Someone tried to steal my car - GM Performance Tuning

Videoman · #1 (**permalink**) 02-06-2006, 11:47 PM

It happened today at St Vital Mall. I was parked in the lot going to have dinner with someone working there. I parked my car and went insed for about 1 an hour and a half. when I came outside I nitice my wipers were facing upwards on the glass as though they had been turned on and shut off immediately. I open the drivers side door and that when I see that someone had tried to steal my car. the center console was damaged and the underdash had been forced out. the passenger and drivers side doos locks had some damage and the interior was a mess. I guess the idiots couldn't read the sticker on the window stating this car has an imobilizer installed. Car got towed to the MPI plesis yards and will be fingerprinted. They appearantly wanted the car itself. I will post up any new info as it comes up.

But yeah, my car was saved by the immobilizer I have...

Get one they work!

urweak · #2 (**permalink**) 02-07-2006, 12:21 AM

thats good. Wasnt your car stolen before?

Azrael · #3 (**permalink**) 02-07-2006, 12:33 AM

I'm definitely looking into an immobilizer now. Which one did you get?

Videoman · #4 (**permalink**) 02-07-2006, 12:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by urweak

thats good. Wasnt your car stolen before?

Naw this is the first time anything like this has happened. I did have a hit and run by a pair of auto theives, but I cuaght them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azrael

I'm definitely looking into an immobilizer now. Which one did you get?

I am not sure which unit I have, but I will say again, the diffrence here is they tried and failed, even though there was a sticker on the window showing the car had this immobilizer on it. I guess if you are stupid enough to steal cars, then you can't read.

grandamgtdriver · #5 (**permalink**) 02-07-2006, 05:45 PM

yep, at the very least guys, get a club. 99+ grand ams are the treat of the year right now. someone figured out how to steal them easily, and now all the car thieves are catching on. our car is moving up on the popularity list! i got a club because i never want to go through losing my car ever again...the hassle is so great...i'm STILL working on getting it fixed from december!

SoLid_PrAnkstA · #6 (**permalink**) 02-07-2006, 08:04 PM

all ya gotta pass is the integra, and you're number 1! (note: 15th place now)

(also note: i made those numbers up, but integras take a lot of the top spots on most stolen car lists.)

Azrael · #7 (**permalink**) 02-08-2006, 09:37 AM

Oddly enough there are few imports in the top 100 vehicles stolen in winnipeg. The 1990-94 dodge caravans are at the top of the list. http://www.mpi.mb.ca/english/fraud/WpgTop100.html

jeremy96gase · #8 (**permalink**) 02-08-2006, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azrael

Oddly enough there are few imports in the top 100 vehicles stolen in winnipeg. The 1990-94 dodge caravans are at the top of the list. http://www.mpi.mb.ca/english/fraud/WpgTop100.html

I find it very strange the only imports are the "Eagle Talon 1990-1994" and "Toyota 4 Runner 1985-1989".
Also the only Ford/Mercury/Lincon on the list is "Ford F150 1979 & older"
Everything else is Chrysler and GM. That just doesn't make any sense.

The Integra, Civic, Accord and Camry are always on lists like this.

I'm glad your car wasn't stolen, hopefully you'll be back up and running soon.

99blackSE · #9 (**permalink**) 02-08-2006, 05:16 PM

sonofagun Rob I guess your car looks too attractive or something. At least your immobilzer has payed off as your car would've probably been chopped and your stock wheels on Ebay = \ Hopefully the MPI process is short.

Videoman · #10 (**permalink**) 02-08-2006, 09:07 PM

Well I was told this evening that my car has been estimated and should be delivered to the repair shop late tomorrow. Before they start any work I am going to go down and take a look myself. It will mostlikely be early to middle next week beforeI get my car back. I think I might get into a few security mods this comming season to go along with my current list.

I appreciate the support guys and hope that this can be an example that nobody is immune to the stupidity of todays crooks. (mine couldn't even read)
But because I had an immobilizer installed they never got away with my car and my deductable was waived. This is one thing I was glad I had installed.

Jagey · #11 (**permalink**) 02-09-2006, 01:57 AM

That sucks to hear Rob.

I personally think the immobilizer is still a waste of money. I think the best combo is an alarm system with the club (I am still fairly sure you can't have an immobilizer with a car starter/alarm combo). Here are my reasons:

A) With the club, the person can see the big hunk of shit on the steering wheel and not bother... rather than trying to inspect the car for a dinky ass sticker saying it has an immobolizer
B) If they try anything with the door handles, trunk, hood, windows, or even nudge the car the alarm goes off. What thief would want an alarm going off while stealing their car (especially in a place like St. Vital mall parking lot)
C) By having an alarm, the thief is less likely to break in and steal your belongings due to the noise. By having the club AND the alarm, he won't even want to waste the time going into the car and jamming a screwdriver in the ignition, cracking the steering column, or bashing the dashboard. I think just the interior damage alone is the most aggrivating part, a dented exterior keyhole is easy to deal with.
D) If a thief can get past the club and the alarm, he quite frankly deserves the car and deserves congratulations. And besides, if my car was stolen in any circumstance I wouldn't even want to back again in the first place

And that's Jag's 2 cents. Thank you

Jagey · #12 (**permalink**) 02-09-2006, 02:06 AM

And I want to add another one that just came to my mind:

E) The discount that MPI gives for an immobilizer isn't even worth it. The thief is just going to bash your car and rumage around the inside over and over again. Sure you get your deductible waived, but is the $10 a month (or whatever it is) discount worth the fight with MPI, the fight with the repair shop, the days or weeks without a car, the use of a rental sunfire that doesn't have a reverse gear, the police reports, and the dirty feeling of knowing somebody else was in your car? Not for me.

99blackSE · #13 (**permalink**) 02-09-2006, 11:01 AM

I believe they can wire one up with an existing alarm system.

grandamgtdriver · #14 (**permalink**) 02-09-2006, 12:15 PM

The immobilizer is only "FREE" with MPI if you keep your car for three years based on the insurance savings you receive. Jag is right, if you car gets broken into and you end up paying the deductible, all that savings/potential savings goes out the window. For reasons similar to Jag's, I bought a club instead. If you buy a club, make sure you buy the two-pronged version so the theif would have to cut your steering wheel in two places to get it off. This is the one I have from Canadian Tire (it even has an LED light that flashes near the tip...pretty cool):

Jagey · #15 (**permalink**) 02-09-2006, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 99blackSE

I believe they can wire one up with an existing alarm system.

I'm not sure about that, because if you have a car starter and you start the car, the immobilizer will shut the car down because the key isn't in the vicinity. If you put a key into the dash which most installers do for cars with factory immobilzers, the immobilizer is pretty much defeated. On top of that, the only way the deductible is waived is if the thief tampered with the steering column and made an obvious attempt to steal the car. If somebody bashes your window in or breaks your lock and then steals everything in you car and bashes the shit out of everything but your steering column and dash, it isn't an attempted theft and you pay your deductible