Real good news that your Fiero was recovered. I would guess that this was the work of an amateur thief (or addict) looking to make a few bucks but when he sent pictures out to his fence, he discovered that it was not a worthwhile theft because it wasn't a Corvette a Ferrari or an easy car to move. Also the black market value of a 33 year old Fiero has got to be very low, more so with the damage that was done. Since you have insurance, you might just take that car over to a place like West Coast Fiero and have the insurance pay to get everything fixed and back to good condition.
------------------ " THE BLACK PARALYZER" -87GT 3800SC Series III engine, custom ZZP /Frozen Boost Intercooler setup, 3.4" Pulley, Northstar TB, LS1 MAF, 3" Spintech/Hedman Exhaust, P-log Manifold, Autolite 104's, MSD wires, Custom CAI, 4T65eHD w. custom axles, Champion Radiator, S10 Brake Booster, HP Tuners VCM Suite. "THE COLUSSUS" 87GT - ALL OUT 3.4L Turbocharged engine, Garrett Hybrid Turbo, MSD ign., modified TH125H " ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "
We finally had a break in the rain over the weekend and I was able to install a replacement steering column. I only got as far as getting it in and verifying the car would start and go into gear (automatic). I haven't actually driven it as the seats are still out of the car. The carpet is kinda yucky below the seats (due to the rain through the partially open window and 30+ years of dust and dirt accumulation) so I will steam clean it before putting them back in. I still need to check my stock for a front hood strut to replace the one that was ripped out.
Another strange thing... the passenger side ashtray, a plastic bag with horn parts I was intending to install, and my favorite sunglasses were missing. Scumbag souvenirs I guess.
Was just looking for an update to see how things were coming along...
Things are good. Dried out all the interior moisture from the rain and re-installed the seats. Replacement steering column is in and works fine (still need to install horn parts when I can find the time). Had all 4 tires replaced (not due to theft). I had just replaced the rear struts a couple of days prior to the theft so I had a 4 wheel alignment done as well. This seems to have resolved my previous handling issues. She has never handled better.
She is now back to being my daily driver.
I just took this picture looking out the front door at work.
Just checking in with you. Are you in need of any parts to sort her fully out? Im happy to go through my stash to get a fellow Fiero person fully up and running.
Just checking in with you. Are you in need of any parts to sort her fully out? Im happy to go through my stash to get a fellow Fiero person fully up and running.
I'm good to go!
Kit sent me some horn parts which I've installed and I even found a replacement hood strut at Pick N Pull from that junked Mera.
Thanks for reaching out. She is my daily driver again. It's nice to be part of a community that has your back!
Ron, I have an extra steering wheel lock if you want it. These are great for theft deterrent. Unlike a fuel pump relay switch where the theif will break in and then determine it won’t start, when they see a steering wheel lock like this, they will usually just pass on your vehicle and move on to something else. Here it is….
Ron, I have an extra steering wheel lock if you want it. These are great for theft deterrent. Unlike a fuel pump relay switch where the theif will break in and then determine it won’t start, when they see a steering wheel lock like this, they will usually just pass on your vehicle and move on to something else. Here it is….
Hi Kit,
Jenny has one of those. It came with her new GT. She uses it every time now after my car was stolen. She's been telling me to get one!
Let me know the shipping cost, or we could just meet up on the Vine Run - April 23rd! Date and details to be posted soon! Destination is in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Glad to hear you got the car back in (mostly) good shape. I'm frustrated by the dismissive attitude that law enforcement has over crimes like this, but I'm glad that the 2nd officer you dealt with took it more seriously and gave it a fair chance to be solved instead of just shrugging it off and trying to get rid of you like the 1st guy did. I think some in that business underestimate the importance and value to free society of following up on "lesser" crimes like this, but I've decided to delete most of my rant about it.
Considering how long it took the guy to think about and perform the theft, and the fact that he then abandoned it, makes me wonder if he was a 1st timer. Interesting that he knew a vacant lot in that neighborhood to park it, maybe got spooked when the new people moved in. Next time he'll be faster, and maybe more bold. ===
I lived in unincorporated Placer up to 2020. We had occasional street sweeping but it was maybe every 2 months, if that. The one time I appreciated it was in spring when it would get rid of the sand/gravel that the county dump all over the street during winter. But I noticed the sweeping happened less often in recent years, maybe they don't do it anymore.
I think one of the most effective simple ways to disable a parked Fiero would be to remove the short harness that runs between the ignition coil and the ICM. It would be a lot harder for a thief to replace than the coil wire would be - but on the other hand it's also a common failure item that gets brittle, so maybe handling it repeatedly would aid it's failure. If you did have a problem with it (or somehow lost it) you'd be pretty stranded. I don't think auto parts stores stock it either.
