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Lost my V1 in a smash n grab today

Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2004 5:57 am
by kiwi_mtm
right outside my work window, only physically 3 metres away from my desk. Broad daylight, young guy 16/17 years old walks past with a t-shirt around his fist, smahes it, nicks the v1, then sprints to his girlfriend in the next building car park. I just cant believe how brash he was.

Problem was, I was upstairs, as missed it.

bastard !

It was even remotely mounted, that 99% of people wouldnt even see.

I might invest in Secur-film (uk product i think). Any experences here ? any negatives ?

Re: Lost my V1 in a smash n grab today

Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2004 8:01 am
by TarmacTerrorist
Taipan (Eric) has this fitted.

Re: Lost my V1 in a smash n grab today

Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2004 8:33 am
by kennyboy
Sorry about your V1 [img]images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img], I use one aswell.

I've got Pentagon Supaglass fitted after seeing a demo of car window being attacked with a claw hammer. After a X number of hits it gave in (glass smashed/holed), guy starts kicking it in and it still holds in place. All very well to stop the opportunist thief.

Also less glass flying everywhere inside and can be pushed out from the inside in an event of an accident etc.

Impressive stuff, once you've seen it worked.

Re: Lost my V1 in a smash n grab today

Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2004 10:49 am
by Taipan
Hello Kiwi,

I had safety film fitted in France by a company called Glastint, seems they have no partners in NZ.

In a few words :

You can get two thickness of safety films (at least with Glastint).
- Standard (80micron), what most shops install.
- Superior (120micron).
In any case, they don't produce the films, they outsource from a major chemical company (I think it's 3M or Dupont).

I had Superior fitted on front windows and Standard on rear windows. The trunk side windows are not really needed because it's quite tricky to enter a car through it (or reach a door handle).

Depending on thickness and exposure to sun/heat, the films will take between 1 week and 4 weeks to fit perfectly and all micro-bubbles to disappear.

You may want to be careful when cleaning the inside of windows, use scarce cleaning liquid if you don't want bubbles to re-appear - or scratch the film.

Last point : if you want to get darker films too, this must be done in the same time -> safety films are transparent/not tainted. -> safety and darker films must be glued together first (24h) then applied to your car.
You CAN NOT have safety films fitted, then later have darker films on top (or vice-versa).

Hope this will help.

Eric
PS : I suggested to Quattro Gmbh, during the Hockenheim trip, to install safety films on future RS cars as standard.

Re: Lost my V1 in a smash n grab today

Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2004 11:25 am
by Sql_RS4
sorry to hear that [img]images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

but tell me what is V1?

Re: Lost my V1 in a smash n grab today

Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2004 11:29 am
by wazza
I presumed it was a Valentine One - a camera/laser detector device [img]images/graemlins/thumb.gif[/img]

Re: Lost my V1 in a smash n grab today

Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2004 11:41 am
by Sql_RS4
thank you biturbo... now i remember that it was mentioned here couple of times...

Re: Lost my V1 in a smash n grab today

Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2004 12:28 pm
by Chubby
The bar stewards should be strung up and shot!!!

And V1's arn't cheap!

What happens if you windows are broken with the film? How much does it cost to have the window and film replaced?

Does the insurance company cover it as a broken window?

Can you not get the car insurance or home insurance to pay for the V1?

Regards,

R. [img]images/graemlins/29428-red4.gif[/img]

Re: Lost my V1 in a smash n grab today

Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2004 6:40 pm
by kiwi_mtm
The bar stewards should be strung up and shot!!!
And V1's arn't cheap!
What happens if you windows are broken with the film? How much does it cost to have the window and film replaced?
Does the insurance company cover it as a broken window?
Can you not get the car insurance or home insurance to pay for the V1?

Regards,

R. [img]images/graemlins/29428-red4.gif[/img]

Insurance conmpanies dont want to cover Radar detectors in NZ, due to the volume of potential claims. So the NZ Price of US$700! will come from my own pocket. I'll probably buy a replacement direct from V1 for US$399 and save some $$.

The insurance companies are very good with glass cover, and you get 1x free glass claim every year, withoutaffecting your no claims rating or no claims discount.

