Wheel Locks or Not?
11-03-2009, 06:10 PM
#16
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In my associations I've happened to met a few thiefs. Most are younger, looking for something for nothing, and ain't none too swooft in the smarts department. Every one of them I've known ended up in jail.
Contrary to "Gone in 60 seconds" thiefs are much more opportunistic and don't really "plan a heist". They take what is easy to get and worry about worth later. 928's look exotic so they get a glance, if the wheels look easy, they are gone. Thiefs are not "plugged in" to the 928 scene and have no idea whether the wheels are worth anything or not until they try to unload them. And with ebay anything is more than what they paid.
Thiefs are far more inclined to just take the whole car and then the easiest to nab gets their attention. There was a Rennlist user on the 944 Turbo board that was running a very lucrative parts business by parting out stolen cars. He got nabbed driving around in a stolen Ferrari Cup Series Car, series graphics on the car an all. They found a huge chop shop in his home garage including a high profile 944 Turbo car stolen from a Rennlist members garage.
My stock wheel locks are on. In fact, I've gone in and filed the buggered edges off the hex part of the actual lugg and they now work smooth as silk and go on and off very easily with my key.
Contrary to "Gone in 60 seconds" thiefs are much more opportunistic and don't really "plan a heist". They take what is easy to get and worry about worth later. 928's look exotic so they get a glance, if the wheels look easy, they are gone. Thiefs are not "plugged in" to the 928 scene and have no idea whether the wheels are worth anything or not until they try to unload them. And with ebay anything is more than what they paid.
Thiefs are far more inclined to just take the whole car and then the easiest to nab gets their attention. There was a Rennlist user on the 944 Turbo board that was running a very lucrative parts business by parting out stolen cars. He got nabbed driving around in a stolen Ferrari Cup Series Car, series graphics on the car an all. They found a huge chop shop in his home garage including a high profile 944 Turbo car stolen from a Rennlist members garage.
My stock wheel locks are on. In fact, I've gone in and filed the buggered edges off the hex part of the actual lugg and they now work smooth as silk and go on and off very easily with my key.
11-04-2009, 12:23 AM
#18
Electron Wrangler
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I still need to change out the gouged up stud for that wheel
I will never run with these (or any other) locks again...
RKD - Don't let any monkeys torque your lug nuts - this was done by a very expensive body shop who refinished that wheel ~ 6months before (who deny all responsibility of course). The only other people who ever touched those wheels were me and a my specially chosen wheel shop that only ever uses a torque wrench on any car... ($$)
You just never know... not worth it to me.
Alan
11-04-2009, 02:30 AM
#20
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11-04-2009, 02:33 AM
#21
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No wheel locks on two. Wheel locks on the GTS.
11-04-2009, 08:49 AM
#24
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I keep a set in the car after that incident
11-04-2009, 09:48 AM
#25
In total agreement with the consensus. I have refinished dish wheels and have no desire to risk chipping the inside of any of the wheel cavities while remove a lock. The wheels are only of value to me and the locks were superfluous about 18 years ago.
11-04-2009, 05:22 PM
#30
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That reminds me. Years ago I had a really nice 914. It had an Alpine stereo that all the thiefs were after in those days. Lots of people were putting all kinds of alarms and other deterents on their cars to keep the thiefs from stealing their car radios. The radio installation was the kind where the radio had a hole, and left and right ***** each had a hole in a chunk of dash a little bigger than the radio. My security installation was to take the dash piece out and let the radio and it's wiring hang in the hole. Worked great and I could have only made it easier to steal if I put it in a box and labelled it, BUT it looked broken. Drove the car for a couple of years like that and left it parked just about anywhere with the targa top off and never lost my radio.