MGB: Thieving little sh**s

Came out of work today to find someone had been through the 79, everything that was in the armrest was on the seats and floor, they'd tried the glove box but it was locked, they completely ignored the boot.

All they took was about $2 in change. Obviously 6 foot fences on top of 5 foot embankments are not enough to keep the light-fingered out, I guess I need cameras, or a dog, or both.

Left my 78 unlocked in the driveway years ago - stereo was worth less than the top. Forgot the speakers mounted through the boot and they pried the dang thing open tearing out the lock and screwing up a brand new paint job. I feel your pain.

A friend in college had his car broken into. The crooks went through a big bowl of change he had and took all the quarters out and left all the other change. They went through his tapes too and just took the ones they wanted.

Kill

The very reason I don't lock the boot.....I'd rather have them take whats inside than to tear it up trying to get at nothing.

Little sh**s did the same to me couple of weeks back and broke my antenna. Wife had her tahoe broken into in gated underground garage. Took my binocs and a couple of small tools, completely ignored about $500 worth of wine in rear. Can empathize!!

I drove a tempo for a while - err sort of drove - and left it unlocked at my office near the interstate. someone got in, lit matches to I suppose check the stereo or maybe hotwire it - and left it exactly as it was.

Should have left a gas card on the dash!

I came out of my house about 20 years ago to see this A-hole with his feet high in the air, hanging out of my driver's side door. I only went in the house long enough to squirt out a pee and grab the VHS tapes that I had to return to the video store, "remember those".

Anyway, rather than just opening the door, he squeezed between the top and the door. As I came out his lookout yelled, and he completely ripped my stereo from the dash, wires hanging everywhere.

They were on bikes. I managed to start the car, and keep the wires from arcing on the dash.

I followed these guys all the way down this street, they were on bikes, me in my car. I knew they were heading for this opening in a brick wall that only a person walking or riding abike could get thru. I was honking, screaming, yelling and NOBODY did anything. Just as we were getting to the end of where I would lose them I drove up on the curb and was about to run the kid over. He was pedaling as fast as he could, but, it all really happened at slow speed, maybe 15.

I didn't hit him. I could see what would happen next. I'd be in jail, because some A-hole stole my stuff.

I've never forgotten that.

I feel your pain! I think anyone that has ever had a break-in or had something stolen from them understands!

B

I've never had anything stolen like that, but I hate it soo much when things like this happen.

Mississippi has the castle law now that legally permits you to protect your stuff and yourself at your business, home or car. It may slow down some of the c**p happening around.

Last month some F__k head stole the catalytic converter from my wifes 4runner while it was parked in the Teachers parking lot at school!. They unbolted the front of the cat then bent it sideways till it broke off the muffler. So, they got the cat, the downstream O2 sensor and ruined the muffler. I would of broken his legs had I caught him. Cost me a pretty penny. If any of you have a raised vehicle with a cat on it be fore warned.

David Abbott Wrote:

KLUTZ Wrote:

David Abbott Wrote:

Paul, Here in California they either have to attack you, be armed or be inside your house to shoot them legally. Break their legs and they will have at least 9 months time, a goodly amount of that time in pain, in the prison hospital ward to think about stealing any one else's catalytic converter.

Years ago my pop had his car broken into; they got a load of psychiatric seminar tapes!

A few years ago I parked by B at my office, I left the top down. When I came back they had taken the faceplate off the stereo, leaving the actual deck.

Why would they have done that? The faceplate was useless to them and made the deck useless to me.

A$$holes.

Little shits went thru our neighborhood taking what they could from unlocked cars and the stabbed the left rear tire of about 30 cars. Mine included. They even got the left rear on a riding lawnmower

shoot first, play dumb later

Does anyone have experience with the aftermarket car alarm systems out there? I've seen motion-sensor deals that supposedly work in a convertible.

pdxblue Wrote:

My sister heard some noise coming from direction of the garage and saw a thief trying to jimmy the lock. after spotting the light in the house he ducked under the car. She yelled and then let loose Tarzan. That German shepard had a field day and a good workout . She said "for a grown man, he sure sounded like and little girl.

Last week my wife's Dad had 72 golf cart batteries stolen from his EZ-GO dealership. That's 12 golf carts they took the time to unbolt all the cables. This is in a very busy location, completely brazen. 4500 lbs worth of batteries.

I think car thieves should have an hand amputated. on the spot if possible.

cruel? No. Not really. Unusual...well, after a time one might hope so.

David Abbott Wrote:

Years ago I had an older Toyota van with dirty battery connections. You MGB owners know how it works...turn key-click, turn key-click, turn key-Vroom.
One night some clown got into my unlocked van, pushed it out of the driveway and halfway down the block before trying to start it with a pair of scissors. The next morning I saw the van missing from the driveway. I went to the curb, spotted it down the street and walked down, started it with a screwdriver as the ignition was trashed and drove it home. Seems the thief wasn't familiar with MGBs and poorly maintained Toyota vans! A $20.00 ignition switch and a terminal cleaning and it was as good as before. But I kept the doors locked after that!

Rich

pcgold Wrote:

Whilst they drive away - with your loot, dream about them "crashing and burning into a hot fiery ball of molten metal that once resembled their car!" Pity. Not. :) --- ah yes - the creative mind! :(

Thats the thing, I'm definately getting an alarm installed with the new wiring harness. One of those anoying ones that go off at the slightest vibration. I noticed that the locks on my 79 are really cheesy. You can unlock them with a flat head screw driver. Thats no good. But all things considered, just be glad the fuckers didn't steal your car.

KLUTZ Wrote:

Eric, they get about 50 bucks each scrap for them..it's turning into big business down here. The guy we bought the truck from said they stole the cat once when he owned it as well.

