Aaaaargh! Broken into.

[Glyph]

So I was at work the other night at Sycuan Casino, running the spotlight for the Peking Acrobats. When I got off around 9:30 I walked out to my car only to find I'd been ripped off. Damn. I've been having a problem with my passenger side rear quarter panel going up all the way (it stops maybe 4-6" from the top) and somehow they got something through far enough to pop my lock. They stole my Alpine head unit and about $400 in tools. In some ways I was lucky. There was virtually no damage to my interior, they didn't cut thru my top, they didn't steal my speakers (which are worth 3x my head unit), and I had the switch flicked that removes access to my trunk except for by key so they couldn't get to my amps, subs, etc. Before you ask; No, I don't have insurance. So me being me, the first thing I did was buy an alarm yesterday lol. Nothing quite like locking the barn door after the horse escapes. Today I'm hoping to make it to the junkyard to replace the parts they did manage to take/screw up. Behind the center console/dash trim piece that goes around your stereo/climate control etc. there's a piece that if I recall correctly, the strereo and "pocket" below it actually slide into. I think it was metal with a plastic trim?. Hard to remember now that it's gone. Anyway I'm hoping it's the same on coupes and/or hatches of similar year. Do any of you know? If not it's gonna be a pain. I got a great deal on the alarm. The cheapest I found it on ebay was about $170 shipped. I got it for $75 off Craig's list unopened from someone local. It's the type that actually pages you on a small lcd remote to warn you. It's got remote start and all the bells and whistles as well. I'm gonna try to install it myself which'll be a first for me. I'll keep you all informed as to how that goes. Oh well, live and learn huh? If only the learning part didn't always carry such a steep price tag.

Oh yeah, forgot to mention....one of the worst parts was that the day before it happened my garage door opener broke where it attaches to my keyring. Therefore, it was in the pocket under the stereo at the time. Gone! What a pain to replace. It's an older opener so it's hard to find and expensive too (~$50). Damn thieves. They should all be lined up and shot.

[Vb93Vert]

damn man im sorry for your loss, good luck with the alarm install!

[Eikon]

Dude!!! That sucks! I'm sorry to hear it.

You should keep a pitbull in the back seat.. that would deter the theives.

While it does suck to get ripped off.. you are right that you got lucky.. could have been much worse!

[cmkelly]

I recommend these placed liberally in your car:

http://www.venomoussnakes.net/

Sorry to hear dude.

CK

[DeXteR]

screw pitbulls! you need a trunk monkey

seriously though, you're probably going to want to reprogram your garage door opener's frequency asap! all they need to do is look at your rigistration to find your address. they know when you work and now they have the key to your garage! that's what i'd be concerned about most. they might not even come back for a month or two, but i'd definitely be concerned most about that.

sorry about your luck, but watch your back.

[BOOMSHAKALAKA]

Aww man that sucks! It's a real shame what people do sometimes. Damn thieves...

Hope you get everything straightened out.

[le_ryan]

im rigging a gun with a string tied to the trigger, once the door opens, BLAM!! only i will know to duck.

[triaddave]

Sorry for your loss, but count your blessings.

About 20 months ago a homeless person decided to take a snooze in my vert. To gain access, he cut the top. 2 cuts, each about 6 inches, forming a right angle just above the inside passenger door latch. Only things he stole were an 18-year-old radar detector, a pair of mechanix gloves, and the (then) new Liz Phair CD.

I'd have been SO much happier if he'd smashed a window and ripped out my stereo. WITH insurance (conprehensive), I was STILL out $700! State Farm depreciates cloth convertible tops based on age and my original '92 top was depreciated 50%. If I had it all to do over again, I wouldn't have made the claim, and found a place that would have done the top cheaper than their approved places.

Enough time has passed that I've amortized the loss, and I'm a lot wiser about top $$$.Still wished he'd have smashed a window.So count your blessings that your top is intact.

[ishkabibble]

That stinks, but it really could have been a lot worse.

On a lighter note, it's not everyday that a thread starts with "So I was at work the other night at Sycuan Casino, running the spotlight for the Peking Acrobats."!

All that dash stuff is the same between the coupe, hatch, and vert. The only thing that varies is the auto and manual cars used different plastic trim pieces that cover the shifter.

[BOOMSHAKALAKA]

im rigging a gun with a string tied to the trigger, once the door opens, BLAM!! only i will know to duck.

It would suck if you forgot one day...