car almost stolen

[1of1035]

A few weekends ago I went down to the mall by my house to get a nextel phone turned on. Those of you with nextel know it doesn't take long to turn on a phone . I was inside maybe 20 minutes before I was done. I walked outside and right away I heard something running out in the parking lot ( i had my dump open) So I ran out to where I parked and found my car running the drivers door open and the window was down. The column was busted and turned a full 180. Every now and then the horn would blow because the wires were all twisted around the column and to top it all off I couldn't turn the car off and my phone wasn't working yet. About 2 minutes later a cop drives by and I tell him what happened he tells me that he's off duty so he can't do anything. After that he calls another cop on duty to come down and see whats going on. The cop gets there and asked if I left my car like that? So I asked him which way? Running, the door and window open or unlocked. So I tell him none of the above then he asked to see my car keys. I show him my keys and registration. Then he left when the tow truck came and nothing was ever done. I got lucky, thanks to kirbans column guard they had to break the column so bad they couldn't steer the car or put it in gear and thats why I still have the car. Then I got lucky again and Jeff(trackside performance) had a blue column parts car at the shop so I got a matching column to put back in the car.

For anyone that lives in South Florida this happened at boca town center mall and I was parked by the fridays near the glades road exit and I wasn't parked that far away from the mall or other people.

 

[Quick6'n'-K.C.]

Let me get this straight-
they tried to steal your car with the fire engine red lock collar, got it running and damn near got away with it???

what use is this lock collar?

The MAJOR problem with this is, i have one on every car of mine to keep the theives away and i really thought it would work????

let us know more...
got pics?
BW

 

[1of1035]

not the big red one. Its a chrome piece that came on the car when I bought it. It came from Kirbans and had to be cut off to take the rest of the old column apart. I don't know the exact name of what they call it.

Sorry no pictures but just picture your column flipped 180 and thats what it looked like. My shifter was on the left side by the time they got finished with it.

 

[phillyturbosix]

I don't think he's talking about the same column guard you are. Kirban sells one that mounts almost permant to the column. You guys really need to add a simple kill switch to your cars that you use daily. It takes no time at all to install one and you know the car will be there!

 

[Quick6'n'-K.C.]

OK-
i thought when you posted about a collar guard, it was the big red one-

the "OTHER" aluminum one mounts right next to the dash cluster, the acutal piece that moves on the column when you select a gear.... right?

i would suspect that because those wont cover the easy spot to knock out when someone steals these cars...

being a limited, it was column shift.... gotcha on the shifter part!

BW

 

[gordyzx9r]

Like someone else said prior, install some kill switches. Your steering column would still have been mangled, but the thief would have been scratching his head trying to figure out why it won't start...for a few minutes anyways before they get fed up and run off.

I have a column guard lock from Steadfast. I had it painted to match the interior of the GN...but they didn't get it right, it's too light. I need to get it redone, but I'm having second thoughts about putting it on since I've heard some people mention that it interferes with the tilt and so forth.

Anyone else have a recommendation for a collar guard that both works and won't interfere with anything?

 

[Quick6'n'-K.C.]

gordyzx9r-

the Main reason i purchased the fire engine red collar gaurds were to keep thieves from mangling my column-

mine goes on and off every single time i get out of the car, tilt works with it on...

ive had it for a few years, minor scuffing to the paint, well worth keeping the car and having a few scuffs.


kill switches work great, but wont keep them from vandalizing the interior of the car because they get pissed it wont start.
BW

 

[phillyturbosix]

yup I have the big red one on my car everytime I park as well. You can see it HERE... Nice in your face view with it on. I also have an alarm and a bunch of kill switches. One thing is for sure I could never drive my car drunk I'd never get it started!

Just to tell you guys a little story about kill switches. I drove a wrecker for a number of years and I repo'd cars and worked for Allstate and State Farm insurance. Towing wrecks and insurance cars. Well one day an adjuster calls me and asked me if I would go look at a customers car and tow it in as someone tryed to steal it. It was at a local mall. I show up and it's this woman standing there in front of her 87 IROC. She was no more then 10 parking spaces away from the mall entrance. She was in the mall shopping.. came out put the packages in her car then noticed she used all her cash. So there was an ATM on the outside of the mall. She walks over gets the money comes back and that quick her door is open and the steering column is busted up on the car. They must have watched her and thought they would get a car and gifts she bought. This was around the holidays. So I get in the car and pull up on the ign. bar with a screw driver and it won't start. So I pull again and nothing. Had battery power but was like it was dead. I thought they really screwed up the column as I've started tons of cars with broken columns. So I asked her if she had a kill switch. She says yes that switch on the dash there.. I look and on the right side, in plain view is this monster toggle switch like you would see for aftermarket fog lights. This big huge red ugly switch. I said this one here and point at it she says yes. I flip the switch and pull up on the ign. and it starts right up! So I show her how to start her car with a screw driver and send her on her way. I just told her to bring it into the insurance adjustment center later that day. I tryed to save the insurance companys some money!
So anyways.. the moral of the story is when a POS low life scum breaks into your car.. and they bust the column and it don't start.. they bail.. because they know every second counts and they do not have time to hunt for a kill switch! Living in the city I've had kill switches on everything I own. Even if I have an alarm in it. All the cars I did I sold with a happy face. The few cars I didn't take the time to install a kill switch.. well they are somewhere esle in parts by now! So add as many theif devices as you can! Keep these turbo Buicks around for years to come!