There's various other ways you could "sabotage" the car in a simple way that a thief wouldn't understand, like depinning a critical pin somewhere, but a little too inconvenient as an everyday strategy.
Originally posted by armos: I think one of the most effective simple ways to disable a parked Fiero would be to remove the short harness that runs between the ignition coil and the ICM. It would be a lot harder for a thief to replace than the coil wire would be - but on the other hand it's also a common failure item that gets brittle, so maybe handling it repeatedly would aid it's failure. If you did have a problem with it (or somehow lost it) you'd be pretty stranded. I don't think auto parts stores stock it either.
Yes and yes, that connection is a very problematic area on the Fiero (I keep a spare in my trunk) so I wouldn't want to be messing with that all the time.
quote
Originally posted by armos: There's various other ways you could "sabotage" the car in a simple way that a thief wouldn't understand, like depinning a critical pin somewhere, but a little too inconvenient as an everyday strategy.
Pulling the fuel pump fuse is the easiest and most effective in occasional circumstances where you leave the car unattended, but if its on a regular basis there are better "kill switch" options.
Hi Ron. Not sure about the Vine Run at this time. On another note…, The steering wheel lock is yours. Just know that it is a Master Lock brand (not a “Club” per say) it is used but in good condition and also I only have the one key. (It was given to me) I will assume you can get a key matched at Home Depot, Lowes, etc. I will see what I can do about getting it out to you. See ya, Kit
They DO add to the amount of time it takes to steal your car, but doesn't require a lot of special tools.
I recall a lot of folks would get their cars stolen with the club on and when they found the car, they discovered that the thief just cut through the wheel to get it off. (guess the wheel didn't have any metal bar inside of it?)
They DO add to the amount of time it takes to steal your car, but doesn't require a lot of special tools.
I recall a lot of folks would get their cars stolen with the club on and when they found the car, they discovered that the thief just cut through the wheel to get it off. (guess the wheel didn't have any metal bar inside of it?)
When you use the club you lock it with the tumbler facing downward. This makes it hard for the criminal to get at it.
I think the whole idea of these methods is to slow down a thief. Of course any of these can be defeated, especially by a pro. But the idea is that if the thief has a choice between a car with a disable device and one without, all else equal he'll choose the non-device one. Also how many devices is his thief carrying? Is a neighborhood thief carrying spare fuses, drills, wiring harnesses etc? Unlikely. Typically as little as possible in case he needs to run away if noticed.
It's like those new catalytic converter shields, sure a pro can get those off, but he might see it and just decide it's easier to just take the neighbors car's cat instead or your shielded one.
A real pro would likely watch you for several days to see what things you're doing to your car and be prepared to defeat them (he'd notice a club way before he was committed and inside the car). But as I said in the thread, Fieros aren't targeted by pros as far as I know. Which is how I knew this was almost certainly a kid going for a joy ride.
Back in the 90s I was fixing/modifying my 1973 mach I. Mustangs are prime theft vehicles, so I devised a number of things to make it difficult-to-impossible for a thief;
A) I installed a car alarm of my own design- Some thieves will walk down the street pretending to be intoxicated so they can bump your car to see if there is an alarm. My alarm only worked if you opened the doors.
B) I also made an "AM Philco" radio cover for my (Now defunct) Radio/Cassette player. When I was going to use the radio, just flip the cover up and when the engine started it would be pulled into the dash via a Vacuum Dashpot- When you shut off the engine a spring would extend it back out, ready to flip down over the radio. (Obviously this does not really have any application to our Fieros)
C) I created a timer on the fuel pump circuit (I had installed a 88 FI 5.0 engine in the car, so electric fuel pump) I built a timer and then set it up to trigger off of the door light switches (With diodes to allow the courtesy lights to be used via their switch) If you opened the door, or started it and did not push the reset button, 30 seconds later the fuel pump would stop and the car would die. I hid the reset switch as one of the dash facia screws- even filed it so it looked like a (Black) slot screw. A co-worker, who installed alarm/security systems on the side, tried to find the reset button and could not- even though he did note that the ONE dash screw was "Slot" while the others were Phillips (To actuate the switch you needed to have non-callus skin on your finger to "Insert" in the hole where the "Screw"/button was)
Side note; The lady across the street would smoke on her porch at all hours; One night (2 am) she was smoking and heard a noise- looked around the corner from her porch (But still seated) and saw a guy trying to slim-jim my Mustang....took another puff and then looked back at him and stated, "You know someone is watching your dumb azz!" And the guy took off. When I came out in the morning to go to work I found the Slim-jim laying next to my car.
little rubber plug EZ-Access)
