Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Daniel H]

Saw this notice on the farina forum, please keep an eye out. Saw this car in the flesh whilst in Croydon last month and it really is immaculate so would be a crying shame for it to be raced.

1962 Old English White Austin Cambridge Estate Manual Very clean condition, (MINT) black roof, reg. 2220 PF, red leather interior, alternator, spot and fog lamps, towbar, chassis AHW17789, engine 16AMWUH173240.

Stolen from outside house, Kenley, south of Croydon, Surrey last night 15th/16th April. If you know anything about this, do the right thing. Phone Lou James 0208 668 6745.

Police log number: CAD3273 so you can contact police if you see it.

It's identical to the one in this photo.

[Richard H]

Terrible. Can't imagine what the owner must be going through

Not far from where my A35 was stolen from too (never recovered)

[Ironhead]

these thieving scumbags make my blood boil

[Ellis]

The vermin are at it again, are they?

I've often wondered what happens to the unrecovered ones. Are they broken for spares or meet the ultimate indignity of banger racing?
Or are they stolen to order and end up with "new" identities?

Chilling thought either way.
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Starting Handle Expert

1964 Jaguar Mark 2 3.4 litre
1962 Land Rover Series 2a 88"
2002 BMW M3 E46 Cabriolet

[baconsdozen]

I wonder what the best way to protect such vehicles is.
Car alarms seem to be ignored,immobilisers can be bypassed.
Handbrake or gear locks remover or cables cut,even wheel clamps dont stop it being lifted.
I don't know how effective trackers are,I have one on one of my vehicles but I suppose its better to stop it being taken away in the first place.
Any thoughts?.
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Thirty years selling imperial hand tools for old machinery(Now happily retired).

[PAUL BEAUMONT]

Some good questions here! My friends Jowett that was stolen earlier in the year would be an unlikely candidate for Banger racing, unlikely candidate for breaking for spares, possible candidate for stolen to order, but will be recognised world wide, possible candidate for stolen for reg number, but anyone appearing with its number on a BMW is going to have a significant amount of explaining to do. That said we need to understand why cars are being stolen, so that we can be aware of likely candidates etc.
Then there is how they are stolen. If it is the classic break a window hot wire it and drive away, inhibitors, alarms etc probably work. If they are spirited away in a covered vehicle then the challenge is greater and maybe only a tracker will work. (I do know folk for whom these have delivered the goods though)
Any one got more thoughts on these points?

Paul

[nqtraderman]

How about a DIY tracking service ?

1. get an old mobile on PAYG and top it up
2. permanently wire it into the car on non-switched +12v
3. switch it on in mute mode
4. register it with a cheap locating service eg; http://www.childlocate.co.uk/prices.html
5. hide it in your car eg; behind a panel or fasten under a seat
6. if/when top up expires .. top up again

In addition to fitting an alarm, immobilisers etc if the car ever gets stolen you use the tracker service to locate it.
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Owner of a 1953 Sunbeam Alpine

[Churchill Johnson]

It never end's these b-------s want blowing up,i have had them round here 4 times in 2 weeks looking at my vintage 3 wheel horticultural truck which sat under my willow tree and only got to a show once a year,i took one wheel off the trailer and the towsocket off and chained the machine to the trailer but of course most of these small trailer wheels are the same and two bolts and a bit of chain would enable them to tow it away so today i have moved it to a friends place which is not seen from the road and its behind locked gates,but what winds me up is it cost's us money all the time all because the cops cant be bothered to do anything about them or they are to frightened to go on a site.

[baconsdozen]

I agree with the sentiments in the last post.You can understand how people end up so frustrated they take action themselves against those the authorities are reluctant to.
I like the idea of using a mobile phone as per the second from last post,old mobiles and pay as you go can be picked up easily enough.I park my cars on a secure compound with CCTV and security guards but any extra security is handy especially when the car is parked somewhere.
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Thirty years selling imperial hand tools for old machinery(Now happily retired).

[Ben Stephens]

Do you think some of the cars are stolen just down to the value of scrap metal at the moment. I know around here we had a spate of man hole covers being stolen.

Something like the Jowett, lots of brass and copper?

I am not sure, but it does worry me a lot.

Kindest Regards

Ben

[Churchill Johnson]

Well to top it all i see on the tv tonight that s.w.trains got it in the earhole by passenger's because they got stuck on train's because thieve's [we have so many now most of course not british] had tried to nick some signalling copper wire with a call that the manager should be sacked how stupid if and i mean if those thieve's had been booted out of this country as soon as they set foot in it we would not be in this state and i bet those same passenger's would still say are we must give them a home and money as they have not got any. It's a shame they don't nick the chief constable's car or one of the prime minister car's as sure as hell something would be done then!

[Roger-hatchy]

CJ
You speak my language
I'll stop there before we get thrown off
BTW your just down the road from me.
There is get together at

http://www.derougemontmanor.com/about_history.html

on Monday next with Essex classics
A bit Ford orientated at the moment, but were converting them
Be nice to meet some forum members.