Adding to my bad luck with my Fiero (shop breaking rockers and getting rear-ended in a hit and run at a stoplight previously). My car was broken into yesterday and my steering column was destroyed. Luckily he couldn't get it started, but he took my stereo and amp. This occurred on the University of Minnesota campus. Be careful where you park your car. Something as innocent as the same lot everyday will draw attention to a car that is getting rarer and rarer to find.
The guy must have been in my car for quite a while. He had smoked two cigarettes inside of it and left the butts in my seat. Something must have scared him because he left tools and other debris in my car and did not even go in the trunk or take anything from my side pockets. And conveniently, the lot only uses its security cameras on event days. Sigh. Here's some of the parts that were laying around broken.
[This message has been edited by Zack_White86gt (edited 03-06-2015).]
That sucks. At least you got a free leatherman out of it, it looks like?
Yeah, he was kind enough to leave that at least! He also left my sweatshirt, which was nice. He somehow got my window down an inch, which is weird, but at least he didn't break it.
This is the Achilles heel of the older GM columns, I've repaired many over the years while working at a Buick dealership. I have all the parts needed to repair your column back to original laying around the garage, PM me if you're interested. I'm not too far from Brooklyn Park, probably only take a couple hours to do.
[This message has been edited by seajai (edited 03-06-2015).]
This is the Achilles heel of the older GM columns, I've repaired many over the years while working at a Buick dealership. I have all the parts needed to repair your column back to original laying around the garage, PM me if you're interested. I'm not too far from Brooklyn Park, probably only take a couple hours to do.
The Saginaw column is junk and I can't believe it was in production for so long. If anything should have had a massive recall it should have been that.
The handbrake if nothing else is a good anti-theft device because these kids would not know how to release it.
Sorry you got damaged, but it can all be repaired easy enough.
Sorry to hear this. The cost is minor, but the feeling of being violated sucks. Hopefully he didn't butt the cigarettes out on the seats. Someone smoking in my car would piss me off more than the damage.
The Saginaw column is junk and I can't believe it was in production for so long. If anything should have had a massive recall it should have been that.
The handbrake if nothing else is a good anti-theft device because these kids would not know how to release it.
Sorry you got damaged, but it can all be repaired easy enough.
I remember there were a few companies that sold a hardened cover that would wrap around the lock housing and shift bowl to keep thieves from breaking the column to steal the car. This was why I installed a RFID push button start in my car when I bought it. A good thief can steal one of these cars in under a minute.
I got lucky, a couple weeks ago they broke into 2 of my vehicles. They didn't damage anything or steal anything. They were looking for cash and cell phones. Still pizzed me off enough to keep the rifle loaded in case they ever come back.
I'm surprised you were targeted. Most thieves, these days, are too dim to drive a stick.
Glad they didn't get your car.
This is what I'm surprised about. My car was/is in really nice shape, so I could see how somebody wanted to steal it. I take really good care of it and baby it. The violation of some random guy sitting and smoking in it is what made me mad.
This is the Achilles heel of the older GM columns, I've repaired many over the years while working at a Buick dealership. I have all the parts needed to repair your column back to original laying around the garage, PM me if you're interested. I'm not too far from Brooklyn Park, probably only take a couple hours to do.
Thanks, but I just bought a whole new column online. It looks like he was just whacking things and broke quite a few pieces in the column. I thought it would be easier to swap it out completely.
I think one of the reasons that he was unable to get it is because my neutral safety switch is broken and you have to reach under the dash and compress it to start the car.
quote
Originally posted by Raydar:
I'm surprised you were targeted. Most thieves, these days, are too dim to drive a stick.
Glad they didn't get your car.
Maybe he was too dim to drive a stick and that is why he was unable to take the whole car?
[This message has been edited by Zack_White86gt (edited 03-06-2015).]
I think one of the reasons that he was unable to get it is because my neutral safety switch is broken and you have to reach under the dash and compress it to start the car.
That's something that you probably shouldn't fix...
[This message has been edited by Neils88 (edited 03-06-2015).]
