TheScaryOne

So, here I am, over at my buddy Andrew's house, getting ready to retire for the night, and I get a phone call. It's 1:48 AM and I don't recognize the number. Up for a little humor, I decide to answer it, expecting a telemarketer or something.

"This is the Tucson Police Department, may I ask who am I speaking to?"
"This is Tyler."
"Tyler, do you own a 1987 Chevrolet Camaro?"
"Yes, yes I do."
"Is the vehicle with you?"
"Yea, it should be right outside."
"What's the address you're at?"
"350 E Wetmore, Northpointe Apartments, Apartment ****"
"Well, we have an officer who thinks he's with the car."
Tyler scrambles with the locks on the door to get outside. He looks off the balcony to where his car *was* parked.
"Ohmigod. It's gone. My ****ing car is gone. Oh my god. Oh God. Is it all right? Where is it?"
"Hold on. Let me get back on the line with the officer."
Tyler paces up and down the sidewalk. Unsure of whether to cry or to destroy something.
"Are you still there?"
"Yes."
"Well, the officer says the steering column is busted. The car isn't drivable."
"Did he say anything else? Is anything else wrong?"
"He didn't mention anything else. Wait. Hold on."
Tyler is having a panic attack.
"He says it's still running. You can come pick it up if you want."
"Where is it?"
"Well, the car is at Holmes and Arcadia."
"I don't know where that is."
"Hold on. Let me get the block numbers."
The officer tells me numbers Tyler doesn't understand normally, let alone in a panic.
"What's the nearest major roads?"
"Uh, it's just north of East Broadway and West of Craycroft."
"Thank you. We're on our way. Who should we call if we have problems finding it?"
"You can just call 911, and ask for the police."
"Holmes and what?"
"Arcadia."
"Thank you."

Yes. Yes you read right. My car was stolen. Me and Andrew got in Nikki's car and headed down to the area where it is. We both forgot the crossroads, and only remembered Holmes. I am about having a baby in the passenger seat, royally freaking out. We get on Craycroft and are driving southbound and we pass Holmes, and I see three cop cars on the opposite side of the road. We pull a u-ey and pull up. I pop out of the car asking if this is where the stolen car was. Nope. Just some poor kid getting arrested for DUI. Bet I made him feel better about his night. We flip another u-ey and head down Holmes. We see taillights down the road, and pull up. It's the cop. He waves us to the side, we confirm this is the stolen car, and follow him down the block to it.

God. Word's can't comprehend. The car was pulled up on the curb, still running. Both of my T-Tops are ****ed up, one had the handle used as an o-**** bar, and was ripped flat out of the car. $300-400 The steering column is destroyed. $??? Turned the car off with a screwdriver that wasn't mine. All of my papers are missing from the inside. Insurance, registration. A couple of misc. car parts. All gone. Looks like everything for the serpentine setup was there. Hopefully. I dunno. They stole my flashlight out of the roof. $75. It looks like everything except all of my stuff out of my center console is still in the car. Plus a bunch that wasn't mine. Looks like they robbed a contractor. Bunch of heavy duty tools. Generator. Car reeks. Smells like beer. All over. There's grease everywhere. At least the car is in one piece. I point out everything damaged to the cop, he writes it down, he leaves and we wait for the tow truck.

It takes a while, but the truck finally shows up. He's got a blazer in the back of the car, so that means my car would be a tag-along, and knowing how easily the front bottoms out, I volunteer to follow him and drive the car to the yard. It's currently there. Waiting for me to come photograph and retrieve it. But I need a place to park it where it'll be safe. **** me. **** me sideways.

This is Tyler. Signing out.

P.S. : If anyone knows where to get a reinforced steering column so it'd be harder to break, please tell me. If you have one, I will buy it. Just let me know. Thanks guys.

__________________

AC

Sh*t man. Sorry to read the story. My is after you fix the things muffed up by the *** pirates who stole your car you could buy a MSD box (6A OR 6AL) and put the valet RPM chip in at night. Thieves wouldn't know why your car doesn't run right above 1000 rpms.
----------
Correction. The 6AL's valet mode is at 1500rpm

rat infested

B##tards String em up and let the buzzards have their fill

__________________
9.84 @ 138mph STREET DRIVEN full weight 9" tire !! www.cardomain.com/ride/2433863

xgtharo86x

damn dude that suxx idn what id do if my car got stolen...are you gunna post pics of the damages

__________________

"Real cars don't power the front tires, they lift em'."

86' Trans Am- 85 LG4 with 77 non cc qjet elderbrock intake manifold...hedman headers( shorty style)..3" piping flowmaster 80 series..no emissions...4thgen center console..restored interior..2400watt system..700r4 with 2200 stall and corvette servo, shift kit..2.73 Posi..Torque Thrust II's.. FINALLY building my first 350

mdurbala

it sucks how easy these cars are stolen i work at a grocery store out in bfe and theres alot of construction, seems everyday i pull up there are a ton of illegals just watchin me thinkin how they can steal my poor car, or there just thinkin what it would look like if they saw zawed the top off and put some 100spoke 13" daytons on it....

Bullydawg

I would be Pissed. I would go out there and just blow up. Whoever stole your car better not try again. Do you Have an alarm in the car? I am going to get one if they can prevent a theft like what happened to you. So get some pictures of it. I am guessing the guy who did it didn't get caught.

__________________
Exterior: Blacked out tail lights, Clear Side Markers, Black Cross Lace Wheels, Fiberglass Wrap Around Spoiler.
Engine: 350 TPI Bored to a 357.
Transmission: 700R4 2900 RPM Stall W/ a Shift Kit.
Rear End: Rebuilt 9 bolt with 3.27 Posi
Interior: 1996 Ebony Leather 4th gen seats, Grant Steering Wheel.
Sound: Sony Xplode deck with Pioneer speakers...2 Kicker Comp 12's with a 1600 Watt Amp.
Modifications: A couple boltons...all smog legal.

...Age, 17

"Never use force, use a bigger hammer. If it breaks, it needed replacing anyway."
"If you cross thread a bolt, there's no need for Loctite."
"I hate going to weddings. All the grandmas poke me and say, "You're next".
They stopped that when I started doing it to them at funerals."

TheScaryOne

The cop saw the car doing 110 down one of the main roads. Flipped on his cherries, and they bolted into a rezzie, probably going fast enough to kill both of the drunk bastards. Cop found the car abandoned in a cul-de-sac. They bought some brand new tools to commit the theft, all from a Checker Auto. So I'm gonna ask the local Checkers if they sold the items last night.

Don't have an alarm. Will soon. Also gonna try to reinforce the steering column if I can't find a reinforced one. I'm tempted to just have the T-Tops welded to the car. I dunno. It's messed up. All original plastic, T-Tops, everything. Thrashed by two drunk ****ing pieces of **** who wanted a ****ing joyride. I ****ing hate people.

Duck

Bummers! But in a way predictable, given the high theft rate of pre-VAT GM cars, especially Camaros and Corvettes.

Here's what I'd do if parked on the street, driveway, front/back yard, parking garage or in a locked garage [I do at least two of these even in my garage]:

1. Install a brake pedal lock.
2. Install a ignition column lock.
3. Install a kill switch someplace in the ignition or trans lockout circuit.
4. Install a noisy alarm system.
5. Don't leave stereo faceplate, CD's, registration, etc, in the car.
6. Oh, another little trick that frustrates thieves and carjackers is removing that little plastic rod under the shift handle. Can't shift tranny without it.
7. Finally, a removable steering wheel prevents anything except tow-away, pilferage or vandalism.

BTW, I have a set of T-tops suitable for your car. George hasn't responded, so if you want them let me know.

Actually you're pretty lucky -- the car wasn't totaled or stripped, or taken across the border, and it still runs. Remember, bad luck often runs in threes ... this is the 2nd recent bad luck since the parking lot accident, so be very careful....

Attached Images

Pedal and Steering lock.jpg (27.3 KB, 62 views)

__________________
Duck_Pearl City, HI
87 IROC-Z 5.7, 92 Z28 5.7 25th Anniversary, 92 RS 25th Anniversary, 91 RS Ragtop

Synapsis

That sucks. I always hated parking my Iroc outside, even though I had a ton of security on it: VIN etched glass, RFID ignition kill, alarm with ignition kill, and VAT.

At least you got it back. Most cars end up in Mexico.

__________________
1990 Iroc-Z - L98, 700R4, 3.27
Ran 85% Ethanol fuel, converted back. For sale!
My E85 Conversion posts:
http://www.thirdgen.org/techboard/so...bor-day-2.html
http://www.thirdgen.org/techboard/south-west-region/337432-still-working-fuel-system.html

1931 Chevy 3-Window Coupe
1958 392 Hemi with 6-71 blower, no trans yet, 9" Ford with 3.00 gears

2002 Ford F-150 SVT Lightning

TheScaryOne

Actually, when I bought the car, I had it two weeks and a friend backed into it with their van. Small dent in the hood. It's still there. Just hard to see. So theft makes it three.

Getting it fixed, and gonna try to get it improved. I want to see if I can get an improved design steering column, car alarm, club, brake lock, and I'm gonna pull the dist cap to coil cable every night.

P.S. Just looked up column locks. Never knew they existed. Ever. Pending response from a supplier I have one on the way. Gonna get that, a brake lock (even though you can shift our cars without holding down the brake),
car alarm, only thing I left in the car was my insurance and registration. And from now on it's going in my wallet.

What do you want for the T-Tops?

Duck

$25 is good enough for the T-tops. Don't waste your money on a "club" they're useless. And instead of pulling the coil wire, a hidden kill switch is better. PM me for more info.
Will the insurance pay for some of the damages, like repainting the car from the damage and fixing all the theft-scratches?

What's an "improved" column?

TheScaryOne

I heard about some that had reinforced areas where they break in, but a column lock will cover all the areas I care about. According to Hawk's I need a column designed for tilt, cruise control, delay wipers, and automatic tranny. I have a feeling that's gonna be the hardest part to find. Hawks also has aftermarket blinker arms, which as far as I can see look like the stock ones, saving me a buttload of money on a GM part. I'll get you the money on my next time up to Kingman. I'm gonna order a column lock as soon as I hear back from a supplier. Which do you have Ed? The Carguard or Lok-Itt? The Lok-Itt looks like it's harder to break off, but the Carguard looks like more total coverage.

rat infested

for my worth I'd go with duck on this
battery kill switch (only NEED to mount anywhere in-line on negative side of battery)
keep the "little red key" on your keyring
and a big F##king Rottweiller !
Both cheap but effective
good luck on getting the car sorted

5678TA

ouch man.. hope the po-po catch those bastards.. and i hope insurance pays for the damages..

just another reason to justify a loud car.. half my neighborhood would be able to hear my car start..

CraZ-28

Exactly. Granted my car is in a garage, with the alarm armed when its parked. If someone were to get into the house/garage, get the garage door open, and bypass the alarm without me hearing it, there is no way they are going to fire it up without me running through the front door ready to have someone's azz.

Duck

Battery kill switches work great on non-computer cars, but force the ECU to "relearn" each time the current is reconnected. I believe Sears and perhaps some other battery distributors have "anti-theft" types of batteries which send a few volts into the system to keep the ECU alive, but not enough to start the car. Have not researched them since my spiral-wound batteries will last for years and years...

A search here on TGO for "kill switch" turns up a bunch of options for disabling the fuel injection, starter, auto trans, or ignition circuits. Any of those discourage in-a-hurry thieves who will bail-out rather than take the time to trouble-shoot why the darn car won't start -- especially if an alarm is screaming in their ears. However, bad guys breaking in cause a bunch of damage, so especially for cars parked on the street, I'd recommend a visual deterrent to let them know there's better opportunities elsewhere ... like a removable steering wheel. Can't drive it away with no wheel, right? Or the bright red column cover.

BTW, send me a PM with your planned NV/AZ travel dates and route and I'll workup some sights and destinations.

mdurbala

I dont think a missing steernig wheel is that much of a deterent ive seen people driving around with vice grips on the shaft and the steering wheel sittin in the passenger seat cause they didnt want to mess with the club

Bullydawg

My trick is to make my sister park behind me.

Duck

I don't use a column lock at this time, since the car spends so little time on the street. I figure the brake-lock is deterrent enough, since the bad guys know those are about impossible to cut off, given the awkward position they have to work in to use tools [Honolulu has one of the highest vehicle theft rates in the US and I first became aware of brake-locks when the chief of police there recommended using them. The manufacturer had a contest offering $1,000 to anyone able to remove the lock with hand tools within 20 minutes ... a bunch of ex-car-thieves showed up and couldn't do it. Have to cut a hole in the floorboard, cut the brake pedal off, cut the actual lock, or use liquid nitrogen to freeze, then shatter the lock itself. Too much physical work in a very awkward, physically exposed position, makes the car a hard target.

I think for parking a low-value ThirdGen on the street, a combination of loud alarm, column and brake pedal locks would be enough to deter any casual thief. However, if it's a custom/race/high-value car parked on the street, someone, somewhere will try to boost it, even if it means using a tow truck.

Z.ROC28

You could also install LoJac I believe it's called? It's a GPS oriented system that every cop has access too. So if your car is stolen, they can find out where it is in a matter of seconds. I'd probably have a mental breakdown if my car was stolen... Even though I wish I had T-Tops I don't so I guess that's one thing to always be worried about.

5678TA

i hear you with that one.. i have shaved handles too so they would have to break the window.. or have a field day climbing through the monkey bars in the back.. oh, and i'm gettin a doberman today!! i also got seperate switches for the fuel pump and vacuum pump.. in the dark, theres no way you would find them.. black switches but right above your head.. lol

phatkat64

Sorry to hear about the car! ;((

I'm always worried about theft, more so since I'm spending a week in Tucson with the parents.
I think Ed's on to something with the brake lock. I have VATS, but someone will destroy the column before figuring out it won't work....

People suck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

__________________
Carmine

Traded the 88 IROC for a 91 RS, and couldn't be happier! Less headaches, smoother ride! A happy deal indeed!!!!
I'm in my 13th Camaro, 10th third-gen, and my 4rd RS

Duck