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Hey-ho!
...After the recent confirmed theft of a fellow members car, I'm thinking of investing in one of these bad boys as an extra cautionary measure, provided it fits etc of course.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stoplock-149-00 ... ering+lock
My question is, has anyone any experience of these, particularly in a DMC? Reading the reviews people have left, based on "ordinary" cars, sometimes there is difficulty in positioning it in such a way that it actually fits the steering wheel, and doesn't foul on either the windscreen or something else. This got me wondering/doubting, with the DMC being so tight, with such a severely sloping windscreen, to whether this will indeed even fit.
I have a plan right now to go to my local Halfrauds and ask the chap there if I can test it out on the car (no doubt he will need to accompany me, so that should make his day!) before I commit to buying. If no-one else has any experience of them, then i'll get back here and give some feedback, and hopefully a picture.
Rissy
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Confirmed was it? Oh dear :-(
That's only the second I've ever heard of: if memory serves, the other got stopped at the docks on its way out and recovered. I think it was Carl Hammond's...
R
Richard Hanlon
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dunno if it fits or not, but steering wheel locks strike me to be more visual deterrents than anything else.
not that thats necessarily a bad thing, however you see plenty of videos where if you know what you're doing you can remove them fairly quickly.
(we're probably not helped by the deloreans fairly thin steering wheel)
since i got my car, ive been considering a gps tracker as a mate has one in his vw camper and it seems rather good.
his is designed to run off the camping battery so would be a bit of a drain on a normal car but this other one doesn't seem to bad,
http://back2you.com/store/product_info. ... duct_id=75
bit pricey but its a one off cost and at 5*10 cm it could be hidden quite easily, and from fully charged apparently lasts up to 60 days.
Simon Wood
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This looks quite good, doesn't it. PAYG sim I presume. Good for that initial amount of time the vehicle has gone, while the use of roads and areas with sim reception and GPS capability, but once out in the middle of nowhere, away from mobile phone signal, and in a barn, or other building preventing GPS from receiving, then back to square one.
The steering wheel lock i've mentioned above is Thatcham Cat 3 certified, and boasts 100% police integrity test results. As you say, a visual deterrent, but maybe enough to put someone off that little bit more. I don't tend to leave the car somewhere other than home over night, unless out for club meets, and stay over car shows. If the car is in the drive, then it's either behind a locked gate with CCTV, or it's blocked in by another car, depending on whether in Edinburgh or Rugby. This steering wheel lock might just be enough to cover the rare occasions, without such a big outlay as it would be for the GPS device. Still looks pretty good though. An added sense of security, unknown to the person trying to steal the car too, meaning you could track them down, without their knowledge...which would be good, and this of course, gives a greater peace of mind too.
Rissy
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May 1981 vin#1458 "LEX"
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2010 Honda Civic Type R in Sapphire Blue (1 of 115 made)
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yeah, its horses for courses with stuff like this.
a nice big in your face steering or shifter lock will put off an opportunist.
whereas for someone who's prepared to turn up with a flatbed as sounds like happened in st helens, you probably need something they don't know is there.
Simon Wood
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Not sure how good that lock would be on a DeLorean. I reckon (never tried to pinch one) that you could easily get the centre section of the steering wheel off to get to the nut underneath to simply pull the steering wheel off. BUT it may be enough to put someone off and probably that's all you really need. BUT my other school of thought is that if there stupid/daft/desperate enough to want to steal one then they have probably come ready to get it no matter what is protecting it. Such a specialist car to want to steal. Just my 2pth!
Chris
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BUT....you *might* be able to position the lock in such a way that it covers the hub in the middle, meaning you might not be able to get it off.
Of course, there is always going to be a way. We could come up with scenario after scenario. You can't stop everything....BUT, if you make as many avenues of possibility as difficult as possible, either eliminating them doing a given method altogether, or at the very least leaving it so that they CAN do it, BUT only with umpteen tools, and time to do it, this all adds to the risk factor of them being caught in the middle of it, or being highly suspicious in doing it if seen by others.
Rissy
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May 1981 vin#1458 "LEX"
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at the end of the day, its very sad that we have to ever even consider doing any of this in the first place 
Simon Wood
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marwood82 Wrote:at the end of the day, its very sad that we have to ever even consider doing any of this in the first place
It is indeed, but very real quite obviously.
