Car thieves?
How long does it take a thief to get into a locked car and drive off?
One of the guys at works car (pos small chevy product) was stolen yesterday, it is on the video, there was less than 20 seconds from the time the thief got out of his ride till he drove out of the lot, the car was off camera, so we don't know how he entered we just see him get out of the passenger side of a explorer, then less than 20 seconds later, the car is driving out.
I think it might have been a re-po......[:0]
What do you think?
Don
One of the guys at works car (pos small chevy product) was stolen yesterday, it is on the video, there was less than 20 seconds from the time the thief got out of his ride till he drove out of the lot, the car was off camera, so we don't know how he entered we just see him get out of the passenger side of a explorer, then less than 20 seconds later, the car is driving out.
I think it might have been a re-po......[:0]
What do you think?
Don
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EVEN FASTER IF THE KEYS ARE IN IT 0 -
Repos usely get a key from the co. they deal with. We had a list of key numbers matched to the serial numbers of the car of the order form from the co. Usely only 2 or 3 key would do the job.
We had 3 key rings with about 150 <> . Repoed in Watts LA. Cal. in 1969. Fun,Fun,Fun----Good money also. Made about 200-250 a night back then that was BIG money.0 -
Done in under 20 seconds I'd guess a repo, but a skilled smash and pop car theif could probably do it in under thirty seconds. Smash the window, reach in to open the door, pop out the ignition switch, and presto new ride. 0 -
depends on the car too. Even some of the lower chevy models have the chip in the key. The car will not work without that chip. So if that is the case, the thief/repo man had a factory key.
It is not hard, just come on Monday and copy the VIN, go to your bud at the dealer and have a key cut, come back on Tuesday and take the car.
I doubt someone would steal a POS like you described so it probably was a repo.0 -
Most repos here are by tow truck...they use hook and scoot tactics. The trucks have hidden booms.
20 secs is about right for an experienced car thief.0 -
quote:Originally posted by dongizmo
How long does it take a thief to get into a locked car and drive off?
What do you think?
Don
quite rare here these days, with immobilisers as standard, only insurance scamm takers..but genuine lucky takers ,get 3yrs min !! [;)]if they dont die in a cop chase![:D]0 -
If the car ws locked, was there any glass on the ground?
20 sec. to get through a locked car door without breaking glass and get it cranked is too short for a thief without a key.
Any chance the guy had it stolen?[;)]0 -
quote:Originally posted by Txs
If the car ws locked, was there any glass on the ground?
20 sec. to get through a locked car door without breaking glass and get it cranked is too short for a thief without a key.
Any chance the guy had it stolen?[;)]
IIRC, the glass was intact.[:0]
Don0 -
quote:Originally posted by dongizmo
IIRC, the glass was intact.[:0]
Don
It was unlocked or it was repo'ed. Even on a POS there is no way you could exit one car, pick or jimmy a lock, and then hotwire the car.0 -
A skilled person with a slim jim, can be in the car in under 20 seconds, now depending on how they plan on starting the car, it could add a couple minutes. I learned a junk yard in delaware how to start cars that you dont have the key to. Guy at the junkyard had his own ignition, and he would run a big fat screw into the old ignition, get a slide hammer, and yankt he old ignition out, and use the wires from the old ignition to hook to his ignition and just start it that way. 0 -
I got some questions of my own:
Model and year?
If the vic was a co-worker, how come you don't know if it was a repo or not?
Why does everyone assume that if it's a repo, the guy will have a key?
I did it for ten years and getting a key code from the L/O (Legal Owner) was very rare, even when it was the manufacturer and all the collector had to do was look it up at their regular work station. I worked out of eight different offices for five different companies, not counting when I started running my own truck, and not one of them would even bother to ask the L/O for a code, and they wouldn't pay for one or use a contact at a dealer until the car was ready to go to auction and the L/O insisted it go with keys.
My guess for a small Chevy product is that they did have a key, because most of the cars that come to mind don't pick or force that fast.
Personal record, from the time my pick hit the door lock until the ignition was rolled, is 7 seconds. I didn't know I was being timed, I had a smart-ass driver who figgered he'd prove me wrong after I told him that particular vehicle should go pretty easy, so he timed it with the chrono on his wrist watch w/o telling me until later.0 -
quote:Originally posted by MrOrange
Personal record, from the time my pick hit the door lock until the ignition was rolled, is 7 seconds.
Impressive, I've seen it done in under 30 seconds plenty of times, but nothing close to that fast. It takes most folks about 3 seconds to do it with a key.0 -
quote:Originally posted by MrOrange
I got some questions of my own:
Model and year?
If the vic was a co-worker, how come you don't know if it was a repo or not?
Why does everyone assume that if it's a repo, the guy will have a key?
I did it for ten years and getting a key code from the L/O (Legal Owner) was very rare, even when it was the manufacturer and all the collector had to do was look it up at their regular work station. I worked out of eight different offices for five different companies, not counting when I started running my own truck, and not one of them would even bother to ask the L/O for a code, and they wouldn't pay for one or use a contact at a dealer until the car was ready to go to auction and the L/O insisted it go with keys.
My guess for a small Chevy product is that they did have a key, because most of the cars that come to mind don't pick or force that fast.
Personal record, from the time my pick hit the door lock until the ignition was rolled, is 7 seconds. I didn't know I was being timed, I had a smart-ass driver who figgered he'd prove me wrong after I told him that particular vehicle should go pretty easy, so he timed it with the chrono on his wrist watch w/o telling me until later.
It was a 99 or 2000 Cavlier, he had bought it off of a former employee for 1K, last I heard the fomer employee was not speaking to him........
FWIW I would not loan the guy lunch money.
We had fairly clear video of the drop off car, it had a business logo on the back window, and he did not seem to mind backing up to one of the security cameras.
Don0 -
or insurance job[V], doubt if it was stolen, takes about 45 seconds for that [;)], repo man would have a key, insurance fraud would too.[;)] 0 -
quote:Originally posted by dongizmo
It was a 99 or 2000 Cavlier, he had bought it off of a former employee for 1K, last I heard the fomer employee was not speaking to him........
FWIW I would not loan the guy lunch money.
We had fairly clear video of the drop off car, it had a business logo on the back window, and he did not seem to mind backing up to one of the security cameras.
Don
My reference shows a split twixt '99 and '00 model years on the codes, but both look to be the same basic 10-cut double-sided GM stuff. Doors pick purty easy, and there is a non-obvious way to screwdriver the ignition that I won't go into here that might be done that fast. Most adjusters wouldn't want to use it for fear of buggering up something, unless an alarm was going off and the Samoan National wrestling team was coming out of the house, and even then they'd have to pay out of their own pocket to put it right.
Even with no bank involved, it could still be a legit repo if there was a defaulted payment arrangement and the seller was maintained as L/O on the title. He could keep an extra key and do it himself, or hire a repo company, although no recovery company that I've heard of would touch a private party L/O repo, for liability reasons. The laws very tremendously from state-to-state, however.
BTW, that was a good price, a quick check on the web shows Cavaliers in my area from '94 through '01 going for around $2,800.0
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