In 1998 I had my 91 4Runner (Burgundy) broken into 1 week b4 christmas. They broke out the small window on the back door. Then they tried to start it with a screwdrive and broke the tip off in the ing. Got it all fixed up and just to find it gone on christmas morning:cry:

Its been gone ever since

 

In 1989 my 86 Mercury Tracer was at the Ford dealer for repairs. I specifically instructed them in writing that if the car was left outside the alarm had to be on.

They left it out with the alarm off and thieves broke in and stole the center console, CB, alarm system and my factory clock!!!

The dealership replaced everything under thier insurance and i lucked in and got the console from a GT model.

 

ya ive had my system stolen 3 times and attempted to get stolen another 4 times-- once i actually caught a guy trying to run.

first time, i had 3 kenwood excelon amps stolen and kicker 10's and a clarion deck. next time it was just the face off another deck. After that, i came out of a class at junior college and someone had broken my door off the truck and it was laying on the ground next to my poor little 90' 2wd yota and i had to take it to my uncle to have it rewelded on.

I had an alarm in all but the first break in, it didnt help that much. I even had air horns wired to the alarm so that they would piss everyone off when my alarm sounded. that didnt work too well either-- finally I had my deck tack welded to the cross brace behind the deck and put razor blades everywhere around the radio-- it didnt stop them from breaking my window and running another 6 times. I miss that old minitruck, but not the ghetto ass people always trying to steal something from it. My newer tacoma has been kept mostly stock except for the 17's ( and yes they stole my valve stem caps too )

I have a pretty rotten view of people nowadays-- im designing an alarm that will lock the people in the car and spray them with mace until i can get out there--but thats in due time i guess

Tim

 

In case any of you fellas with the super sensitive alarms don't know it yet...

In CA, if you have your alarm running for 1/2 hour (I think that's the amount of time) nonstop, you can get it towed away. I think most current alarm systems already have this factored in. Just the older and custom systems need to worry about this.

 

In 98, I accidentally locked the keys in my 94 Ranger on my way into work. I was late and figured I would try to get them out during lunch.
I went out at lunch and . . . too late. Someone else got them out for me, and for their troubles, they took the truck.

3 weeks later, I got a call from the police. They found the truck, less my radar detector and paintball gun that was inside (dont ask). It had to be repainted, and have some dents removed.

The wierd thing is, this guy was driving it like it was his own. He had a tool box in the back, and some steel toe boots. Moron.

Thats my only theft experience.

 

Now that would be cool
I had a '79 Chevy Monza that I left the doors unlocked by accident one night at a town home my X and I lived at.
First time I leave it unlocked and the glove box gets pilfered.
They took a calculator of all things, and that was it.

On the 4Runner I am in a very high crime area with street punks roaming around at night.
I have let a few kids around here know that my rig is pager equipped, and if I get paged I will be outside within 15 seconds to do major harm first, ask questions later.

I have a post here from last summer that one night the complex had several vehicles broken into to get stereos.
Two vehicles on either side of me got their windows broken and ripped off, my rig was left untouched.

Alarms do go off here quite a bit, and most neighbors do look out to see what is going on, as we have crime watch meetings here once a month or so.

When I first got the rig I was in the kitchen and I saw a kid slithering by the side of my rig.
He bent down and started to take off the "shiny" valve caps.
I bleeped the alarm with the remote and his eyes got awfully big and he ran

Other than that nothing has been taken from this rig.
I also keep this on my seats.
In some places this would be an open invitation for punks to destroy the rig.
But with my rig less than 50' from my bed, and a pager, they would not make it away before I was out there getting some sweet revenge on them

I have no pity for thieves trying to rip off people, and I consider them the same as wild life for hunting season.

 

Yeup, but it also might be illegal and could get you in a LOT of trouble if it actually caught someone.

The would-be thief might just be able to bring you up on assault charges. Yes, "we" know that person broke into your truck with the intent to steal it or something from it, but maybe "he just opened the door because he wanted to turn your lights off for you". It's tricky.


But it's a great idea though.

 

I was volunteering at my previous church in Redmond to help Jr High kids have a good time playing games and staying out of trouble. When I came out around 10PM, I found my sidemarker lights missing on my 95 SI.

What on earth do Jr High kids need sidemarker lights for? And why would they steal them in a church parking lot?

Good thing I didnt catch them. I would have took them back in to play the jousting game or the SUMO game "just one more time."

 

My last car, stock Integra, was stolen twice.

First time (Jan '01), the crooks took my rims, and trashed the paint. Total bill to insurance was $11k for a new paint job, wheels/tires, etc. Didn't help when the tow company put the straps on the body and crushed the front quarter panels.

Second time (Feb '03) the punks took my deck, rims, engine, body panels, and seats. The car was found in Oakland 10 days later. Police report - "caller stated vehicle is on fire in the middle of a residential block." Ouch.

But...the nice insurance check paid for my new baby - 2000 4runner. All things happen for a reason.