ArcticCzar

It seems that everyone here, myself included, 'hides' their things in the same places - under the seat or in the glovebox. I hope no crooks read this thread! One of us should create an invisible storage container that's less conspicuous.

triscadek

I didn't say I got caught, I just had an overprotective relapse in common semse (maybe) and only told our private security about it.
This was right after 9/11/01 so everybody was way too jumpy for a warning shot so I just brandished. Real smart in hindsight <img src="graemlins/c.gif" border="0" alt="[ouch]" />

In Oklahoma we don't need a permit to own or buy, but concealed carry is a shall issue permit with classes and a background check.

Jeff928S4

Hiding stuff is the best way to go.....but don't fall pray to the "I'll just put my money in my shoe at the beach" or the "I'll cover this TV with a sweater" thing. Crooks will break in sometimes even if they think something looks like something. My Sidekick was broken into because the thiefs thought my seat release wire (which was loose and hanging under the seat) was an amp wire or something. I could tell that was what they were after cause the seat cable was all pulled out like they were trying to quickly grab and run. Another time the window was smashed out of the Sidekick for a lighter - which I hate cause you can very easily unzip the entire back window out. Stooooopid crooks!! That rag-top Sidekick has been broken into 7 times (5 times for the stereo - once they stole the stereo without the face plate....sad!). I have even gone as far as having my gas tank removed so I could bolt my subwoofer box to the frame of the car from underneath and then I put 150 wood screws around the entire box to deter them from taking the box apart - still got it open and pulled out those glorious 18 inch Pioneers. Crack makes people work hard I guess!!!

Here is my new trick......I leave this old power bill from a long while back (when I lived with roomates) that is for $2500 (amount is highlighted so crooks can see it - address part ripped off the bill) on my floor or front seat. I figure they see this bill and think - "This poor bastard can't even pay his bills - there isn't anything valuable in here". Just a way out theory, but the Porsche has never been broken into.

I also have one of those cheesy "This Car Is Under Interior Video Surveillance" stickers. This may be why it hasn't been broken into - I think it confuses people. I will say, I have seen people make "funny faces" at my car like they are on camera sometimes as I approach it in a parking lot.....idiots.

944S Boyeee

Mark Parker

I always take the detector off the glass and at least drop it down on the passenger floor mat. Just too many weasles out there lookin for a quick $20 for some crack.

ClassJ

I put everything away when I go to class. I take the face off of my alpine. If I have time I put it in its case. That goes in the console. I eject the three disk cartrige out of the stereo as well and put that out of sight. I keep all of my books and bags in the trunk out of sight. I take my little cup of spare change and hide that. I put the steering wheel lock on. Get out. Take a look around. Lock the car and check both doors etc etc.

Tabor

It IS worth it. I do the same thing, only I keep my face plate and radar detector (Escort 8500 here) in a purse. That is right, a man purse.

I also only keep copies of CD's in my car. This is all because my car has been broken into before.

CPTdooberhead

This one time my fresh year living in the dorm I was walking back to my dorm from doing laundry at 3AM, when I seethese 2 guys looking at my car in teh parking lot... Not a big deal. I see they locked their new Explorer which was parked a few cars from me, cuz the lights flashed as they did. So I stand there about 100 feet away watching them, when I get a little nervouse because they are a little too close (leaning against it). All the suden one of them kick the back of my car, and stunned, I drop my freshly washed comferter and start briskly walking twd them. They walked RIGHT past me, and I even made eye contact wiht them. When I looked at my car, I saw they bent my had folded my license plate (taht says SWEEEEET) into halves (thats what they were kicking). So I bolt after them when I see them dissapear around the corner, where I didnt see them again, as they had gone into an unknown dorm. I was pissed - went to campus security (morons), where I filed a report... told them the drivers of this Explorer were teh ones, etc. Upon closer insepction of my car with the pigs, I saw that they had jammed my locks, as I couldnt get in my car, and it was LOCKED. The rent-a-pigs noted this. I got up early the next morning and saw that someone had UNJAMMED my locks, and my car as now unlocked...?!? My alarm had apparently gone off (unnoticed), because it beeped three times instead of two when I pressed the alarm button (apparently the alarm DOESNT go off when someone kicks the bumper though) So I put a nice little note on teh windshield of the Explorer explaining that they needed to call me before I pressed charges. They called and denied EVERYTHING. Saying they didnt even tocuh my car.... I watched them do it. Retards. Im tired of typing, noone reads posts that are this long anyway <img src="graemlins/cussing.gif" border="0" alt="[grrrrrrr]" />

