Before I took my current job, I used to work for a towing and recovery company
here in the Capitol of Connecticut, Hartford. This company specialized in
trespass and repossession towing. We also did a lot of towing for the
Hartford & State Police Departments.
Having personally recovered stolen cars for over 10 years, I've learned which
cars are the most targeted by thieves.
GM's, you might as well leave a $20 on the dash for gas because it's the
easiest to swipe. Especially GM's with tilt wheel. I was taught how to start
one by a 12 year old kid. All you need is a screw driver. Break the steering
column on the side opposite the ignition cylinder by prying the housing.
There is a small metal piece that's shaped like a half moon, pry that off and
hook the slide underneath. When you pull the slide back the car will start.
The steering column is most often made of plastic or white steel (very
brittle) so it offers no resistance. Someone who has done it a couple of
times could do it in under 10 seconds. GM has known about the problem for
years and has done nothing to correct it. Then again, when your looking at a
couple of hundred dollars in dealer parts to repair a steering column, why
would they.
Fords were only slightly more difficult but could be started in a similar
manner. Ford trucks also have a weak ignition cylinder. In many cases you
can force it to turn with a heavy screwdriver. I have even seen cases where
they cylinder would wear out on it's own. Recently a friend lent me his Ford
when my Dakota was in the shop. When I asked him for the key he said the
ignition was broken and I can turn it by hand. This is more common than you
might think.
To start Chryslers, pop the ignition cylinder out and use a screwdriver to
start the car. A good auto-body slide dent puller will pop it . The thing
I've noticed about Chryslers is many times, the thieves would place the
cylinder back in the hole to disguise the popped ignition. This way they
could park the car in a parking lot and leave it for a while without arousing
any suspicion of people walking by.
Toyota's would most often be done with the old fashion hot wired method. The
one thing I can say good about Toyotas is they are the hardest cars to open
with lockout tools. Toyota leads the industry with anti non-key entry. The
new Camery is almost impossible to open with door tools. Although most
thieves will just break a window.
Point is no matter what you do, if someone wanted to take your wheels, you
can't stop them. I can't tell you how many times I've heard, "How did you get
my car, the alarm was on", from people who's car I towed for being illegally
parked. Or better yet, that ridiculous "CLUB". That just held the front
wheels straight when I towed them from the rear. A thief can hack saw through
the steering wheel within 10 to 15 seconds and slide the club off while
twisting the wheel. I can't tell you how many cars I've recovered where the
club was sitting in the back seat.
The only thing I can suggest is installing a decent alarm system and using
some common sense as to where you park and what you leave out in the open
inside a car. Lock your valuables up.
Walter_Felix@MSN.COM
http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Downs/9219
-----Original Message-----
From: sclarke@cancom.net
Sent: Friday, September 05, 1997 8:02 AM
To: dakota@ait.fredonia.edu
Subject: RE: Ram/Dakota 4x4 and Consumer Distorts
I hate to say it but dodge is not that good in the key department
either. My father had his 94 4x4 ram stolen with a key from an 88
dodge colt. It was not an exact fit but it worked. Man was my brother
in trouble when my fathers uncle caught him ;-)
***************************************************
It takes a mopar to catch a mopar:-)
Steve Clarke 94 Dakota V-6, 5-Speed
sclarke@cancom.net Alpine
soon to be a 98 I hope:-)
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