Break In!
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 268
Likes: 0
From: north county S.D
that sucks man ,I thnk what you are talking about are the jimmi jammers that are a steel
plate that goes behind the dooe handle .people say there a good way to keep someone
from prying door handle out and getting to your lock rod .
http://www.jimmijammer.com/Product,%20JJ.htm
plate that goes behind the dooe handle .people say there a good way to keep someone
from prying door handle out and getting to your lock rod .
http://www.jimmijammer.com/Product,%20JJ.htm
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 176
Likes: 0
Working in the city, my experience has been that if all of the doors are unlocked and there's nothing of value in the vehicle, the worst damage you will have is your stuff gets moved around. The harder it is to get into your vehicle, the more damage they will do. They have no conscience whatsoever. If you doubt it look on "YouTube" and there's a video of a "man" smashing windows out of Cadillacs and other brand new cars. He comes away with a gym bag, a flashlight, one of those cheapo "auto tool kits"...etc. after committing thousands in damage.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,191
Likes: 0
From: New York
Originally Posted by spikebee
Working in the city, my experience has been that if all of the doors are unlocked and there's nothing of value in the vehicle, the worst damage you will have is your stuff gets moved around. The harder it is to get into your vehicle, the more damage they will do. They have no conscience whatsoever. If you doubt it look on "YouTube" and there's a video of a "man" smashing windows out of Cadillacs and other brand new cars. He comes away with a gym bag, a flashlight, one of those cheapo "auto tool kits"...etc. after committing thousands in damage.
Postmaster
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,968
Likes: 3
From: So Cal
yeah, thieves will create more damage than anything they can steal is worth. A friend of mine used to have a VW that was broken into about every year or so to get the stereo. The stereo was worth maybe $500. But they usually damaged the door and tore up the dash to the tune of a couple thousand everytime.
I had two of my vehicles burgled one night a couple years back. We had stupidly left the doors unlocked since we were on a 1 acre fenced property a thousand feet off the street, actually in 20/20 hindsigth a pretty good setup for thieves. Unfortunately our dog had died that year and we didn't replace him soon enough. No damage was done but they got maybe $1000 retail value of stuff from the cars. The bigest hassle was they stole things like vehicle logs which are worthless to anyone but me and we had to replace all the piddling items stolen.
That plus time lost and inconvenience makes me want to get one of those South African Flame Thrower type security systems. Fry the thief before he gets in. Of course this is not PC.
Jim Henderson
I had two of my vehicles burgled one night a couple years back. We had stupidly left the doors unlocked since we were on a 1 acre fenced property a thousand feet off the street, actually in 20/20 hindsigth a pretty good setup for thieves. Unfortunately our dog had died that year and we didn't replace him soon enough. No damage was done but they got maybe $1000 retail value of stuff from the cars. The bigest hassle was they stole things like vehicle logs which are worthless to anyone but me and we had to replace all the piddling items stolen.
That plus time lost and inconvenience makes me want to get one of those South African Flame Thrower type security systems. Fry the thief before he gets in. Of course this is not PC.
Jim Henderson
Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 5,844
Likes: 5
From: Albuquerque
I feel for you Texas John. It happened to me this summer too. Actually...they broke into my SD to steal it...not just take items. Luckily...the thief(s) hit the garage door button that was left in the center console...and must of thought it was me coming after them...anyway...they ended up stealing my 40+ CD's, garage door opener...and that was it.
They did break the ignition and using the key was not possible. I had to use a screwdriver to move my SD to the street so the towing company could have easy access to my truck. My SD was parked in our front driveway only 2ft from the garage door. As it turns out...the Police said they had a ring of SD's that were stolen...and it was just not mine...that was broken into.
I did have the JimmyJammers installed when the dealer installed the new ignition, and both door handles. They got into my SD with a screwdriver and popped out the key whole area (both doors).
Two days later...I had an OEM FORD alarm installed with the engine disable feature.
biz
They did break the ignition and using the key was not possible. I had to use a screwdriver to move my SD to the street so the towing company could have easy access to my truck. My SD was parked in our front driveway only 2ft from the garage door. As it turns out...the Police said they had a ring of SD's that were stolen...and it was just not mine...that was broken into.