Looks like your console skeleton is trashed, too. There seems to be enough smooth surface items that might hold a few latent fingerprints. Was this reported to the campus PD?
BUT WAIT! Wasn't it the University of Minnesota that said race, color of skin, or anything that puts a person into a particular group is profiling? Even if someone saw him, they can only say it was a male or female. Any other description is profiling.
But seriously, sorry it happened to you. Even though the university's cameras were off, check for businesses close by where the theft occurred. They might have video you can look at. Someone carrying the radio, maybe. I tracked a neighbor's stolen car like that to let the PD know which direction the thieves went.
Looks like your console skeleton is trashed, too. There seems to be enough smooth surface items that might hold a few latent fingerprints. Was this reported to the campus PD?
BUT WAIT! Wasn't it the University of Minnesota that said race, color of skin, or anything that puts a person into a particular group is profiling? Even if someone saw him, they can only say it was a male or female. Any other description is profiling.
But seriously, sorry it happened to you. Even though the university's cameras were off, check for businesses close by where the theft occurred. They might have video you can look at. Someone carrying the radio, maybe. I tracked a neighbor's stolen car like that to let the PD know which direction the thieves went.
He left cigarette butts in the seat and tools as well. There is fingerprints all over everything, theres even dirty fingerprint marks around the window. They won't even do anything because it costs too much to do a test.
Yes, the U of M did say that. They also did the same thing last year and within a few weeks, they were "profiling" again. They only say they are going to stop, so that these activist groups stop harassing them.
I will go into the local businesses on Monday and see if any of them have any video.
Costs too much to do a test for fingerprints? Dust, tape and turn it over to the local PD to let them run the prints through their NCIC database? Someone just doesn't want to be bothered with the paperwork. Sorry they feel that way.
Few years back they stole my neighbors car, they couldn't be bothered to finger print or track the calls on the stolen cell phone. A week later they broke into a 85yr old woman's a house in the next block to steal her car. She was home so they murdered her. If the lazy ass cops had gone after them the first time she would still be alive.
Few years back they stole my neighbors car, they couldn't be bothered to finger print or track the calls on the stolen cell phone. A week later they broke into a 85yr old woman's a house in the next block to steal her car. She was home so they murdered her. If the lazy ass cops had gone after them the first time she would still be alive.
Typical. They don't want to investigate a burglary. All they want to do is fill out a police report and let you send that to your insurance company.
....or shot. I HATE thieves. And yes, I would shoot someone I caught in my car for any reason..even stealing a few quarters. Done it before.
You have to face it that that's the way the world is now. I never put other than a stock OEM radio in anything. If I do an aftermarket one, its a $29 Walmart special. The best way now if you want better is keep the stock radio and install a hidden one somewhere else with a jack for an MP3 player or your phone.
I hear every week on the news to NOT leave items visible in your car...yet millions leave expensive clothes, laptops and whatever sitting right on the seat, usually not even locking the doors. Those people deserve being robbed.
[This message has been edited by rogergarrison (edited 03-07-2015).]
Originally posted by rogergarrison: I hear every week on the news to NOT leave items visible in your car...yet millions leave expensive clothes, laptops and whatever sitting right on the seat, usually not even locking the doors. Those people deserve being robbed.
Nobody deserves to be robbed. They deserve to have their junk left alone, because it belongs to them, and not you. Or I guess you don't pay for anything at the store, because their front doors are unlocked, and all that inventory is just sitting there for you to take, too.
I was a kid in the early sixties and I remember that when I went somewhere with my Dad he always left his car unlocked when we went into the store and if it was hot the window was left down too. The car was never stolen or tampered with.
I was a kid in the early sixties and I remember that when I went somewhere with my Dad he always left his car unlocked when we went into the store and if it was hot the window was left down too. The car was never stolen or tampered with.
I agree, I hate thieves too. Sorry this happened to you. I guess a kill switch wouldn't help any because the ECM would lose power?
Having the broken neutral safety switch was essentially my kill switch. I believe he would have taken the whole car and not just the radio, but he was unable to figure out why it would not start.
