Thieves Scouting My New Car

[TransAmLT1]

(Summary at the bottom if you don't want to read)

I was just reading another thread about car thieves, figured you guys would get a kick out of the balls on these people i'm about to tell you about. Some of you might remember me as "Cl0ak" I haven't posted in a while because i've been busy with work. But I picked up a red TransAm with 60k on it Monday.

I brought it home and had an alarm installed on it that day because it has t-tops and its in nice condition so I figured this kinda crap might happen. From past vandalism on my car I have a security camera installed that looks out my window at my car, I keep the monitor in my living room right where I am sitting at night online or watching the television.

Last night I see a car pull up, now I live in condominiums so you have to drive up a hill, over 3 speed bumps, its very out of the way to just be turning around and leaving. This was a small black hatch looked like an older honda but this happened too fast for me to get a good look out the window. They pull up with their headlights off and stop facing my car, they sit there a few seconds and than hang a u-turn and take off again.

A few weeks ago I had 2 kids trying to steal the exhaust off my car and they took off when my front door opened. The balls on these people to try and steal parts/cars right in front of the building amazes me. My front windows along with 9 other units face the well lit parking lot. To get out of here you need to go down a hill and down 3 over sized speed bumps. There is no exit besides the way you came in. Just amazes me.

1.Got a new car, Trans Am
2.Thieves tried stealing my other cars exhaust a few weeks ago
3.Thieves are scouting out my new car at night with their headlights off in the middle of a well lit parking lot directly across from my condominium building, saw them on my surveilance camera

[clawhammer]

The best anti-theft system IMO is the fuel pump cutoff switch. See if you can install it. Also, make sure you have full insurance coverage on the car.

[TransAmLT1]

Yeah it has full coverage. Thanks for the tip on the cut off switch i'll check into it. I had a glass break alarm installed too because of the t-tops the alarms a K9 Mundial. Here's a photo of it by the way.

[TexasF355F1]

any reason why they would be specifically targeting you?

[KustmAce]

Originally Posted by clawhammer

The best anti-theft system IMO is the fuel pump cutoff switch. See if you can install it. Also, make sure you have full insurance coverage on the car.

Just put a sign on the windshield saying "If your reading this I have a figh powered hunting rifle trained on the back of your head."

[Jet-Lee]

Originally Posted by KustmAce

Just put a sign on the windshield saying "If your reading this I have a figh powered hunting rifle trained on the back of your head."

Then pop 'em with a BB gun, they'd piss their pants! lmao

I love playing with the darts in my blowgun, shootin a magazine on the wall, then when someones not looking load a blunt and pop 'em in the leg, they FREAK! It's too damn funny, esp. when they can never be 100% it's a blunt or not.

[twospirits]

Nice looking vehicle.

Since you have the video security camera set up, can you see if the camera gets a shot of the other vehicles license plate? If so it will really help the cops if and when something does happen to your vehicle while you are not looking or asleep. You could also post signs saying area monitored by security cameras and make the postings look official. Since you live in a one entry only area, you may want to group up with the rest of the buildings occupants that store their vehicles in the parking area and have a meeting with the buildings management about installing a security gate or a more powerful security camera.

TS out

[crayzayjay]

Originally Posted by twospirits

Nice looking vehicle.

Since you have the video security camera set up, can you see if the camera gets a shot of the other vehicles license plate? If so it will really help the cops if and when something does happen to your vehicle while you are not looking or asleep. You could also post signs saying area monitored by security cameras and make the postings look official. Since you live in a one entry only area, you may want to group up with the rest of the buildings occupants that store their vehicles in the parking area and have a meeting with the buildings management about installing a security gate or a more powerful security camera.

TS out

Get some binoculars, try to get their license plate.

[KustmAce]

Or better yet, just wait for em outside, and when they pull up again, jump out of a bush completely naked and covered in mud and body paint wearing an oversized tiki mask, screaming bloody murder, and run at them very fast flailing all your limbs.

They will leave the state.

[thecackster]

I used to do that crap with the dart gun all of he time. good times...they are like looking for it sticking out of their leg haha

[twospirits]

Originally Posted by KustmAce

Or better yet, just wait for em outside, and when they pull up again, jump out of a bush completely naked and covered in mud and body paint wearing an oversized tiki mask, screaming bloody murder, and run at them very fast flailing all your limbs.

They will leave the state.

you want to catch them in the act, not give them a heart attack.