David Abbott Wrote:

It's gotten so bad in long beach that they are now stealing man hole covers and fire hydrants. Cant even leave your stuff bolted down now days.

Although not OEM and they look tacky, a good vibration sensitive siren might scare them away when they lay their first finger on the door.

Other wise a 38 is not unreasonable.

BTW: The fence might have helped, but the berm just gave them some sight cover.

Jack

Daniel, I was in the auto alarm industry for 20 years. Alarms can save you money. Many insurance co's will lower your comprehensive if you have one. For one to be useful, Your car has to be within earshot or it wont be much good. You could install a pager system, but if your to far away it wont do you much good anyway. My alarm has helped me catch 2 people who hit my MG while she was parked. I live on the second floor and can always see the MG when shes parked on the street but without the alarm I wouldn't know when to look out the window. If you do decide to get one, get a remote control unit with ignition kill and impact sensor. You can also add on a sensor that will detect if someone just reaches into the car. Get the type with multiple siren tones then have the installer modify it so it only makes one tone. Then you will know when your car is sounding. You can also add automatic door locks that locks and unlocks the doors when the alarm is armed or disarmed. Bottom line, if a professional car thief wants your car he will probably get it. But a Alarm is a good deterrent for amateurs.

This is why I carry an object with me that makes big noises and big holes.

Someone cut the top to get into my B in the early 90's, and the door was unocked. they broke the radio consol but couldn't get the radio out.

Two weeks ago someone broke into my Corvette, broke the door panel and the lid to the aft storage bin, didn't even touch the sound system and stole my .380. but that's okay, I still have the .45 for when they come back.

Alarms are next to useless. When I was a younger man, somebody broke into my best friend's new van...they stole his alarm system. Not funny at the time but I laugh about it now.

I don't even live in a big city and it's becoming more prevalent here too. I partly blame the poor economy but drugs seem to be a big reason these people resort to this stuff. I have friends with kids that have got into drugs and will steal from thier own families to get cash. One long time friend of mine has a daughter that's hooked on oxys. She stole all the grandmothers jewelry and hocked it. Such a shame. She is a beautiful girl, probably could be a model. But to see her now, she looks like S*%t. Skinny as a rail & eyes all sunk in. He's trying to get her into rehab. I just hope he can turn her around before it's too late.

I hate to advocate more laws and regulations but something should be done about the ease of turning stolen property into cash. Some states (can't remember which) are working to make scrap yards identify individuals bringing stuff in. When you think about it, buying items from pawn shops is supporting thieves indirectly. There have and always will be thieves but these are strange times for sure.

Daniel,
I put an alarm system in mine and I am happy with it. It took a while to find one that did not have all the "bells and whistles" that flash your lights when arm and disarm, automatic door lock-unlock, etc.
Mine has vibration sensor and electrical sensor. The vibration sensor can be set to different levels and I would suggest experimenting with which setting works best. The most sensitive setting will set off the alarm if a car drives past with loud mufflers. So get it set where it will go off if someone opens the doors or trunk, or if someone climbs in.
The electrical sensor sets the alarm off if anything electrical changes in the car after the alarm is set. So if someone tries to hotwire the car or even turns on something electrical, the alarm goes off. All the settings are done with a remote kept on your keychain.
Mine was a "Gorilla Alarm"; but I'm sure there are others that will work as well.

underdog Wrote:

"They" have even stolen bronze markers off of graves here in the Portland area. Not to mention they stole a statue and broke it up for scrap. Recently, they caught a guy in a "park & ride" parking lot with nine cats that he had taken out of that lot.

Years ago I had my '56 pontiac parked on the street and went out real early one morning to get the paper off of the front lawn when I noticed a guy had the RH door open and was leaning into the car. The lawn sloped to the street and I, without really thinking, ran down and into the door really hard. Broke his leg.
A responding cop told me that I must have slipped coming down the slope and I agreed. That is the way he wrote it up.

Mike

Starbuck Wrote:

dhartlein Wrote:

The bottom line is only one person cares about your car and that is you. Alarms infer that people that hear the alarm will care. Most people around just want the alarm to be silenced because of the irritating noise. Think of the last time you were in a parking lot and you heard an alarm go off, what was your first reaction?

That is why a paging alarm makes sense, you are notified that your alarm is tripped and then you make the choice if you want to check on it. I owned one a long time ago and they work.

Here are some neat toys:

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/cat_i99_lcd---2-way-pager-car-alarms.html

And here the alarm has a camera so you can watch your car being broken in to:

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_7504_ScyTek+Vision+Guard+8000+VS8000.html#

And here is one mile range paging. That would be a long walk/run.

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_7927_Viper+5900+Responder+SST+VS5900.html

I just got the go-ahead from my company owner to install a security camera in the parking lot, hopefully that will help.

I refuse to have an aftermarket deck in any car. No one wants to steal a stock CD player, so I bought a NOS GM Delco player for my daily driver Fiero. They pass it by to steal the fancy decks in the other guy's cars.

If you want a fancy player in an MG, either make it a shuttle deck you can remove or mount it behind the stock blanking plate and hinge that plate so you can get at it.

I once caught a guy trying to steal something from one of my cars at university. I told the cop that I thought he'd fallen on his face when he was trying to get away. Cop said yeah, looks like he fell severak times. Serves him right......

I work for the local school district. We have had copper downpipes stolen from schools, wiring out of lightposts as well as all of the plumbing pipe from an unoccupied high school. A contractor building a new high school for us lost a spool of copper wire when a guy distracted his security guard while his buddy loaded the wire into a truck. I won't even get into the computer thefts!

One thing that may help protect our MG's may be standard transmissions and manual chokes!

Rich

pdxblue Wrote:

The Wiz Wrote: