How to keep cars from getting stolen from Hotels

i drive a rollback at my work (collision and towing) ive pulled cars without wheels, smashed, locked in gear, wheels turned to the left and locked.......youd be surprised how powerful a rollback is..

and also if youve ever run a rollback long enough you learn tricks on tough cars, sliding the bed under the wheels and such. a good rollback operator can get almost anything onboard

 

I don't even have door locks on mine, I fully realize that I can never walk away from it and leave it sitting anywhere so the only dope I will be locking out is me. A guy I know has a repo truck, I've gone along as a look out on an occasion just to see what it's like. He's essentially stealing cars back for the loan company. Any car only takes about 60 seconds, they have it to an art form. I asked him on one repo about alarms after he had this Mercedes on the flat bed and we were down the block securing it, he shook the car and set off the alarm, I'm good he said. He picked it without setting it off in a minute. WTF? If they want it they will have it, and don't put some poor guy sitting out there in a lawn chair, they'll give him a knock and put him to sleep, he will be drinking his veggies through a straw, not worth it. You would have to patrol with several people. You could try boxing in your car with a couple of friends OT cars with alarms on the chance that the thief is not that good at pulling alarmed cars and might set one off. It's a shitty situation.

 

I was on a local wreck roster and would have to pick up the most ungodly wrecks in the wee hours. I've done amazing things with a split boom that the cops said was impossible.

So, wreck recovery drivers can and have done almost anything, the problem is that the trucks are noisy as hell. So I doubt the car was grabbed with one, it had to be quietly rolled out or even picked up one end at a time and put on those garage dollies. 2-3 strong guys can do that easily.

Bob

 

with any alarm have a flashing lights relay installed,nothing worse for the badguy-asshat than having the lights flashing in a dark parking lot in the middle of the night,also make aiming the 9mm easier than in the dark,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

Ive watched them drag a wrecked car with 1 wheel missing and the other 3 flat..dragged it right up on the bed tilted it back flat and drive off

 

if you remove the steering wheel, a thief only needs a mole wrench on the splines.

 

The thieves around here squirt dish detergent on the ground to ease the positioning of cars and motorcycles to lift gates or tilt beds. They think of everything.While we're all thinking of how to pay bills and build hotrods, they are thinking of how to steal our stuff.

 

Take all the obvious steps like hidden kill switch ,turn wheels all the way,cover car with locking cable under it,club and I like the idea of cel phone notice car is being tampered with but if they want it bad enough tow trucks like the repo guys have and roll backs can snatch your car in seconds.Good insurance is a must. Several years ago here in Denver a motel hired a security guard to watch over the cars here for the Mile High nationals drags.The guard tried to stop car thievs and was SHOT TO DEATH! The poor guy lost his life.Thieves can be ruthless bastards with guns,we live in a diffrent world these days.

 

shit..this guy did it on dry pavement..dragging the bottom of the car all the way

 

With that said, you have to be responsible for YOUR car. People get shot all the time for $200 in convenience stores, so what's on the line for a car worth $20,000 and up?

If the crooks can't grab it in the dead of night, soon enough they'll be car jacking them right out from under your ass.

Bob

 

locks only keep honest people honest......

Good thieves aren't lazy, they figure out how to get your car. Keep what you do to your car a secret. I've been at shows with guys bragging out loud how they did this or that, and just can't help but think that a thief is listening and taking notes.

Make the car attract attention if it's moved, thieves HATE attention.
Make one of train horns go off, that pisses off the nieghbors, cops and thieves.

And ya kill all the thieves, not just the ones that steal the cars....

 

Isuzu makes a gas powered (GM 6.0 V8) cab over truck that is very quiet. Dealers would sell them as repo trucks cause they could sneak in and with an auto loader be out in no time.

As said before, the $10 an hour guards get shot..These guys are not Navy seals or mercs and these situations are not a TV story. Best way to be shot by a thief is to going for your gun. Don't think any of us are quick draws or as young and fast as the asshole that is there to steal your car.

Insure the car right and move on..Not easy, not what I want to do, but I will live to build another car.

 

More sure way to keep it from getting stolen is to sleep in it. With a sidearm. They take the car with you in it, it has gone from grand theft auto to kidnapping, which is a Federal crime.

 

...and I bet it didn't make a sound.

The whole idea, I think, is to make your car unattractive to the thieves. Make it something that looks like its tough to steal and he'll probably move on. (unless he's actually targeted YOUR car.)

Kill switches and the like may slow him down, but at that point he may have already done damage to your car.

Make him not want to even bother with it...

( how do we do that? I have no idea... but so far the idea of a car that is laying frame and almost impossible to quietly take is the best)

 

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Naahhh it made noise..kinda scraping type noise..but if you were in your warm bed snuggled up close to Mrs. Hot Rodder..or not in the area at that time..you wouldnt hear it..

