GM's may be the big target in the past. Today's thieves have a fancy
for Chrysler products; mainly Caravan and Shadow. They don't usually
target the newer models of Chrysler. New Dakota's have been stolen off
dealer lots but are a rarity.
Your comment--- re: if someone wanted to take your wheels you can't stop
them--- is Very true (heck, theives have stolen vehicles by towing them
away with alarm and all). However, alarms and "The Club" (or even
better the new styles with 4 hooks) are deterrents. Most thieves won't
even bother going through the trouble of cutting the steering wheel and
disabling alarms (especially battery powered back-up alarms) when they
can move 2 cars over and steal one that isn't as time consuming.
The key to the CLUB is using it. Most vehicles stolen with the CLUB
have the CLUB sitting in the back seat (as you already mentioned).
People become complacent because they don't
see would-be thieves being deterred.
My final point is: Don't spend lots of money on anti-theft devices but
having some forms of them act as deterents.
>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
>
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