fungus mungus

So it finally happened to me...I got lazy and didn't put my car in the garage last night. I looked out the window this morning and noticed my passenger door was slightly open. Not good.

I went out to find that someone had attempted to steal the car. From my forensic exam, I determined that someone popped the hood from the outside of the car (apparently possible from the front, as evidenced by the license plate being partially removed). The alarm didn't go off (no hood pins). They found the alarm siren in plain sight and clipped the wires, then ripped it off the mount for good measure. They then went to the passenger door, yanked off the door visor, pulled back the glass and jimmied the lock. With the door opened, they proceeded to bust apart the steering column/ignition. I believe they eventually managed to start the car, but I had well-hidden fuel kill switch that prevented them from taking it. I suspect they got spooked and bailed, leaving the door open.

The amazing thing is that the only thing missing was the wheel lock for the wheels. I know they took it and are planning on coming back to have a crack at the wheels. Won't happen, as the car is back in my garage and will be staying there for now on. They had the opportunity to take several thousand dollars of JDM goodies, but didn't. The motor is just fine...nothing has been taken.

I have comprehensive insurance and an appraisal to back up the true value of the car, so I anticipate swift settlement. The car will get towed to my shop (thanks AAA!) and the insurance adjuster will meet them and go over the damage.

Now that this has happened, I realized how foolish it was to:

- get lazy and not park the car in a garage when it was available
- not install hood pins and a backup battery/hidden siren
- not relocate the hood release cable

I also realized how wise it was to:

- get a decent alarm w/starter kill to slow down thieves
- put in extra kill switches and use them
- get comprehensive insurance AND an appraisal
- get AAA with free towing up to 200 miles

Take heed folks...if you're running a modded Honda w/o a good alarm w/backup battery, installed in such a way it can't be disabled, you're sitting on a ticking time bomb. If you don't get insurance and an appraisal on a car and you've dumped, say, $5000 or more into it, you'll be in a world of hurt.

Overall, I consider myself extremely fortunate. This car will become a track car in the near future. It was fun as a daily, but I'm too old for this nonsense.

fm

24TEN

iTrader: (2)

That's exactly how people get into mine (happened multiple times). Since I live in an area where it's common to have this happen specifically for what the car has, I've left the car stock for the better part of 10 years. Once in a while I'll come out to find that my hood is popped or window is off the track etc. but nothing is ever missing. I think it's because once the thieves see "D15B8" they feel bad for me and leave it alone

0SimpleTire

That's a close call. Good thing they couldn't take your car. That's the only thing that I hate about owning a Honda always got to be careful were you park it. Even at your own house it isn't safe. You always got be sure that no one is following you when your out driving around. Thief's never take vacations so stay aware when your driving around. Glad they didn't take your car.

Happy Tunning!

motegicivic

I decided to go the Geico route:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=0aVFKapIAxE

civicjunkie17

iTrader: (1)

I had something like this happen to me before. It was 3pm on a weekend I think, 2 spanish guys pull up in a big white van in front of my house, like one of those Ford E250s or whatever. They attempted to jimmie through my window to unlock the door but the alarm starting going off, and my girlfriend was actually going around a corner to come over, so I guess the combination of the alarm and my girl they must have gotten spooked out and left. As soon as my girlfriend saw them she called me and I rushed downstairs and outside, by the time I was outside they were long gone. I got lucky.

Vizio2012

Yeah make sure to have comprehensive insurance, Funny i bought my car 6 days ago and on way back 1 hour after buy it on my way home with car i get pulled over by 3 cops they checked my car/engine see if it was stolen..

Alavelle12

Good thing you had those cut offs! Sounds like whoever did that was very experienced.

Texas4door

Tip: put the alarm in an unusual place, like behind the rear bumper
I'll bet NOBODY looks under there for an alarm
Or on top of the gas tank

fungus mungus

Yeah, the funny thing is the cop that took my report was absolutely mystified why someone would try to steal a '92 Civic but not take anything valuable from it (I forgot to mention in my last message that there was a $6,000 saxophone packed in a shipping box in the hatch...I was tired last night and completely forgot about it.) She had no idea about cars. When she was looking in the engine bay, I could tell she may as well have been looking at a NASA control room display...she had no idea what she was seeing.

In retrospect, imagining these scumbags licking their chops as they're sitting in a Honda thief's wet dream, so sure they're going to make the score of the year, only for them to run into roadblock after roadblock, and then finally having to bail empty-handed...that brings a smile to my face.

