Classic car thefts of '80's cars.

[Dieselman]

Matthew and Neil, better watch out...the rest of us should be OK...


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-35716456" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[russ92xmsed]

Makes my blood run cold that!

[Ciaran]

Same here Russ.

I live and work in areas where car crime and 'joyriding' is quite rife, and with new cars being practically impossible to steal without the keys, the scum are increasingly targeting old ones.

I fit alarms to all my cars if they don't have one, and use a big Disclok on the steering wheels. People look at me like I have two heads with a 'Who would want to steal that crappy old thing anyway?' kind of demeanour, but I figure why make it easy for them.

That said, if they come prepared with a truck and lift it away there's very little you can do sadly. Utter scum.

Ciarán

[russ92xmsed]

Tether it to the drive! You would like to think a sinker would be that much more difficult to try and nick.
It is frightening. I have an alarm on mine, and I have been thinking about other forms of security.
I might even make up a cheeky " this car is CCTV monitored" for a the front windows! Doubt it would work one bit, but anything helps....

[xmexclusive]

Hi Russ

They will break in to nick the CCTV set-up.

John

[Ciaran]

That made me chuckle John.

Sadly true though!

I've long been working on a project using a cheap, disposable computer (Raspberry Pi), to control and monitor various things in the XMs, as well as function as an entertainment system etc.

Anyway, I'm currently looking at adapting recovered webcams from laptops (very small), to be connectable by USB or a similarly managed bus, so the system can use them to record. These are easily concealable in things like sun visors and dash instruments, could provide covert internal surveillance. The Raspberry Pi's power requirements are absolutely minimal, and it can run for a long time even on a backup battery like that from a UPS, or even a series of mobile phone batteries, so it would continue to run even if the main car battery was disconnected. The last piece of the puzzle I'm trying to get to work reliably is a mobile broadband adapter so the system can upload photos to the Internet, as well as act as a rudimentary GPS tracker.

I originally started on this as a means to control front and rear facing driving cameras, my interest in which was renewed after a recent encounter with an unmarked police car which cut in front of me without indicating, the officer then stuck on his blues, stopped and blamed me for the near miss which occurred as a result of his driving. When I said that he had failed to indicate and had actually performed an illegal manoeuvre, he denied it and moreless said 'Which one of us do you think would be believed in court?'.

If I'd had working cameras in the XM it would have negated the whole thing, so this re-ignited my long standing interest in getting the thing up and going, but if it could be applied as an anti-theft / tracking measure as well, all the better.

Ciarán

[russ92xmsed]

Yeah your right John! Unless I make clear its out side CCTV watching the car...But then they can't read so it's totally pointless!

I do like your hidden camera idea though Ciaran. very interesting.

Cops... Why? Why that response... Drunk with power!

[Ciaran]

I do a lot of work for and with the police and find 99% of them to be perfectly pleasent, this guy I'm not sure what his problem was, drunk with power maybe as you say, he was just acting like a bit of a dick quite frankly!

Hidden cameras are the way forward, I'm more worried about the other eejits on the road than badly driven police cars, but you can never be too careful

[russ92xmsed]

Oh there are plenty of other idiots on the roads. Plenty.

[Eddie nuff]

Just a simple case of outside the law making more money than inside it. Not surprising really.