930 under Restoration

With a Porsche, this is what I refer to as A.P.E all part of the experience. If the car is broken into, they probably think you have valuables in the car or if it is vandalized they are just jealous of what you have. Personally, I always take the faceplate with me and never have any valuables showing in the car. As far as cd’s, I no longer use cd’s since I built a Bookpc and put it under the seat that I have my entire cd collection on .

I have always wanted to hook up the body of the car to 110 volts to really stop thieves while at home but my dad and my lawyer advised against it. I would love to go out to the car in the morning and see a would be thief on the ground next to my car so I could kick the hell out of him. Hehehehe

Dave

AndyK

I always dreamed of a tear-gas alarm...they get in, the doors lock, and the gas comes out through the vents, making their day a living hell! Digital mini-cam snaps their photos as they run from the car, screaming!

Of course, you forget to diss-arm it, and the girlfriend goes to cry-land...

Enzo's Nightmare

I am extremely paranoid about the stuff in my car. I go to school at Saint Louis University in an area with a lot of crime and I would not even dare to leave anything of value in sight. I have a hard enough problem leaving stuff in the car when it goes to the shop.

rihaa

I got a blaupunkt MP3 player that has a removable keycard that slides into the back of the faceplate. It is credit card sized and as such goes in my wallet with me whenever the car is left unattended for more than about 45 in daylight or 15 minutes at night. I always try and park in well lit areas at night and I try to remove everything besides the occasional set of clothes from sight. No problems with it yet, but I am still constantly paranoid. Its probably a good thing that my car is getting left at home when I am at school this year as I won't have to be worrying about it constantly and it will be garaged.

Ahmet

I've had one porsche or another for around 5 years now through most of highschool and now college. Weather permitting I have always left the roof off and the windows down, everywhere I go including the bad parts of town, clubs, whatever. Never had a p-car broken into or anything stolen from. My last car had a cd changer mounted out of sight with a sony casette deck in the dash. Now I have an mp3 player, I try to take off the faceplate when I can. Anyway, I suppose if you leave the car open it seems less likely that you'd be gone long? On the other hand I've had my prelude broken into at school, and ditto for my jetta...
Ahmet

Brian Wilson

[quote]Originally posted by Tabor Kelly:
<strong>It IS worth it. I do the same thing, only I keep my face plate and radar detector (Escort 8500 here) in a purse. That is right, a man purse.</strong><hr></blockquote>

That is too funny. I guess you gotta do what you gotta do.


My car was broken into twice the first 6 months that I owned it. The people are really nice when they break into your car over here though. They slim jimmed my door, and carefully took out the radio and everything else in the car (jacket, tools..). Fortunatly, the second time there was absolutely nothing in my car. But my mats were moved and my seats. I figure that there is nothing that you can really do, if someone wants in then they will get in, but at least I lock up my faceplate now. No break-ins since I started being more careful!

Bryan Welch

Mp Kenwood's faceplate flips over to look like a blank plate, and when I removed the EQ I left the empty slot below the Kenwood. It looks like my stereo has already been stolen. The Valentine goes into the glovebox and everything else is kept out of site.

Sean

This is one upside of tinted windows. It's more difficult for thugs to see what you have inside your car.

As for the Valentine 1, I would hide it IF I was parking in a nonsecure area. V1's and radar detectors in general are thief magnets.

I'm not that worried about the stereo, etc.

Again, tinted windows may at least thwart the curiosity of passerby.