That said, I don't for a moment think that, given more time, these @sshats wouldn't have gotten the car started and I would have walked out to an empty parking spot. I was lucky...something spooked them and they bailed before they could figure out why the car wouldn't start. But the element of surprise is gone, and they know it. They may come back with a flat bed, but only to find an empty parking spot in front of the house. They'll be kicking themselves until the next victim is spotted. Eventually these clowns will get theirs. After all, Karma can be a real b1tch.

fm

fungus mungus

Well, I will definitely be hiding the siren so they can't just find it and clip it. Hood pins are also going on. I'll figure out exactly how they jimmied the hood and fabricate a block-off so they can't do that again. It's staying in the garage and the garage/house will be getting alarmed as well.

fm

jbpnoman

Usually, people go in through the fender well to get to the hood latch cable.

fungus mungus

Yeah, I know, but they didn't do this...the lining wasn't cut. The license plate was partially removed, so I suspect they somehow did it from the front. I've heard that this was possible and I intend to find out exactly how it's done so I can safeguard against it.

And yes, I'll be relocating the hood release cable as well.

fm

Texas4door

Heh, I remember someone here having an idea of putting some razor wire up around the hood latch to deter thieves that like to reach in through the bumper
XD

Vizio2012

Grabbing a hold of some razor wire would make anyone run lol.. Might as well stick nail's facing upward in the seat also..

jbpnoman

Knowing the way this country has been going, you'd probably be locked up for assault.

Texas4door

LOL reminds me of when my redneck-assed brother welded some railroad spikes to the rear bumper of his truck to deter tailgaters


Last time I checked, defense of yourself or your property is perfectly legal
...though I wouldn't put it past the embarrassed thief to sue that person anyways
XD;

Oh, just used some coupons I've been saving up on Ebay and PW:JDM to buy some engine bay goodies, namely a new battery tie-down because mine is almost corroded all the way through XD;

jbpnoman

Texas4Door, did you not hear the story about the burglar who was trying to break in through the kitchen sunroof, it broke, and he successfully sued the homeowner for bodily harm and mental anguish? Self defense has to be equal response, and a barbed wire surprise wouldn't exactly be equal response.

akelly17

its pretty easy to reach under the front bumper and unlatch the hood. i had to do it when i couldnt get my hood to unlatch because the mount was not in the correct spot since it can be adjusted n what not. another good easy idea is to pull the plug in your wiring harness by your right shock tower, it basically just looks like a block off since it goes to nothing but if its pulled the car wont start. basically another kill switch and it doesn't even involve any modification you can just go and pull the little plug and take it with you. ill see if i can find a picture of what i am talking about.

akelly17

it would be in that group, find the only one that has a cap looking thing on it, and take it out. car wont start!

gold_pwr_r4ng3r

put one in the cab behind the dash, that could scare them off if they get inside the car and hear a second siren coming from inside the car where they cant get to it without tearing out the whole dash.

motegicivic

Good idea 2 sirens, I wonder if many car alarms would support it.

Like you said hood pins and even a motion sensor.

I know with my car the hood release pull is broken, but like others said they are opening the hood by the bumper, must be experienced.

But the 2nd kill switch is ideal.

Stoodybayker

I like the idea of relocating the siren where they wouldn't expect it; but I'd leave a decoy siren under the hood. If they don't find one there, they would look (and expect) it elsewhere. I'd rather they didn't look for it until AFTER it's going off!

fungus mungus

Good ideas folks. Yeah, I know about the end cap to the engine harness trick. I usually only do that if I have to be parked somewhere dicey. Even better idea is to get one from the junk yard and pull the contacts out and swap them when you leave the car.

Yes, I'm thinking siren inside the dash and leaving a decoy in the engine bay. If I wasn't so p*ssed, I'd thank these clowns for pointing out the holes in my security.

fm

speedooo

Popping the hood from the front bumper is pretty easy, I know I've done it when my car overheated and the latch in the car was jammed. If you have a small enough wrist you can reach up through the grill, grab the cable and pull; it will pop right open.

Run the cable through the frame rail so it can't be reached from the wheel well and zip tie it tight against the rad support so nobody can reach it or pull it if they do manage to get their hands up there.

As for getting the window open; the upper frame on eg doors is really flimsy so bending it back is easy. Even if you get that taken care of the tailgate (how thieves got my car) is extremely easy to open. You might want to consider putting pins for the alarm back there too.

fungus mungus

I've got really small wrists, so I'll try this myself tonight. The hatch is pinned for the alarm, so that's good.

fm