TheSamba.com :: View topic - STOLEN: Syncro Westy from Seattle **FOUND**

Thu Nov 07, 2013 8:26 pm

Moderator edit: This van has been missing since at least October 25th: http://bellingham.craigslist.org/cto/4152046740.html . :( Let's get it found!

This just in…...another one taken from Seattle…
from WetWesties Yahoo board. Please share liberally. I have already notified several local boards and fakebook pages.

Westfalia Syncro Stolen

Quote: Westfalia Syncro stolen from our Seattle neighborhood. Washington plate 434 XKF. Our van is metallic grey, has large flat black tube bumpers, large black fog lights and Go Westy 15 inch wheels with new Nokian tires. The drivers side has a long crease just above the water fill flap. There is a circular burn in the dash from the lighter.
We are offering a $1000.00 reward for information that leads to the recovery of our van.
Thanks
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1556155

Seattle, Washington, USA

Today 11:02 am

Not associated with OP, just wanted to get max exposure for a fellow enthusiast. Fingers crossed that its the same as the last few and recoverred locally and minimally damaged.

PM'd Kam as well

Thu Nov 07, 2013 9:10 pm

What in the WTF is going on in the PNW?
Dont make me go up there...

Thu Nov 07, 2013 9:35 pm

Seriously though, should someone organize a sting operation?

Thu Nov 07, 2013 9:45 pm

This seems to be happening way too much over there in the PNW. I think I'd have to wire up some sore of hidden kill switch of some sort if I lived out there.

Thu Nov 07, 2013 9:46 pm

It would seem the 3 that have been recovered have mostly all had the curtains closed as found/when found.... Just a common thread I, and others have noted from the recent recoveries. Also, seems that they are being used as mobile storage for theft rings….tweakers, meth heads…….
I am again using my club

Thu Nov 07, 2013 10:10 pm

carterzest wrote:
I am again using my club
A baseball bat would give you a little more range.

Thu Nov 07, 2013 10:20 pm

carterzest wrote: I am again using my club
Those things are incredibly easy to pick or remove or even swap out another wheel. I have driven a car with one installed incorrectly a short distance just to show the owner what a POS it is.
Work on some kind of kill switch for the ignition or fuel system, we don't want to see pix of your van in a stolen thread.

Thu Nov 07, 2013 11:01 pm

syncrodoka wrote:
Work on some kind of kill switch for the ignition or fuel system, we don't want to see pix of your van in a stolen thread.

Honestly this is going to be the best form of anti theft anyone can muster......a hiddem switch on the right circuit will stop 95% of vehicle theft.

My dads eurovan had a faulty ignition switch, he installed a discreet push button switch for the starter, turn the key to on, press hidden switch, start van.

When he sold it he advertised it as an "anti-theft device". The ENTIRE time he had it it was never stolen. 100% success rate folks!

Fri Nov 08, 2013 12:35 am

Sir Sam wrote: ......a hiddem switch on the right circuit will stop 95% of vehicle theft.

And 78% of statistics are made up on the spot!

Pro car thieves use tow trucks. Why break in when you can just winch the whole thing onto a flatbed?

Chain the bus to something immovable?

Fri Nov 08, 2013 1:49 am

Do we know how it is that the thieves are able to (presumably) drive them away? I had a GM car where the thieves "peeled" the metal around the column to get at the wheel lock but I'm not hearing about severe damage to recovered VW vans. If they're being stolen for chop shops, yeah, a flatbed truck, but it sounds like these are taken for convenient transportation? I'm just wondering if there is a common weakness that we can address individually in our own creative styles?

Fri Nov 08, 2013 6:57 am

On my classic cars I use a complicated kill switch & fuel pump disabling switch -- one position to start the car another to keep it running more than a few blocks -- but if someone has a flatbed & winch and really want it then they are hard to stop.

Fri Nov 08, 2013 7:01 am

Yep. You cannot stop a pro from stealing your vehicle, but I doubt those folks are going after the busses that were stolen.....I'm a fan of a kill switch to keep the unprofessional thieves at bay.

Fri Nov 08, 2013 7:29 am

I think gps/angry mob of samba hippies is the best combination to solve this problem. Kill switch just protects your car. We need to catch these idiots and hold them to account.

Fri Nov 08, 2013 7:35 am

While you're busy figuring out a way to keep the thieves from taking your stuff, you should also be busy trying to get rid of the thieves.

It sounds like you guys have a serious drug problem up there. Put pressure on local government and your state reps to weed out the tweekers. When's the last time you wrote a letter to them. It will take a team effort.

Fri Nov 08, 2013 8:27 am

Not sure how to deal with the steering lock; when I helped a friend who was broke down (ignition switch crapped out) on the side of the road, it took me about two minutes to hotwire .. half of that was finding a screwdriver for the lower steering column cover. :shock:

And I've never been in "the business" of hotwiring cars, either.

Seriously, folks -- hidden killswitch to stop the amateurs, hidden GPS tracker to find it in case the "pros" get ahold of your ride. And remember, both of those are only effective when you use them.

Fri Nov 08, 2013 9:06 am

If the steering isn't locked it is easy to bypass. Once the pin drops it takes work to get around it.
Some kind of kill switch is a really good start. The tweakers may assume it is a POS and leave it rather than spend time to diagnose.
I took cars for a living for 1 1/2 years and even modern cars with key transponders aren't too hard to drive off with if you know what you are doing.

Fri Nov 08, 2013 12:55 pm

FYI, GPS tracking units don't work in those intermodal shipping containers. Pros do it that way and it renders Lojack and such units worthless. Luckily, the pro's aren't after our stuff...yet.

Fri Nov 08, 2013 1:18 pm

Is it possible that all these vans had work at the same shop? Perhaps a rogue employee or shop could be duplicating keys?

We had this happen local several years back. A local mechanics shop was copying the keys of various cars then stealing them to chop them for the parts.

Wasn't VW specific thou.

Sat Nov 16, 2013 1:00 am

Seems that it has been found, at least according to the last update in the ad (not sure when that happened)

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1556155

Anybody has more details? I hope that after these wave of stolen vans, the Seattle police department will start doing some research on what's going on.

Sat Nov 16, 2013 7:24 am

pnwkayaker wrote: Seems that it has been found, at least according to the last update in the ad (not sure when that happened)

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1556155

Anybody has more details? I hope that after these wave of stolen vans, the Seattle police department will start doing some research on what's going on. Good news Hugo. Thanks for posting this on the thread.
I find it odd that they are keeping the van
Quote: It is currently being held by the police. We are very anxious to get it home.
but, perhaps they think they are on to something as Dav!d noted
DAV!D wrote: Is it possible that all these vans had work at the same shop? Perhaps a rogue employee or shop could be duplicating keys?
We had this happen local several years back. A local mechanics shop was copying the keys of various cars then stealing them to chop them for the parts.