TS (Inspector ClueSo's understudy signing) out

[TransAmLT1]

They are most likely targetting me, and this is just a guess because I have a flashy loud car. Most of the people that live here are in their late 50's to 80's they all drive buicks and cadillacs, these guys would have seen me going down the street and turning in, besides that I don't know why they would even know I have the car I just got it 3 days ago. They could have come up looking for my other car also which draws attention with its loud exhaust. Maybe they were coming up to take another at at that.

As for posting signs, I don't own anything outside really beyond my backyard and the front steps. It would be in violation to post a sign unless I just stuck a big sign in my windshield when I got out of the car. All around the car there are the window decals that say protected by whatever alarm system and anti-theft etc etc. But you have to get pretty close for that. My alarm has no motion sensor but if they pull a door handle or touch the windows it'll go off and its hooked up into a horn it is extremely loud, for now i'll have to hope it catches them.

The gated community idea would be wonderful but we'd suggested it before. The management company refuses to do that because they say it would cost too much and be a hastle. They don't work with us up here at all, I requested the speed bumps be modified or just install a small ramp at the corner because those of us with low cars are damaging them. I myself have dented my cat already and scraped the underbody so that I have yellow paint and scuff marks on the frame underneath.

My camera is decent but from this distance (the car is about a good 25-30 feet from my window) I wouldn't be able to read their license plate, if they even have plates on the car. There are also bushes right behind my car you could sneak through and steal my exhaust i'd never see them on the ground behind it, crappy parking system they have here. I'll have to send the management company a letter and request that something is done they just don't care to help us at all.

I had 2 kids on tape keying my neighbors car, when I showed the tape to the management company, and told them exactly who the kids were (they live in the complex) they said we can't do anything inform the police. Gave the tape to my neighbor who brought it to the police who said they weren't going to bother its just kids, yes..kids but they are scratching cars when they get bored. Really fed up with this place I need to move.

I should really install a motion sensor alarm on it too, I am just afraid to put more money into the car until tommorow when I have it inspected by my mechanic. The dealer seems a little off I think he is bullshitting me on a few things. He claims the car was a 1 owner vehicle. On my carfax report from 95-02 it had 46k on it, than in 02 it was sold to a dealer, in 04 it was at another dealer not sold, no mileage listed. In 05 when I got it, currently has 60k on the engine, how did those miles get there if only 1 owner had it? I've contacted the state attorney generals office about this too since the dealer is uncooperative, he basically told me to piss off. Thanks for the advice, i'll see what I can do.

[KustmAce]

They want your exhaust? I can imagine its terribly easy to steal an exhaust system...

[twospirits]

Damn it, you talk to the complex management and nothing, you talk with the cops and nothing, its cases like this that people end up taking the law into their own hands and then you catch the bastards hit them up side their head and you end up going to jail for protecting your stuff. Sheesh.

I don't know what to tell ya. But I will say this, if they were true professional stealers, they would have stolen it by now, so they are just some punk kid(s). I assume your exhaust is an aftermarket bolt on exhuast? If so maybe adding a closed loop alarm on it might prevent it being taken off. I'm not sure but if its bolted on by two screws you can get a system like this and hook up to the bolts for contact, if they try to cut the wire or unscrew the bolts and bamm the alarm goes off.

If you are worried about them just stealing the whole vehicle and for some reason they get in throught the roof/sunroof etc a pressure sensor can be added to set off an alarm. see below.

Seat/Contact Pressure sensor

Good luck, sleep lightly and have the bat near you.

TS out

[TransAmLT1]

Well they want the exhaust, but the one on my old car that is parked next to it. Its welded because I had to have a pipe custom bent to reach around the tire rod since the stock exhaust entered through the side and my new one entered through the rear.

That is my problem right now, its basically that management and the police tell us its our problem and too bad. But I guarentee first time I knock one of these little bastards out i'll get arrested, thats the only time the cops do their job. They don't seem like pro's to me because they were up here before with no tools, they were trying to pull my exhaust down which is wired and welded. They would really have to cut it off if they want it that bad.

I'm not as worried about them screwing with my exhaust since its on my old car. More worried about them trying to touch my new trans am, but with the alarm theres not much they could steal without setting my alarm off. The blinking LED is on the center near the armrest so its visible that there is an alarm, I'm hoping this is why they took off the other night maybe they saw that.

If they pull a door handle, touch the body, or tap the glass it will go off and they can't disable the alarm because its hidden deep behind the dash. There is nothing on the trans am I see that they would want, it has no real aftermarket mods I figure if they screw with that they want my t-tops, which would require them to tap/break my glass and trigger my alarm, they are also locked. I have a bat by the front door, hopefully I see or hear them. Problem with my community no one sees anything if you know what I mean, even if they actually see it they don't want to get involved. I'd wait for these guys to come up and spook them off but they seem to come randomly.