 

[Army MP]

Buy an NHRA kill switch and mount it as to you are the only one to know where it is!!

 

[ULOSE2A6]

Sorry to hear about your troubles. If this is Noi, Hi this is Shev. The malls are the worse in south florida. In 2003 on Labor Day I went to the Boynton Beach Mall with the GN and was inside for about two hours. I was parked not five spaces from the main entrance to Sears. I came out and found the passenger side door wide open and the hood open but not all the way up. Apparently they slim-jimed the passenger door and when the alarm went off, they popped the hood and yanked on the wires going to the siren.When they did that, they pulled the wires off the fuel pump relay as well, so if they did try to start the car it would not have started. I think that there had to be two or more scumbags.

They stole the cd player, cd's, school bag with books, glasses, assignments. I have one of the Grant removable steering wheels and I took the wheel off and put it under the back seat. They found that and stole it as well. I had a .357 Colt King Cobra under the passenger seat, they stole that too. The surprising thing is that they left the Pioneer equalizer and the scanmaster. They busted up the glovebox to get the face of the cd player and the remote for it. I am glad that they didn't get into the trunk cause I have amps and speakers back there and we had purchases in there as well.

I called the police and while waiting for them, I was trying to put the wires back on for the fuel pump relay, then the lame security patrol comes up and asks me if I am okay. I dunno where they are when these thing are going down. Noone I asked around saw anything and there was a lady parked next to me that I know came back to her car and put bags in. Oh well noone ever wants to get involved. The cops took prints off the passenger side door and they were concerned only because there was a firearm stolen. I was so worried about that. To this day the Boynton Beach police makes calls to me asking if I ever recovered the gun.

I dunno what would have happened if I had come out of the mall and found the guys in my car, I thank God that I didn't cause I dunno if I might have been shot with my own gun or would have killed someone else. I had my then girlfriend, now wife with me and she was crying and all upset over it and said that she had never seen me move that fast towards the car as when we came out of the mall that day.

Well to make a long story short, I know how it feels and I am glad for you that you still have your car and that you are okay. I don't go to the mall with my cars any more. Plus I heard the next day that a GN got stolen from someone's house in Boynton Beach, doubt if it was related but at least I still had my car.

 

[BLACK6PACK]

Fuel pump relay saved my car too.

So that's why I never hear from Shev anymore. He has himself a li'l honey now!

 

[ULOSE2A6]

BBBRRRAAADDD!!!!.... Yeah man I have been working like a slave...no time for nothing. Plus I bought a house just before the hurricanes hit and I got some damage there too, so between fixing the house up and working... you see why you haven't seen me. I heard that there is a meet in Palm Beach in March, maybe you South Fellas will visit in Palm Beach. How have things been going with you and the beast?

 

[BLACK6PACK]

Actually, I've been out of the loop too. Working hard and have a lot of other things keeping me from being able to play with the GN. I had to break it out yesterday cuz the tension pully on the cam belt for the Eagle took a dump. Thought I blew it up again. Jeff just fixed it, have to pick it up tonight.

The GN fired right up after sitting for a month. Need to get some tuning and oddball stuff straitened out so I can see if I can get kicked out of the track. They warned me last year when I was running 12.0 Now I'll have to see if I can hit 11.5 in street trim.

 

[DCVING 6]

I had one of those red collar guards. When I opened the box I thought it looked a little cheap. Figured I could break the spot welds with a screw driver, so I sold it.

 

[Intercooler]

Wouldn't a good motion detection alarm (I mean good!) and a couple of kill switches be all anyone should need? I would rather stop them before they even set foot in my car to destroy anything.

 

[DCVING 6]

Guy I worked with had his radio stolen once. He super glued a bunch of razor blades under the dash around the radio. Two weeks later, he was leaving for work in the morning and his drivers door was open. There was a blood trail on the carpet, then leading down the driveway.

 

[kshef]

what if they just tow your car?

 

[st1nger]

lo jack

I'm currently restoring my 83 and have plans to add a few thing to the t I'm having lo jack installed and a friends going to add a system that when the car is jarred it actives telling the person lo jack has been activated and they have 10 seconds to step away from the vehicle that the electrical anti theft system is actived we are hard wiring an electronic neon power supply to the doors

they won't kill you but they will knock you on your ass high volt low amps wont hurt car you just insulate handles

hope it works to much work to loose this thing

 

[TurboAWd]

Originally posted by DCVING 6
Guy I worked with had his radio stolen once. He super glued a bunch of razor blades under the dash around the radio. Two weeks later, he was leaving for work in the morning and his drivers door was open. There was a blood trail on the carpet, then leading down the driveway.

that's not a bad idea, until you forget about them someday when you are around them.

 

[Renthorin]

First off... let me say I am sorry your cars were broken into and messed up :-(

That sucks big time.

Now, that said..... what the hell are you doing driving a T or a GN to a mall and leaving it there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do you want your car to be stolen or vandalized???

Unless it is your daily driver please treat the car like the automotive gem it is and give it a little respect and love. Door dings alone keep me from taking my car to parking lots. When I take it out for a bite of fast food I sit where I can see the car 105% of the time, even when ordering food.

If the car is your daily driver..... stop using it for your daily driver