Stolen Z Found

[lakeholme]

Papa John's got their Z back:

From USA Today
Papa John's missing Camaro found in Detroit driveway
http://usat.ly/1TOEL2F

[x77-69z28]

That's one! Two more cars stolen at the same event. Nothing worse than a thief!

[BULLITT65]

to bad it had to happen, it will probably deter some guys from bringing their cars out there next year.

[X33RS]

They are never safe, even in an enclosed trailer.  I've seen this happen several times at the Pigeon Forge rod run as well.  They just steal the whole damn trailer, sometimes even the truck it's attached to, it's crazy.

That's why after I get the family tucked in at the motel, I go out and sleep in the car, with my side arm at the ready.
  Too bad you go out to have a good time at these things and you simply just can't let your guard down.
   He's lucky he got the car back unscathed, some of my friends weren't so lucky.

[lakeholme]

I'm working on a national event for 2016 (not Autofair) and we're hiring two security crews, one for the cars and one for trucks/trailers.

[lakeholme]

BTW, looks like someone took that Z for a joy ride.  He is lucky they didn't wrap it around a bridge support....

[X33RS]

I'm working on a national event for 2016 (not Autofair) and we're hiring two security crews, one for the cars and one for trucks/trailers.

Now that's the way to do it.  I attended Norwalk for several years for the Tri-Power Nats or now called Pontiac Nationals.  It was safer to leave truck trailer and car inside on the grounds over night as they had security everywhere.  May not be a "cure all" but it sure did give me some piece of mind.

Many other weekend events I did, if it was within a couple hours drive from home, I would just drive back and forth all weekend.  Otherwise I spent the weekend sleeping in the car.  Which as uncomfortable as that may sound, it's really not all that bad.  I never get much sleep in motels anyway, lol

[dannystarr]

Had that happen here locally. They used their cell phone to gain entry to the keyless locks. Took the whole truck and trailer with race car in it. Drove it to another location and pulled the drivetrain out of the race car. Then set it on fire. Truck didn't get a scratch. Another that made the news was a local fire chief had the same issue. Only they had the balls to drive it back and park it in his yard. When he went out several days later, the trailer was empty. Danny

[maroman]

Several years ago I knew someone that had their MC trailer stolen at Bike Week. It was chained to a telephone pole and locked while they went to dinner in the tow vehicle. It was not covered by insurance because it was not attached to the tow vehicle. READ your insurance policy.

[Stingr69]

I would hard disable the tow vehicle some way before going to bed and have a alarm pager to tell you if the dome light comes on from the door opening or if the hitch was separated.  There needs to be ways of at least slowing them down.  News of a few of those guys being "stopped" would also help.

[Kelley W King]

Friend of mine had his car hauler with a pickup on it for sale at the Charlotte Auto Fair this spring in the outfield. It was all stolen in the broad daylight. Still not found.

[BULLITT65]

thats crazy. Sounds like anycar show is a main target of the thieves now. I didn't realize it was so prevalent these days. I guess I don't attend enough shows now a days to see this trend.

[JohnZ]

to bad it had to happen, it will probably deter some guys from bringing their cars out there next year.

The area it was stolen from is nowhere near the Woodward Cruise - it was at least 12 miles away, on the east side of Detroit in a hotel parking lot on E. Jefferson avenue, just a few blocks from a really run-down area known for drugs and chop-shops. If you were in that area on Saturday, you wouldn't even know there was a Woodward Cruise that day.

They punched the ignition, took it out of the trailer, then apparently decided the car was too well-known to drive around and ditched it in the weeds between two abandoned houses. He got the trailer back too.

[lakeholme]

Friend of mine had his car hauler with a pickup on it for sale at the Charlotte Auto Fair this spring in the outfield. It was all stolen in the broad daylight. Still not found.

What "outfield"?

[X33RS]

I would hard disable the tow vehicle some way before going to bed and have a alarm pager to tell you if the dome light comes on from the door opening or if the hitch was separated.  There needs to be ways of at least slowing them down.  News of a few of those guys being "stopped" would also help.

I take a lot of those steps.  Used to go through the trouble to pull the battery out, coil wire, a couple of hidden kill switches for good measure, then chain the hood shut, take everything in the motel with me.   They literally would have to hook it and tow it away, which also isn't out of the question nowadays.   
 Then realized it was easier and less stressful to just sleep in the car. lol.

[X33RS]

thats crazy. Sounds like anycar show is a main target of the thieves now. I didn't realize it was so prevalent these days. I guess I don't attend enough shows now a days to see this trend.

Austin, you are much like us, we like to drive ours daily too.  So you gain a certain sense of awareness and being cautious just comes with the territory.  We rarely ever leave mine where I can't see it at all times. We've done some weekend trips with the cars but haven't done a major car event like Charlotte, Pigeon Forge, in several years.   Theft was going on then but it wouldn't surprise me if the numbers have risen since.  As these cars get more expensive and harder to replace, theft usually follows that trend unfortunately.  Just can't be too careful with these things anymore. 
   Especially out here where we are, living within a few hours of the Mexico border.

[BULLITT65]

Yes I drive my cars, to the store, to run errands and such. Shoot When I am in Indiana I have driven and parked my Z at Walmart. Mind you I parked on the more of the empty end of the parking lot, kinda by where the amish park their buggies. But that was just to avoid other cars and door dings, I have been searching for the perfect parking spot since I was a kid.
If I have a passenger, like when I take my wife out to dinner in one of the cars, I drop her off out front, to put her name in or get the table, while I find the spot where the car has plenty of room around it, and I can see it from where we will be sitting. It might seem like work or to scary to take there cars out like I do, but I just love driving them. Now I am only able to take her out a handful of times a year, but it makes for a great date night.
Of course she drives a 65 mustang to work most of the time, and parks in a carport. (no security, alarm, kill switch) Car has been fine, its in an ok area. it has been a daily driver since 89 so I haven't treated any different than any other daily driver.