I did have the JimmyJammers installed when the dealer installed the new ignition, and both door handles. They got into my SD with a screwdriver and popped out the key whole area (both doors).
Two days later...I had an OEM FORD alarm installed with the engine disable feature.
biz
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Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 9,293
Likes: 10
From: Parker, CO
Best method for deterring break in's are keeping valuables out of sight, and having an alarm with a led warning light on the dash. Thieves don't care about damaging vehicles, but they don't want to get caught. If they think your vehicle has an alarm that might go off if they break the window, chances are they might move on to an easier target. A jimmy jammer doesn't make noise when someone tries to break in, neither does "The Club", or other like devices.
I learned this the hard way years ago. I had my car broken into, but I forgot to arm the alarm that night. So no flashing led on the dash, and the thieves broke in and stole all my stereo equipment. They also hit 7 other cars that night in the apartment complex I was in. Every car that had an alarm with the dash light went untouched, including the ones parked next to mine with valuables in plain sight.
I learned this the hard way years ago. I had my car broken into, but I forgot to arm the alarm that night. So no flashing led on the dash, and the thieves broke in and stole all my stereo equipment. They also hit 7 other cars that night in the apartment complex I was in. Every car that had an alarm with the dash light went untouched, including the ones parked next to mine with valuables in plain sight.
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Lead Driver
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,629
Likes: 959
From: Near Yosemite CA
My best truck alarm I have had to date was my 75lb black lab, Justin! Now Bruce the 100lb mutt has taken over the duties, like Pocket says, they don't want to get caught, and noise or the possibility of noise is a deterent. They are lazy opportunists who want the most gain with the least amount of work. Interesting thought when I got my CCW, the sheriff encouraged us to carry a money clip with a $20 on the outside and a few $1s' inside, said if you are confronted by a thief, drop the money clip and walk away,,,,, easy money for the thief,, no hassle. I have to agree with the unlocked doors, new thought to me.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 6,948
Likes: 44
I live in (near L.A.) and break-ins are common. I got broken into once, glass everywhere. They stole nothing, I never leave anything of value in it. I have found that leaving the doors unlocked (sometimes windows down) seems to work. The fools think it is too easy, and something must be wrong, like its a sting operation or something I guess. My old SD, my wifes Excursion, and my new SD all have brand new door lock actuators, because we never lock our doors.
Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 5,844
Likes: 5
From: Albuquerque
75F350 -- Do you at least have alarm systems on your vehicles? The reason I ask...is you are really taking a huge chance. Plus most insurance companies will not cover a loss if the Owner did not take "reasonable" precautions...like locking the doors.
However, I do understand your reasoning...and hope it continues to work for you.
biz
However, I do understand your reasoning...and hope it continues to work for you.
biz
Lead Driver
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 6,950
Likes: 510
From: Foothills, CA
Originally Posted by adgillis
what is ccw?
And from when I lived in Texas, they were quite liberal in your right to protect your property, up to and including using lethal force
. Never will forget the story in the Houston Chronicle when I lived there, about the guy that was stealing a bicycle out of a garage and the single mom that came out and shot him with a .22 -- no charges filed (against her), he lived and they hauled him away.......Trust me, that they wouldn't want to have their hiny poking out of my truck window when I walked up and caught them... Too bad Texas John wasn't there soon enough...
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 219
Likes: 1
From: College Station, TX
There was an attempt to break into my 04 F250 PSD FX4 back in Spring that left my lock cylinder trashed and marred the handle pretty good. I ordered a Handle and Lock Cylinder from POWERSTROKESHOP.COM. The one I got from them has a steel bar that extends from the lower part near the cylinder that serves the same function as the jimmijammer. It seems that Ford caught on to this problem and added this feature to the recently manufactured handles. I considered the jimmijammers back then till I realized that, although it's plate of steel verus a bar with the new ones, that plate isn't attached any better than what you'll already get with the new ones.
Last edited by jfirstford; Dec 2, 2006 at 12:41 AM.
