *three* remotes, and make sure you know how to disable the alarm in a pinch. I was once on a weekend vacation in Williamsburg, and on the final day my remote died (not a dead battery -- it really died). Once that starter cutoff trips you really want to be able to get your car to start...

5. You're going to live with your alarm a long time. Get a name brand that will be around in 20 years. Remotes don't last forever, and getting parts for our cars is enough work. Also, make a photocopy of your alarm manual. I didn't do that and I'm *so* thankful that old Alpine manuals can still be found, though it took a while.

6. Like someone here said: don't leave *anything* visible in the car. When I was in undergrad I spent time talking to one of the security guys (I used to drive in really early -- the cafeteria always served the best breakfasts then, when the dorm students were still asleep and only the security people were around) and he told me story after story about how cars were getting broken into just for the loose change in the armrest. Unbrella and ice ser -- that's it. That's all that should be visible (at the time I had a lemon-yellow '72 Torino sedan so I wasn't too worried). For my 'Bird I bought a set of matching rear floor mats (red) at Pep Boys and whenever I have to make stops I put anything I bought under a mat (bonus trick: get a bookbag that's the same color as the mat, and get one of those foldable windshield sun visors to put on top of the mat (same color if possible) -- the less they can see the better, and when everything is the same color it's hard to make shapes out).

7. Don't drive through residential areas with your stereo booming. It ticks off middle-aged codgers like me :), and it broadcasts to every punk in the area that you've got something good. I have a 10' sub, 2 amps, MB Quart all around, yada, yada, yada, but I don't broadcast it. On I-95 I'm anonymous but not in neighborhoods or up in the city. Stealth is your friend. If you have a T-Bird or Cougar, it should be second nature. Mustang kids we ain't :)

8. Visible alarm LED, and the loudest, most obnoxious alarm you can get your hands on. It must honk the horn. Horns clash with alarm sirens like few other sounds, and it will better get people's attention (though back in the day when I bought mine, alarms were new enough that people still paid attention -- I don't know about today).

9. As the guy at the shop told me, "You don't have a 'Vette, you have a T-Bird. You're looking to stop the crackhead, or the kid that wants a quick car." The point is that we're not stopping professionals here. Our alarms and procedures have to be as much about deterrence as about physically preventing theft.

10. And the other quote from the guy at the shop: "An alarm will prevent someone from taking the car, not from taking the car radio." So deterrence, deterrence, deterrence. Don't let people know you have something good in there, and make it look like it will be a PITA to take the car. There ain't much you can do otherwise except let it just become second nature.

Re: Hoodlems

Reply #14 – March 16, 2005, 07:17:22 AM

Great suggestions Quitleaf! I had never thought about a fake valet switch....that's a great idea. I just added this to my alarm system this weekend.

http://www.trunkmonkey.com/content/view/29/51/