I know, that if I was wanting a DeLorean, and there are two to choose from, one with a flashing alarm LED in the back window, and a stop lock on the steering wheel, and the other without anything, then I know which one i'd be going for...
Rissy
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May 1981 vin#1458 "LEX"
Grey, Flapped, Black
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Engine: #2839
Main Car(s):
2005 BMW M3 in Velvet Blue
2010 Honda Civic Type R in Sapphire Blue (1 of 115 made)
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If your going for the steering lock Rissy line it with bubble wrap so it does it take the leather off the steering wheel!
I made the mistake with my Calibra not lining it, and instead of thaving 40k on the clock you would have thought it had 140k the way the steering wheel went.
The DeLorean DMC-12 - MADE IN BELFAST, MADE TO LAST
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I seem to remember a test of devices on TV some years ago, there was a big circular yellow mental jobbie that completely enclosed the steering wheel, It was the only thing that beat the TV thief .
A Flashing red LED run on a small battery looks very good....enough to put off the average thicko, but not the man with a low loader.
I dont really think theft is much of a problem, the Liverpool event aside.
Chris Parnham
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Quote:I know, that if I was wanting a DeLorean, and there are two to choose from, one with a flashing alarm LED in the back window, and a stop lock on the steering wheel, and the other without anything, then I know which one i'd be going for...
I don't doubt your right. In fact I know you are. It's just that if your going to steal such a unique car in the first place I reckon you would have done your homework in the first place. According to an earlier post the car was missing some ignition components at least so could not run so they would have 'probably' used a low loader/transit style transporter, and there are plenty of 'skids' to go underneath the front wheels of a car with locked' steering. Either way unless it was chained to the floor I think no matter what it was going to go (if it's correct that it has) I just find it all very sad, I do hope it turns up in one piece and undamaged. Just where do they think they can sell it or the parts???
Chris
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Maybe... just maybe it was stolen as a donor car to refurbish a newly imported car that is in a bad way...
Might be worth keeping an eye out for a totally shot car miraculously refurbished in a short period of time and then that owner selling the remains of the stolen car.... if he's. got any sense, he wont even try so thats why I think thats the only reason for it going missing.
It will come out in the end because its such a small community.
Any items that come up for sale on ebay in this country should be researched!
As for steering wheel locks.... 1 slit in the steering wheel with a good hacksaw and its off.
The disclock Chrispy mentioned is the only one worth the time of day and they are far too big for the DeLorean - I had one!
A good battery isolator, thatcham apporved alarm/immobiliser and a gps tracker with battery backup is the only way to keep the car safe.
And ideally in a garage... my car is buried 3 cars back in an alarmed secured building insured with an agreed value.... If it got nicked, I wouldnt want it back after someone had stolen it... wouldnt ever feel the same!
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TheOriginalMrP Wrote:As for steering wheel locks.... 1 slit in the steering wheel with a good hacksaw and its off.
Never thought of this one Benji, now you're really showing your true colours! :lol:
TheOriginalMrP Wrote:The disclock Chrispy mentioned is the only one worth the time of day and they are far too big for the DeLorean - I had one!
Cheers for the input, from everyone. I think I might try and see about testing out the full steering wheel covering lock from Halfrauds. As you say though, it's pretty big, so will take up a bit of space being stored in the car, but i'd rather that than come back and find the car....well, not find the car in fact.
I'll see about taking some piccies, if anyone is interested.
Rissy
(Forum Member 288)
(DOC Member 663)
May 1981 vin#1458 "LEX"
Grey, Flapped, Black
Chassis: #1073
Engine: #2839
Main Car(s):
2005 BMW M3 in Velvet Blue
2010 Honda Civic Type R in Sapphire Blue (1 of 115 made)
Posts: 425
Threads: 56
Joined: Jul 2006
http://www.thesafeshop.co.uk/products/s ... -post.html
Pop one of these at the end of your garage or driveway to prevent tow-aways
My car is either in the garage or blocked in by another car at night, I'm not going to openly discuss the other measures I've taken, and I would advise others to do the same.
There are all sorts of fuses you can pull out or leads you can remove which would stump the oportunist thief.
These cars must be stolen for parts, as a complete car they are too distinctive and too rare to be sold on in the UK, parts however would be easier to shift, especially with the likes of eBay.
J
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