Car Theft

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chrisfell
Posts: 1519
Joined: Tue Oct 06, 2009 9:52 am
Location: Salisbury
St Lucia

#1 Car Theft

Post by chrisfell » Thu Oct 20, 2016 9:20 am

I'm starting a new topic as I dont wont to pollute the current thread (which began with a genuine, if possibly naive request for informtation on how to obtain a car's history). This is about real thefts, and the consequences, and what we all may learn from these experiences.

Me first. Twenty years ago, in the days before E-Types, my car, which I had owned for nine years and was in my opinion in better condition than when I bought it, was taken from a public carpark while I was at work. The car was alarmed, and a gearlever lock was in place. The thieves broke into the car setting off the alarm. They opened the bonnet to disable the alarm. Then they drove away, returning with tools to remove the gearlever lock. All they while their presence was noted, descriptions taken down. Eventually one of them drove off in my car.

Several months later, a young lad was stopped by the police for a driving offence and was found to be driving a car with the engine from my car in it. He matched the description of one of the thieves who took the car in the first place. And, it turned out, he had only recently been released from jail, having served a term in prison for car theft.

A small minority of you know what I am going to say next, the rest of you will not believe it. The police pressed NO charges. I had already settled with the insurers (who were more concerned that I might have made a false claim), so they considered the matter too minor to take any further.

Lessons? 1. Dont rely on the authorities. Car crime is small beer to them. 2. Take better measures to secure the car. My experience suggests an immobiliser is a must, isolating fuel pump or ignition or starter soledoid with a hidden or non-obvious switch. It wont stop a thief with a transporter, but it will help to prevent a casual drive away thief making off with your pride and joy.
Chris '67 S1 2+2

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