But the point i was making was not about the noise..as much as it was that they could drag your brick of a car up on one of those if they wanted it bad enough..bagged down to the frame..all 4 tires off..what ever

 

Maybe a device like "the club" but one that attaches to the driveline somehow?

 

It's actually to the point that taking my car across the country seems out of the question now. I drove my car to Florida twice in the 90s and theft never entered my thoughts. I would be a nervous wreck trying to sleep at night while my car was in a motel parking lot these days.
Maybe we need something like the NSRA has with the "Fellow Pages". It lists all club members world-wide and has their phone numbers in the event you need assistance. It might not be a bad idea to leave your car at a HAMBER's house at night while making a cross-country trip. Just a thought.

 

Sorry, but realistically the only way to ensure that your stuff stays in your possession is to be aware of what's going on with it at all times. That's very difficult if you have a life. The bags with no air, battery disconnect, fuel shut off, etc. will definitely slow a car thief, especially a novice. But if a real pro wants your ride, he's going to get it. He'll show up with a trailer, flatbed, whatever... and your car is gone.

As someone that shoots often, I'm definitely a proponent of carrying a gun. But realistically most, if not all, states in the US have decided that it is illegal to protect personal property with deadly force if deadly force is not threatened against your person. So as much as I'd say blowing away the guy I catch stealing my ride is true justice, unless that guy poses a threat to my personal well-being, I'm going to jail if I shoot him.

The GPS tracking/cell phone method is the best I can think of at the moment. It's a second line of defense, that even if your car is stolen, you can find its whereabouts and get it back.

 

Now thats some sound advice to heed! I agree with insuring,gps/lowjack & the idea of using a fellow hamb'rs pad to leave your car (that is if they don't mind dropping you off & picking you up from the motel?)
Paul

 

Pro thieves can get repo rigs just as easily as a legit repo guy.

Having guys on watch seems like the most viable and simple thing for clubs that are staying at the same place.

Some sort of setup where Joe Hotwire can't reach in and hotwire the car and drive off should be on every one of our cars when they are parked overnight and it isn't that hard to add at least one extra step to the process of starting any car. Maybe even a toggle switch in the neutral safety switch wire or igniton lead.


Maybe turn some of the rods sideways to the parking strip and have them bumper to bumper with a bagged car flat on the ground at each end to block them in. It would take a club or group effort but that might just cause the sneak thief to decide to go visit the next motel.

From past experince Motel security and fairgrounds security normally is only concerned with protecting the property of the outfit they work for and not the property of guests or participants.

 

I'm really grateful that this thread was started. Its such a common thing to see that a car was stolen from a hotel parking lot or in vicinity of a show. I hate to see someones car stolen but bringing up what to do so that we can keep this from happening is great. I would rather be proactive than reactive because the later really does nothing for you in this situation. I hope that all clubs will really think about the fire watch plan and use it when they have the chance. The idea about a "Fellow Pages" is an excellent idea in case of a real emergency too but that may not go over well with everyone.

 

Yes, THAT Dog Does bite!

 

Hotel security ...baaah! What do they do? Shout " Stop or I'll yell stop again!". Can't blame them either theirnot exactly getting paid large. Lojack or something similar is a good idea as well as anything that will slow them down and make your car a less atractive target. They'll move on and take the easy pickins. I like obvious stuff like a club and brake pedal lock although little more than cosmetic they will slow a theif. I lost my keys and it took me about 30 to 45 seconds to defeat and start my car. I have a grant style wheel so I just popped the horn button of undid the nut ( cresent wrench was laying under the seat ) yanked the wheel smashed the but end of the club off the payvement half a dozen times till the lock broke. Put the wheel back on hot wired the car and drove away. This was also 2 in the afternoon in a mall parking lot and security walked by while I was smashing the club on the ground. No one said a word or even called the cops. I've had two cars stollen in the past and it sucks but that's what insurance is for. Auto theft is real low on the law enforcement priority list.

 

I not only worry about the car,what about parts?I have a tri power on my 31 coupe and worry somebody might take it.Easy pickings with no hood and those cordless impact guns.

 

As a Korean vet at 78 yrs. "Best keep off my lawn", I WILL protect my life & property!!

 

Hey Daddio211, did you know that UTAH CWP now covers 26 states??????? (now if the other 24 will come on board!)

 

Not being a smartass, BUT, how far can a "Rollback travel with 6 tires SHOT OUT?????????

 

We sure do!!--Sorry to hear about the guards death,----Exactly why I train 2 times a month competively with my .45 acp.!
I'm not advocating shooting everybody,---Its just that this cancer has to stop! When enough CAR THIEVES get shot DEAD in the course of stealing your property or try to run you over in the process,---So be it!!!!

 

Wanna' bet???---Check out our website at www.oregon shooting.com