I am not as brave as you Larry, I couldn't give her the Z as a daily driver. 

[vtfb68]

According to forbes  no cities near the Mexican border even rank near the top 10 in stolen cars,  and never have.
   VT

[X33RS]

According to forbes  no cities near the Mexican border even rank near the top 10 in stolen cars,  and never have.
   VT

I don't think anything internet or TV paints an honest picture.

[X33RS]

Yes I drive my cars, to the store, to run errands and such. Shoot When I am in Indiana I have driven and parked my Z at Walmart. Mind you I parked on the more of the empty end of the parking lot, kinda by where the amish park their buggies. But that was just to avoid other cars and door dings, I have been searching for the perfect parking spot since I was a kid.
If I have a passenger, like when I take my wife out to dinner in one of the cars, I drop her off out front, to put her name in or get the table, while I find the spot where the car has plenty of room around it, and I can see it from where we will be sitting. It might seem like work or to scary to take there cars out like I do, but I just love driving them. Now I am only able to take her out a handful of times a year, but it makes for a great date night.
Of course she drives a 65 mustang to work most of the time, and parks in a carport. (no security, alarm, kill switch) Car has been fine, its in an ok area. it has been a daily driver since 89 so I haven't treated any different than any other daily driver.

I am not as brave as you Larry, I couldn't give her the Z as a daily driver. 

I do the same, park away from people yet visible from where I am.  I've even gotten up from the dinner table to move it to a more visible location if I'm not seated where I hoped to be.
  Like you, been doing that since I had a license, it's just second nature anymore.  So much so that I find myself doing it even if I'm not in a classic car.
   No worries Austin, wife takes care of it.  She parks right outside her office window, business at a dead end street so no traffic gets in without noticing.  It's pretty safe.  Plus I'd feel sorry for the person that crossed my wife if someone tried to take it, lol.
   If there is ever a cool get together or weekend meet in your neck of the woods, we wouldn't hesitate to jump in it and buzz down to southern cal.

[vtfb68]

This site is on the internet. People choose to beleive what they want instead of researching the facts.
    VT

[X33RS]

Most of that stuff is politically motivated, so I take it with a grain of salt.  Actually living in the areas in question is the only way to form an honest opinion.

Bottom line, as this entire thread shows, classic cars aren't really safe anywhere.  The story above with the entire car hauler taken in broad daylight shows how bold people can be.  More disturbing might be the fact that as crowded as the Charlotte Auto fair is, no one noticed??

[X33RS]

Just another example, my father had one of his stolen.  Parked right in front of the main entrance to a busy shopping mall on a Friday afternoon, literally 10 steps away.  People constantly going in and coming out.  He's in there for 20 minutes tops.  Comes out and car is gone.  Someone was bold enough to break into the car and steal it in broad daylight with people walking around everywhere.   Oddly, no one saw anything out of the ordinary, people are just oblivious to what's going on around them.

Car was never recovered.

[Northernforce]

My buddy had a nice mid 80's blazer all done up that he drove on nice /dry days in the winter as well as all summer-he and his family were ice skating at a local outdoor rink when he saw his truck being driven away.Hard to chase someone on skates-they found it 3 days later all burnt!
Keep on Cruising!!!

Dave

[X33RS]

Now that's rough.  I think I'd rather not know what happened to it verses seeing it stripped or burnt to a crisp.

[Mike S]

 Too bad car clubs don't have prospects like we have in the MC world. Nothing like having a set of eyes (and whatever is carried) for a sure deterrent. 

Mike

[BULLITT65]

car club prospects....thats funny. I don't think there is enough prestige for car clubs. Maybe a lowrider club or import club may have some clout where they have prospects. Old car clubs have no pride.....they will take anyone they can get...

I think I would be considered a prospect since I have yet to join a club. CRG/team Camaro is about as close as I have gotten.

[lakeholme]

Traveling to shows all over US and Europe for decades, I've found that classic car preferences and prestige for car clubs vary from place to place.
Using AACA as an example:
The "old guys" at Hershey have a waiting list. The fastest growing region in AACA is around Kansas City and most of its members are young adults. My region has steadily gained about 5% in membership for several years with several membership requirements.
On the other hand, AACA has never gained much traction on the West Coast.

[X33RS]

I never was too much for clubs as they generally have a certain make or model they celebrate and frown on guys like me who have a collection of various makes and models.

But the West coast thing doesn't surprise me too much, because there isn't much of anything that has caught on out here when it comes to car events.  All the good stuff is East of the Mississippi.  We don't have UMTR, NMCA, NMRA, PSMCD, F.A.S.T., Pontiac Nationals, and list goes on.   We have PSCA but they rarely get around outside of California, and once a year you have a nostalgia event over there with cacklefest.   Really nothing organized out here for musclecars though, most of the dragstrips have dried up and most of the national type of events are back East as well.
   All of which I find strange because they have to pack it all in with a few short months of decent weather, yet we have weather year round to support car activities, daily driving, sunshine, etc..  with very little worry of rain ever ruining a car weekend or hurting the turnout 12 months out of the year.  So much so that I have no desire to even venture East past Arizona towards the nasty weather after about November, lol.