The clutch safety switch is broken on both my Fiero's too but I jumped it with a heavy paperclip. I guess I could put a hidden switch on it like you did, good idea.
Sorry to hear this. really sucks. I knew a guy who made a kill switch using a magentic relay. Had a magnet on his key chain. You had to put the mangnet in a certain spot to trip the relay then you could start the car.
I forgot to mention... On long times away I have where you can disconnect the battery with a turn of the knob on one of the terminals.. Works great for car shows too when you want to open your doors and the deck lid.
Do people Read Campus Parking Policy? You likely sign saying you agreed w/ Parking Policy to get Permit/Sticker. If Campus lots don't have posted notices at the lot, most Student guides should have Parking Policy.
Campus Police don't bother? News Flash, Many Local PD won't bother fingerprinting etc when you park on street or in city lots for most thefts, including whole cars.
Parking on Campus, City, or Business/private own lots and garages are all "Park at your own risk" operations. If you don't have insurance to cover theft etc then Campus says too bad for you.
I keep "full" insurance because both cars are parked in/on city and private lots/garages. That does cost for older cars but can save you too. Many parked cars are wreck every day, Including total wreck for many and often is hit and run.
------------------ Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should. (Jurassic Park)
Campus Police don't bother? News Flash, Many Local PD won't bother fingerprinting etc when you park on street or in city lots for most thefts, including whole cars.
in '95 my GMC Sonoma was broken into, radio stolen, along with my cds ( 2 of which eventually valued close to $100 each ) & I requested that the inside door locks be finger printed as the doors were locked & they smashed out my window. Local PD took my dome light because it was removed by the 'suspects'. The only follow up I got was six months later, they let me know that they threw away my dome light.
I was parked in a large parking lot 'hub' for local transportation. Hundreds of cars, & I think they said that night there was 50+ some break-ins.
Yeah, they didn't give a flying whatever.
This was on a Saturday. I parked Monday to load some items from where I was staying. I got a ticket for being over the meeter by 1 minute. All weekend long, the place goes un-monitored. You run over your time on a meeter however... & that'll be $20 please.
Nobody deserves to be robbed. They deserve to have their junk left alone, because it belongs to them, and not you. Or I guess you don't pay for anything at the store, because their front doors are unlocked, and all that inventory is just sitting there for you to take, too.
Pull your head out of your seat.
screw you. I SAID IF your stupid enough to leave your purse and laptop on your car seat and even leave it unlocked, you DO deserve what you get. What planet are you from ?
Do a test yourself, and leave your laptop setting on the seat and go to the store for an hour or two. Let me know if its still there when you come back.....
screw you. I SAID IF your stupid enough to leave your purse and laptop on your car seat and even leave it unlocked, you DO deserve what you get. What planet are you from ?
Do a test yourself, and leave your laptop setting on the seat and go to the store for an hour or two. Let me know if its still there when you come back.....
Screw yourself. If you think anyone deserves to be robbed, regardless of whether they left their car unlocked and a Rolex laying on their seat, your an ******* . The planet I'm from is where humanity evolved. There is a bit of human compassion left, despite your very poor attitude and outlook on life.
Trust, but verify is true, but it doesn't mean one is deserving of having their possessions taken against their will. Keep your off topic BS nonsense in TO/T please, rather than being a jerk and making such outlandish statements.
Theres very little of this planets humanity left. Im not saying it should be stolen...your stuff should stay your stuff. The reality of the way IT IS, no matter how outlandish it might seem to you, is thieves WILL take any opportunity to take stuff thats not theirs....everytime they can. Again, if your that dumb, good luck keeping your stuff. So screw you again. Your the type that will whine the first time somethings stolen out in open view from your unlocked car. Im smart enough to NOT leave anything in view and lock up whenever I cant see it.
Here's some of the parts that were laying around broken.
) & I requested that the inside door locks be finger printed as the doors were locked & they smashed out my window. Local PD took my dome light because it was removed by the 'suspects'. The only follow up I got was six months later, they let me know that they threw away my dome light.
