I used to use a steering wheel lock one on our X-plate MX-5 (which are notoriously easy to steal even in mk2 guise) but it got put away in the attic when we sold the car. Now we just rely on the standard car systems. Joyriders don't want diesel Mondeos and people carriers, neither are quick enough to be worth using in crime, and neither are likely to form the specific targets of a professional car thief.
My insurers tell me that the standard security on both Renault and Ford is Thatcham approved anyway.
In the station car park, I see two cars regularly parked with additional physical security. One is a battered P registration Discovery TDi and the other is a 2004 VW Polo. Again, who's going to nick either of them??
Cheers
DP
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04 Grand Scenic 1.9 dCi Dynamique
00 Mondeo 1.8TD LX
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Again who's going to nick either of them??
Yep, it always make me smile when you see an old heap with a steering wheel lock on it. I mean, really why bother?
Chris
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Yep it always make me smile when you see an old heap with a steering wheel lock on it. I mean really why bother? Chris
An old heap could still be used to run over and kill a family member of yours! The bloke with the "old heap" probably looks at your car and thinks about all that money tied up in something left outside in all weathers, why bother.
My brother recently had his Citroen ZX stolen, it was found 3 miles away in the condition it was taken, they even locked the doors. It was taken late at night, probably by someone who needed a ride home after a drinking session in town.
If you have something these days you need to look after it whatever its value
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An old heap could still be used to run over and kill a family member of yours! The bloke with the "old heap" probably looks at your car and thinks about all that money tied up in something left outside in all weathers why bother.
I don't think I can win this argument, but I did mean with my message, that when you see an old car that someone obviously doesn't really love and hasn't taken that much care over, why do they bother investing in a steering wheel lock.
Now if you see an older car that's been looked after I could understand why someone would want to keep it.
Oh, and not that's important but I drive a 10-yr old Primera so I don't have a lot of money tied up in something, but I do look after it so it doesn't look look like an old heap.
Chris
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Joyriders only steal shiney cars then? If it has 4 wheels and could make a good nights "entertainment" they'll take it
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Joyriders only steal shiney cars then?
Dox - ???? You are missing my point. I really can't put it any clearer and I can't be bothered. Read me message above again.
Chris
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Even a dirty, unkempt and faded car will get you from A to B, a £2 Krooklock (or similar deterrant) from a car boot sale may mean the difference between a ride to work or shankses pony. The last time a friend had a car stolen he had to wait for a month to see if the car turned up before the insurance co processed the claim, 10 miles from work and no direct bus route even if he did'nt work shifts. Comprendez?
Its not a cars value on paper that counts its the value to you
;O)
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Joyriders only steal shiney cars then?
Dox - ???? You are missing my point. I really can't put it any clearer and I can't be bothered. Read my message above again.
Chris
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I don't think I can win this argument but I did mean with my message that when you see an old car that someone obviously doesn't really love and hasn't taken that much care over why do they bother investing in a steering wheel lock.
Hmm, well in my case I went from an S Type Jag to a P reg VW Polo so the security device went from being used on a 'prestige' car to a 'bangernomics special'. I agree that if I didn't already have the device I wouldn't have bought it to use on the Polo - but I had it gets used as I have it.
Having said that I was a victim of a joyrider - pinched a very old and battered Metro - wasn't that upset about the loss of the car - more the cost and annoyance of being a victim of crime.
I guess those who have had cars nicked may take a slightly different view from those who haven't?
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>>Yep, it always make me smile when you see an old heap with a steering wheel lock on it. I
>>mean, really why bother?
Because often it is these old heaps that are easier to steal.
Consider a thief looking for a ride home one night and there is an old say mk3 Fiesta of around 1992 vintage, sitting next to a year 2000 Mondeo. Which one do you think that the thief is going to nick in order to get home. Here's a clue - it will be the one that is easy to nick and the one where immobilisers and alarms won't be fitted and thus not cause him a problem.
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Again who's going to nick either of them??
In order, the cars reported stolen most often in 2005 were:
Vauxhall Belmont
Vauxhall Astra Mk2
Ford Escort Mk3
Austin/Morris Metro
Vauxhall Nova
Ford Orion
Rover Metro
Austin/Morris Maestro
Austin/Morris Montego
Ford Fiesta Mks1, 2 and 3
That steering lock could well be a very sensible idea. If you want to know how your car rates in its attractivenes to thieves there is some interesting info. here,
tinyurl.com/388zub
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I'm considering putting one back on my Mondeo, it's the oldest car that I've had for a while (2000 W) and I think it's just about fast enough to be of interest to joyriders and probably just aout old enough for them to be able to steal quite easily!
Blue
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One of the "ladies" where I work puts a Disklok on her Impreza, even though the car park has card-operated barriers and enough security cameras to make even George Orwell feel neglected. If it was stolen, I think the list of suspects would be slightly shorter than usual.
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DP a P registration Discovery TDi engine will sell for £1500 on a pallet if all good, so a krooklock is a good deterrant and this is what these devices are and always will be.
