do GNs get stolen a lot

[loki993]

ive been in the market for a GN for a little bit now. I think ill have the money to get one in about 6 months. I do have one question right now though. Do these cars get stolen more than others? in the past week alone thre have been 2 stolen. is this a common thing or just a coincidence? just wondering really, it wont alter my decision but it is a bit of a concern.

 

[Bescurred]

Yes it happens quite a bit...you must have some theft deterrent devices on the car. Research on which one you like the best.

 

[suicide six]

Left alone it will be stolen or attempted stolen.If used everyday and left outside or unattended chances are someone will try,theft device or not.

 

[Pablo]

Yes,
I regularly see posts here about someones car being stolen. They are really admired by the criminal element. If you've ever had the misfortune of talking about them to folks that seem less than trustworthy you'll notice this.

 

[Aztlanahauc]

It is how I got mine...Mine was a theft recovery that my friend got at auction for me. They were trying to change mine to an 83 Regal....All back to 87 looks now.

 

[MeanBuicks]

Yep, the scumbags like turbo Buicks, no doubt. Mine was the latest to vanish. The only thing that might have helped it besides leaving it locked up in a garage (kinda hard to do when you actually use it for transportation) would have been a GPS or Lo Jack-type system. It had a permanent stainless steel column collar and an extremely discreet disabling scheme so it couldn't be driven away. It was hooked up and hauled off.

I can say, if you intend to drive it anywhere and someone wants it bad enough, they'll get it. Repo rigs have some pretty sophistacated mechanisms that enable a car to be easily snatched from most positions including when it's parallel parked.

My car is a poster child for your question regarding GN theft. It was stolen in Memphis in January 1991 and recovered the same night. January 1996 saw it broken into and the column smashed in an attempted theft. And that was in the hospital parking garage while my son was being born. Saved by a homemade disabling scheme, I started the car with the screwdriver on my swiss army knife and brought my son home in it.

Fast forward 10 years and it's gone again.

 

[turbojimmy]

It is how I got mine...Mine was a theft recovery that my friend got at auction for me. They were trying to change mine to an 83 Regal....All back to 87 looks now.

Mine's a recovered theft, too. Theives totaled it. Bought at auction.

Jim

 

[loki993]

well thats not the best news but, pretty much what i figured. kinda sucks to put all this money into a car to make it nice and fast just to know that someday somebody will probally steal it and trash it.

 

[2QUIK6]

Mine's usually on the lift up in the air with the power shut off to the lift and 2 or 3 cars behind it, if they can get it down off the lift and the other cars out of the way and avoid several booby traps before the alarms alert me to come out and shoot them dead they can have it

 

[tb3]

I don't have any theft deterant on either of mine. Kind of dumb I guess. I figure keeping them locked up in the garage at all times when not in use, not using either for a daily driver, and always parking where I can keep a constant eye on, or at least where I can't go for more than a minute without being able to check on it in a parking lot, that it won't be stolen. Another words, if a restaurant or any other place doesn't have lots of windows, I won't be stopping in there with my GN. I've never had a car stolen or broke into, I couldn't imagine what it would do to me if it did. I suppose I should at least check into some sort of a steering column guard

 

[granatl]

I had only lived in Vegas for about 6 weeks before someone tried to steal mine.
My suggestions are
1. GPS (I don't like Lo-Jack because you have to be pro-active)
2. A paging alarm with mecury switches (so if a tow truck picks up either end, it triggers the mercury switch and then pages you).
3. Column guard (permanent, not the removable kind)
4. Lots of kill switches
5. When parking, cut the wheels to one side or the other all the way. And also try to park where you're blocked in front, and as much as possible in back (to help discourage tow trucks).
6. Try to "hide" the car. Don't park out in the open just because you're trying to avoid door dings. You don't want the car to be noticed from the street.

HTH

 

[Little6pack]

I had only lived in Vegas for about 6 weeks before someone tried to steal mine.
My suggestions are
1. GPS (I don't like Lo-Jack because you have to be pro-active)
2. A paging alarm with mecury switches (so if a tow truck picks up either end, it triggers the mercury switch and then pages you).
3. Column guard (permanent, not the removable kind)
4. Lots of kill switches
5. When parking, cut the wheels to one side or the other all the way. And also try to park where you're blocked in front, and as much as possible in back (to help discourage tow trucks).
6. Try to "hide" the car. Don't park out in the open just because you're trying to avoid door dings. You don't want the car to be noticed from the street.

