[dcgray2]

Oh... Yeah...

Watching a show about car theft :evil: while I'm surfing.

Anyone have any opinions on the effectiveness of VIN etching??? That is, etching the VIN number on every piece of glass on the car? This show (gone in 23 seconds) seems to think it is a fairly effective deterrent...

I could see how it might keep someone from reselling a car whole, but it seems like it would have no effect if they were planning on chopping the car.

Whaddya think?

 

[CloNeGTS]

Lean running condition

I don't see that being much of a deterrent at all. It may be a way to identify your car after it's been raced/stripped/otherwise, but I don't think any robber is going to say "Oh no, VIN etching.....don't touch that car."

I'd rather go with something active like LoJack if you're really that worried about someone actually taking the car. Personally, I'd rather try to stop any vandalism or wheel/system theft before I'd worry about the whole car disappearing. But then....that's my point of view from living in the MidWest.

 

[JJ]

I tell you what, VIN etching couldn't hurt, but I think the ultimate solution would be a system like LoJack or better yet one of the GPS tracking systems.

There is some discussion of these two systems in the Electronics forum, check it out, they are pretty cool!!

 

[murley]

The etching system is actually very efficent. Most people don't thieve a car to chop it. Most ..., like 96%, jack'em to resell. When they have to turn around and buy $3000 worth of new glass and wait 2 weeks with the car in their possesion for the windows to show up and get installed, they decide to jack the car next to yours instead.

 

[BMo]

Something else to consider, an inexpensive alternative; get an on/off switch at a hardware/auto/etc. store, splice into the ignition-starter circuit, then hide the switch under the dash where you can reach it but not easily see or find it. It'll cost you a few bucks. A lot cheaper than Lo Jack. They could bypass the switch at the starter but unlikely for most theft scenarios.

 

[dlowman]

I ran across this system on the internet the other day. Still doing research on it but it sounds like a pretty good system. They haven't had a car stolen with it in stalled in the last 27 years supposedly. They use all black wires to different points on your car such as your started , fuel pump, stuff like that. The car cannot be hotwired and the only way to start the car is to have the male plug end that goes on your keychain plugged into the female end. I am interested if I can find the cost and a place with in driving distance. The largest GM dealership in the world has used it for quite some time. Anyone ever heard of it?

http://www.ravelco.net

Like I said still researching it.

Code grabbers now days can just about grab any code off an alarm.. It sucks.

 

[dcgray2]

Sounds interesting. Wierdest damn thing though... VERY little info about it on the web and none on eBay?

Sent them an e-mail since they make no mention of price... I will wait and see who the local distributor here is in Pittsburgh.