You either have scum that dont know what the words on a giro cheque are but know its worth or you have gangs that pinch and break cars.How many cars in manchester on an average night are broken into? steering locks smashed, but the cars cant be stolen because of the conservative party initiative to have immobilisors in all cars after 1994 the kids that break in dont do social history in the bus shelters so some are still not aware that the only cars they can nick are grannies old metro etc
If you value your property whether its a car or a pushchair you have to do what you can to deter scum
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I used to have a large chain, secured by an equally large padlock, wrapped around the steering wheel and looped underneath the front seat base. Used this on my Ford Capri.
On the Mondeo I've never bothered using it, I just rely on the car's own security features.
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----8<---
Vauxhall Belmont
Vauxhall Astra Mk2
Ford Escort Mk3
Austin/Morris Metro
Vauxhall Nova
Ford Orion
Rover Metro
Austin/Morris Maestro
Austin/Morris Montego
Ford Fiesta Mks1, 2 and 3
----8<---
A very believable list. I remember shocking some customers of the Vauxhall garage where I used to work. They had locked themselves out of a Nova. Using a simple tool, and doing no damage, I got into the car in about the same time it would have taken to use the key! I wasn't on the ball - I should have sold them an alarm!, but as is all too frequently the case, the idea only occured to me some time later.
Number_Cruncher
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In years past, i used to run acouple of wires from the L.T side of the coil to a switch hidden beneath the dashboard, that used to work as an immobiliser very well!. As true as i sit here, i have a friend who "set" a thick iron loop into his drive when he laid it, said loop has a humongous length of thick chain which is Padlocked around his towbar, with a cheapo tupenny lock! I have stronger on my suitcase!!
Billy
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I used to have a Nova and shortly after we bought it I said to my other half that we should get a steering lock for it, she asked why anyone would steel it (this was only 3 years ago so it was pretty old). My reply was that it is extremely easy to steal.
I then gave her the car keys got into the car and drove off in less than a minuete without doing any damage. (only drove it a few yards as the steering was still locked)
Her next words were "Lets go to Halfords".
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Unsurprising that the above list contains many older cars, due to weak locking systems. As you cannot totally thief proof a car and merely slow them down, any additional security on an older car is necessary. Remember not everyone wants, or can afford, to have thousands of pounds tied up in a status symbol but may only need a car for general transport.
On the 04 grand vitara ragtop I use a steering lock,simply because its so easy to get into.
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The aftermarket steering locks aren't just to help prevent theft of the car. They also help prevent theft of the airbag. Aside from an older car not having an immobiliser, the airbag is still worth a fortune to someone else, (regardless of the age of the car) - especially a back street crash repair garage.
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>>> Vauxhall Belmont
>>> Vauxhall Astra Mk2
>>>
>>A very believable list
Indeed. And the constituents of that list were exactly the same 10 to 15 years ago. It does say something about the effectiveness of modern security (or more likely lack of it on the these older cars), especially since the numbers of these old cars about is diminishing.
It does amaze me that people still use Krookloks in newer cars in particular. Adding about five seconds to the time needed to drive away one of the cars above may be a slight deterrent but not really stop anyone who really wants the car. Five seconds on top of the 5 minutes/20 minutes/never needed to take a modern car without keys is not worth bothering with.
But if many cars are now stolen first by stealing the keys, even having a giant disc of steel covering the steering wheel won't bother a thief who has the key for it on the ring.
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In order the cars reported stolen most often in 2005 were:
Maestro & Montego? I think it would be harder to find one than steal it!
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Yep it always make me smile when you see an old heap with a steering wheel lock on it. I mean really why bother?
A year ago some idiot tried to steal my battered 1992 Lancer 1.5! Since then I've used the krooklock on my cars!
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My Father in law uses one on his 51 pale green Almera 3 door! No self respecting criminal would want the car, so I have no idea why he bothers. He also puts it behind the drivers seat while using the car, so one day i'm sure it'll take his head off in a collision.
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snipquote
Actually a Krooklok is quite useful for taking someone else's head off if you ever get attacked on the road, which does indeed happen I am reliably informed, and you ain't ever going to get tugged for it as a weapon.
Now now.........that won't do!
MD
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OK, Chris White, give me the £1500 that my old Mk II Punto's worth (plus a healthy few £ for the hassle of getting home after the car's nicked and numerous phone calls to insurance, plus annoyance of getting a replacement) and I wont bother putting my stoplock on... :(
AA
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Yep it always make me smile when you see an old heap with a steering wheel lock on it. I mean really why bother? Chris
Cos it's a get you home hack for a scum bag or someone who is 3 sheets to the wind..that's why.
MD
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I saw one fitted to car on the lower deck of a P&O ferry a few weeks ago! Either a creature of habit or someone very frightened of life!
Or maybe someone going on holiday with a car full of valuables, and thought they might as well stick it on rather than leave it in the garage?!
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