I still cant believe how cheeky they were. I've got the serial number now, and i'll be watching the 2nd had 4sale papers and www auctions.

thanks for the tips on the film. I'm petty sure ill run with this now. It'll surprise the 1st "prick" that tries it, cauz very very little people have even heard of this, let alone us it. Mine you, this is the 1st time ever my car has been broken into, but i consider myself lucky though.

Re: Lost my V1 in a smash n grab today

Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2004 10:05 am
by rweir
Never Guess,

Last night 4 lads broke in to my next door neighbours house, took his BMW keys and nicked his car! He was asleep up stairs with his wife and two young kids ...

The police actually cought up with them and chased them from near manchester to liverpool where they eventually lost them ... [img]images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]

I was actually staying somewhere else last night, so hopefully they do not know my car is there, but still ... need to do something, I think I will be sleeping with the keys under my pillow from now on ...

Hopefully the saving grace is that the S4 does not look like a performance car and hopefully they will not know it is ...

r [img]images/graemlins/s4anogaro.gif[/img]

Re: Lost my V1 in a smash n grab today

Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2004 11:01 am
by Chubby
My assistant coach had his car stolen. Came back from shopping, put the shopping in his kitchen with car keys, went to the loo, came back car keys and BMW gone.

Contacted Cops, they stopped the car 30 minutes later with three lads in. Did they arrest them??????

No, they couldn't because they said they had bought the car down the road for £50 quid. They could only do them for receiving stolen goods. It is not a crime to be stupid.

Also in Nottingham they will wait at the end of your drive and as you come out will come up to you with a knife or worse and demand the keys. You have little choice but to give them to them. Oh! yes and if you decided to give the bastard a good kicking instead - guess who's in the sh1t - You! Go fiqure.....

Re: Lost my V1 in a smash n grab today

Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2004 11:17 am
by rweir
Argg, It is so anoying, work all your life to have to deal with scum like that .... [img]images/graemlins/FIREdevil.gif[/img]

I am thinking of prevention now myself ... Windscreen seems a good idea, but I was also thinking of some kind of steering wheel lock? Anyone got any good ideas? since I have heard they they can get most of them off no problem anyways so what the point??

r [img]images/graemlins/s4anogaro.gif[/img]

Re: Lost my V1 in a smash n grab today

Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2004 3:46 pm
by toasty
I reckon the best security is something unique, something you or someone who knows about that sort of thing has designed themselves.
Cliffords etc... are all very well, but a pro knows how they work and how to disable them.

Simple stuff like a hidden switch or more involved electronic is far more effective in my opinion.

I've had a few ideas over the last few years [img]images/graemlins/sekret.gif[/img] In fact I have such a system on my 1987 polo (my second car) and I reckon it makes it more tricky to steal than my S4 with a clifford and factory immobiliser. [img]images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

Re: Lost my V1 in a smash n grab today

Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2004 4:03 pm
by runrowsam
Toasty's got a good point there. Clifford's are all available for these people to buy themselves etc., find out how to disable them, then just go out on the street and steal car after car without a sound. A sneaky electronic gadget is a great idea. Of course those South African flamethrower devices are a good plan [img]images/graemlins/nodder.gif[/img]

Incidentally, if some bastard's at the end of your drive demanding the keys, you're only in the sh1t if they live to tell the tale [img]images/graemlins/FIREdevil.gif[/img]

Rock on
Sam [img]images/graemlins/thumbs.gif[/img]

Re: Lost my V1 in a smash n grab today

Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2004 4:09 pm
by rweir
I reckon the best security is something unique, something you or someone who knows about that sort of thing has designed themselves.
Cliffords etc... are all very well, but a pro knows how they work and how to disable them.

Simple stuff like a hidden switch or more involved electronic is far more effective in my opinion.

I like your idea, I was thinking that as well. I was thinking about getting the TrakM8. I know it is a little expensive but anything to not loose my car!

It can imobilise the car until the credit card tag thing they give you is withing 20 feet of that. Along with loads of other little things it can do :-) A good gadget [img]images/graemlins/1syellow1.gif[/img]

r [img]images/graemlins/s4anogaro.gif[/img]