Well my car got broken into

[Sean]

Hey, Sr20, I got this window if you need it. it SHOULD work with your window regulators.

I could sell it to ya for like $10 + shipping or something too. Cheap.

Let me know. :)

[armeN]

least you started replacing your shit. I got scared the other day; I parked in a parking structure with identical walls all over. Returning to my car I ended up on the opposite side of where it was parked but I thought it was where my car was. I got so scared/pissed. I was 2 seconds from calling the cops till I heard my gf yell you parked on the other side here's your car. My heart rests easy now....

[Bimmerfanatik]

That's gay. I leave nothing visible in my car, but I have an $800 Eclipse headunit that does not have a detachable face. It has always scared me that it would get stolen.

That's the only thing that's kept me from buying a Nak or an Eclipse.

They claim they can't be stolen (Eclipses, not sure about the Nak) but I'll bet they still can. IMO faceless radios are too hard to decifer as which model they are, so if that's the only thing they see in your car, they're not gonna bother.

But, throw some sunglasses in the mix, anything else at all, and then there's reason to check it out. Not sure if your faceplate was on, but if it was... :tsk: They make them detachable for a reason. A few seconds to remove it and bring it inside might have avoided all this.

I speak from experience. I got a call one morning (my birthday, no less) at 6 am from a friend 2 hours away. She had driven from FL to relocate up here and had gotten stopped 2 hours from us, and the car was impounded. Needed me to come out and pick her up.

No biggie, I'll always help a friend. Went out to my parking garage, and lo and behold, driver's window was smashed out. Terrific. Get in, I had JUST put in a new center console and dash (this was my 95 Eclipse). They put big marks on the center console from trying to pry the radio (Alpine CDA-7894) out but couldnt get it. The rear hatch was popped, and I nervously went to check - my box (two 12" alps) and amp (alp 100m) were still in there.

All that was missing was my CD visor, which had maybe 2 or 3 real cd's, the rest burned mixes. I don't keep any money or valuables in the glovebox or center console, so those were untouched (well, they didn't take anything). All in all, it didn't cost me a dime, ins fixed the window (full coverage) and the cd's I reburned. But, I did have to drive two hours down and 2 back in fairly brisk air with no driver's window :)

Moral - the faceplate wasn't on, and this particular car has screwed in ISO brackets - making it a lot harder to steal the radio.

Now, I always remove my faceplate, and there isn't a single thing in my interior. Nothing at all in the map pockets, nothing of value in the glovebox (I don't lock it so if they do get in there, they open it, not break it) and absolutely nothing on the seats or floor. If there's anything they can see and can't make out, out goes your window for a better look.

/rant

PS- sorry you got jacked man. Get that trunk monkey :)

[SR20Fastback]

yeah unfortunately the face plate was on. I believe my step dad has had his radio stollen about 4 or 5 times now, and finally the last straw was his entire car was stollen. The first or 2nd time his radio was stollen it was w/o the face plate. I just never imagined this to happen in such a nice building/apartment/neigborhood.

Oh well. I'll just remove it from now on. I was also thinking I was lucky to have left my glove box unlocked so they didn't destroy it trying to open it. My registration and what not was still inside thankfully.

[benDASHDASH]

How hard are the glove boxes to break open if they're locked?

[Bimmerfanatik]

yeah unfortunately the face plate was on. I believe my step dad has had his radio stollen about 4 or 5 times now, and finally the last straw was his entire car was stollen. The first or 2nd time his radio was stollen it was w/o the face plate. I just never imagined this to happen in such a nice building/apartment/neigborhood.

Oh well. I'll just remove it from now on. I was also thinking I was lucky to have left my glove box unlocked so they didn't destroy it trying to open it. My registration and what not was still inside thankfully.

Sometimes the nicer the development, the more likely to get broken into. I lived in a REALLY nice apartment building with a gated 4 floor parking garage and 24 hour security guard/surveillance. I think they got spooked by the security guard doing rounds, hence when they didn't get away with anything. The car was parked at the top of a floor with the driver's side against a wall - right out of view of the security cams and the guard's view unless he was REALLY looking. I parked directly in front of the camera from that point on :) I'll take some door dings from people parking next to me over a broken window and getting my stuff jacked :)

I had a feeling your faceplate was on....especially with a nice radio like that, it's almost impossible to skip over if you see that. Blank face - could be a pioneer, could be a JVC, could be a Rampage from Walmart. Too hard to tell, especially at night. Just helps decrease your chances.

And yes, unless you want to buy a new glovebox and accompanying parts - don't lock it, and don't leave anything in it that will give you reason to lock it. :)

[Bimmerfanatik]

How hard are the glove boxes to break open if they're locked?

They aren't easy, but that just means mroe force will be used, damaging your glovebox, and possibly your dash (if they use that to pry on the glovebox). Just safer to make it easy to open, that way they will, and see nothing in it, and move on.

Still trying to come up with a safer/more secure way of mounting the radio, but nothing's coming to mind. I'm so temped to just pull the radio and bring it with me every time I get out of the damn car.

[benDASHDASH]

How hard are the glove boxes to break open if they're locked?

They aren't easy, but that just means mroe force will be used, damaging your glovebox, and possibly your dash (if they use that to pry on the glovebox). Just safer to make it easy to open, that way they will, and see nothing in it, and move on.

Still trying to come up with a safer/more secure way of mounting the radio, but nothing's coming to mind. I'm so temped to just pull the radio and bring it with me every time I get out of the damn car.

True. However, wouldn't an alarm solve both of our concerns (assuming you dont leave it alone by its self)? idk if youve mentioned it earlier

[SR20Fastback]

it seriously wouldn't have been a huge issue if they hadn't just cut all the wires in the harness. I JUST rewired the entire car, now I have to go through again and re solder the wires to the stereo.


I still think its funny, everytime a family members car has been broken into *we're getting close to a dozen now* they get their car finger printed, however the San Diego PD didn't even bother to ask if I wanted to or not.

[Bimmerfanatik]

True. However, wouldn't an alarm solve both of our concerns (assuming you dont leave it alone by its self)? idk if youve mentioned it earlier

Two problems with alarms. Unless they're insanely expensive, they are easy to bypass. And even if they do go off, how many of us actually pay attention to car alarms going off? I don't necessarily mean in your own house with your car out front, yes, most of us are gonna look out to see if something's up. I mean anyone else. Someone walking their dog, someone driving by. No one does anything about a car alarm, so unless YOU see/hear it go off, or someone sees someone smashing your window, what the hell good is it?

[Digitalwave]

They claim they can't be stolen (Eclipses, not sure about the Nak) but I'll bet they still can. IMO faceless radios are too hard to decifer as which model they are, so if that's the only thing they see in your car, they're not gonna bother.

They can be stolen just as easily as any other CD player. The only thing is, if its stolen, it's locked by ESN and it's useless to whoever's hands it falls into.

[nando]

How hard are the glove boxes to break open if they're locked?

very easily. all they need is a prybar, the hinges are plastic and that lock is attatched to the plastic cover. they'll probably destroy your dash in the process, so you're probably better off leaving it unlocked.

[B2ThaZiZza]

This is what you shold invest in to protect your ride, I did:
Autolock Pro

THE CLUB

[Ducati]

The club that goeson the wheel is easy to bypass; cut the (12 o clock) portion of the steering wheel. It's a soft metal. it takes about 30 seconds or so. The one that goes on the pedals might be a good one, I don't know of a way to bypass that one...yet.

[MR 325]

Didn't know the club kept windows from getting broken and stereo's getting stolen