HTH

Very good tips. I use to park all alone not to get door dings when I had my GN.
Now that I have a TT I now park with the crowd, head in, & cut the wheels.
She blends in good, Plus I use the column gard,& other goodies like a motion pager so I am 15 seconds away to get to parking lot..

I have seen BOOTs that you can use but that must be a pain to haul out everyday to attach.

Another tips: Mix up the days you drive to work & take different routes

 

[no-nos]

i think it's about the same as any mustang, camaro or ricer

 

[TURBOTERRORV6]

i think it's about the same as any mustang, camaro or ricer

imo,the one that knows about those cars,will hit the regal Gn in a heartbeat. Those are notorious and cakes for any thieves. i had a 85 Gn years ago,in the early 90s,and it got stolen 2 times,the second time the whole car was stripped,and it was only left as a rolling chassis,when i mean everything,EVERYTHING.

 

[Little6pack]

Please stop with these threads it is depressing :frown:

 

[RKHiPerformance]

i think it's about the same as any mustang, camaro or ricer

I think GN's and Turbo T's are particularly appealing to thieves, because the parts are interchangeable with so many body styles and the cars are so easy to steal. After reading about so many instances of theft and surviving a theft attempt on our own T-Type in Atlanta we don't take any chances.
Until our second garage is built we have one car stored in a portable garage to keep it out of sight. We also have a length of the heaviest chain we could buy wrapped around the frame rail and secured to a massive nearby tree. We use the same chain to secure the car and trailer when at race events, because thieves will commute nowadays, you know. Even to Bowling Green.

 

[Pablo]

I think GN's and Turbo T's are particularly appealing to thieves, because the parts are interchangeable with so many body styles and the cars are so easy to steal. After reading about so many instances of theft and surviving a theft attempt on our own T-Type in Atlanta we don't take any chances.
Until our second garage is built we have one car stored in a portable garage to keep it out of sight. We also have a length of the heaviest chain we could buy wrapped around the frame rail and secured to a massive nearby tree. We use the same chain to secure the car and trailer when at race events, because thieves will commute nowadays, you know. Even to Bowling Green.

I agree, my T type with primer and surface rust all over gets 10 times the attention my firebird did even when my firebird looked good and was freshly waxed and sounded healthy. I think thirdgen F bodies are even easier to steal than turbo buicks too and I was never worried about it

 

[SinistrV6]

Having lost one myself (my '86 in '99) I take a keen interest in every new report of another stolen TR. Mean Buicks, I've put the word in the streets down here about yours.

Just thinking about theft deterrants and along the lines of the "paging alarm" mentioned above; has anyone ever seen or heard of a "proximity alarm"? I'm thinking that with advances in GPS and such an alarm/kill switch that activates whenever you and your car get "X" distance apart, wouldn't be that hard to develop (if it doesn't exist already). I like the idea of a "delayed kill switch" that activates after the car has moved out into traffic or other highly visible areas. If the TR dies on the freeway or at an intersection don't you think they'd just get out of it and leave it?

Of course killing it doesn't stop a rollback, but at least the paging system with the mercury switches would let you know it was on the move (as would a GPS based system).

Just thinking out loud (or in text..)

 

[Zurn]

To drive or not to drive...

Man, and I was thinking about using my as a DD. You think LoJack, column guard, and a kill switch on the fuel pump and the computer would be enough? I'm not a big fan of alarms, nobody looks anymore when they go off... I was thinking about selling my car for a new one but I don't want the new car payment so I was going to fix the Buick and drive it. Is this a bad idea? Does anybody else use their car as a DD?

 

[MeanBuicks]

Having lost one myself (my '86 in '99) I take a keen interest in every new report of another stolen TR. Mean Buicks, I've put the word in the streets down here about yours.

Richard, thanks for the assistance. There's some comfort in knowing that our tight knit TR community is willing to look out for each other.