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Were the hell do they keep going


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One thing that's quite common on newer cars here is having the VIN engraved into all windows on the car.

This might not help on cars that are stolen to be broken and sold as parts, but replacing all windows will be quite expensive if you plan on giving the vehicle a new identity.

I suppose this is a bigger problem here though where the eastern parts of Europe is a bit closer. ;)

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I do wonder about tracking devices. Surely a high enough proportion of stolen land rovers would have them fitted?

I have heard that thier main tactic is to park up round the corner in a box-van LGV thingy and drive the stolen vehicle straight on. If said van was lined with the appropiate material (I'll not say what it is) it would render all tracker signals totally useless. One might imagine they would have the warehouse (not a yard) lined with this stuff too so they could process the vehicle without the tracker yielding a signal.

They're sods.

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From what I've been told, the number of vehicles stolen in that manor - in an organised way, is tiny compared to the number of more opportunistic thefts. A large proportion are just driven off your drive.

Because the thieves are aware of trackers, the vehicle will be left somewhere for a few days to see if anybody collects it - and thus not get caught in possession.

Although it's perfectly possible to jam or block tracker signals - leaving it in a car park is much simpler.

I would recommend fitting a tracker. With a tracker you have at least a chance of getting it back!

Si

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Good news!

Today I finished the prototype pedal box lock! And it works really really well! It takes about 5 sec to unlock and less than a second to lock. I've spent the day locking and unlocking the thing as I've driven to a number of places - and the ergonomics of it are such that I think it will be practical to use even if you're just popping in to a shop for a couple of minutes.

Once the paint has dried (I've just painted it JCB Yellow) I'll start a new thread and post piccies & video. I've no idea what to call it - so I'm going to ask for suggestions! The best suggestion will get the first one off the production line for free! Obviously it's got to be X-Something to keep in line with the other X-Eng stuff. Don't post suggestions here or mail or PM me - have a think about it and post it in the thread when I start it! I'll run a poll on a short-list to decide the winner!

I've also prototyped a few other things that are very close to being ready. These include a gear stick lock (which I think is quite clever!), a protector for the ignition barrel which stops the barrel being pulled out with a slide hammer or being snapped off and, possibly best of all, a simple lockable hydraulic valve which can be used to disable the clutch, power steering or fuel line. It's rated to 1500psi and has a big enough port size for fuel - which things like the mech-lock do not. Also, I hope it to be a small fraction of the price!

Si

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Hopefully! I've used the chunkiest stainless hinges I could find and the lock ratchet mechanism used big parts and will hopefully be less affected by mud & sand. The biggest vulnerability is the lock barrel. I appreciate these may not last forever - but they are inexpensive. I suspect with the application of the occasional jet wash and WD40 it should be OK.

Mud is actually the hardest problem to solve of the whole thing. My hope is that making the parts chunky enough, even though the abrasion will cause wear - they will last long enough to give a long life. The hinge pin is 6mm diameter which will take a long time to wear through - particularly as, as the gap between mating surfaces increases, the abrasive effect will lessen.

Like all X-Eng products, the warranty is 5 year and I'm confident that it will last at least that even in a hostile environment.

Si

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Mike, this thread: http://forums.lr4x4.com/index.php?showtopic=71025&view=findpost&p=616406 explains what this was all about.

It was the fact that it's difficult to find anywhere to store a 20kg pedal box such that it's not going to come and hit the back of your head in an RTA - that gave me the idea.

This one bolts to the floor. When not in use, it folds flat against the floor, then when you want to deploy it, courtesy of two hinges it folds into a pedal box then ratchets against the brake pedal - so is very quick to lock.

Being bolted to the floor (permanently) with security shear nuts - it needs no storage.

Si

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