Lock or unlock Convertible VW's?

[kaupu714]

What to do lock or unlock your Convertible. I never keep anything inside my Convertible bug even my glove compartment is empty because i put my registration and insurance under hood.

Any opinions im currently leaving doors unlocked with windows up , so nobody will cut the nice new vinyl top i recently had installed.

Thanks Mark

[hitest]

Oh boy, HB is a far cry from sinless love thy neighbor Boise.
But I always park my convertibles (and ragtop beetle) with windows partially down to make it easy for the one percenters. Let's face it, thieves represent the dumbest faction of society (apart from those who don't know what protection is)- so leaving the doors unlocked is not enough in my experience.
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[cbeck]

If you are really lucky, they (the effen dirtbag) will shoot out your window from across the street with a bb gun first to gain access, and see if it sounds an alarm, or draws unwanted attention. My car was unlocked when this happened.
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My cut in half and rebuild thread
www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=647779

[Cali_Army_Guy]

If it’s not raining I don’t even roll the windows up in my ‘66. If someone is going to steal something I’d rather them do it without adding a window replacement to the situation.
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2015 VW Passat Wolfsburg Edition
1966 VW Beetle - Sold

[TDCTDI]

I told my mom to leave the doors unlocked on a cabrio that I gave her to keep the thieves from cutting the top, the retarded thief cut the top before trying to open the door.
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Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.


GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!


An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.


Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it.

[my59]

I used to leave my MG with the windows down, top not latched, sometimes top down, but then the car was a POS with nothing in it that anyone wanted...

Friend with a VW vert kept it in the garage at home, and left the windows open when out and about.

Had a Tercel for a summer, left it unlocked all the time and sure enough, had to replace a window after leaving some change visible in the console. Effing crackheads.

After the Tercel incident, I always left the Benz unlocked, nothing in the car and wires from stereo purposely hanging down out of mounting hole. The coupes had different sized glass than the 4 door 300D and I really wanted to avoid having to replace any of it.
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my59: Well son, my grandfather died before I got to drive it, so does that answer your question?
our79: sunroof bus w/camper interior and 2.0 FI
Other:'12 Jetta, '77 Benz 300D, and a 74 MG Midget.

[ZENVWDRIVER]

... never locked anything and never-ever, ever, had any problems... people are very respectful, is my experience.
Neither of these even had a top and no one EVER bothered anything - 1955 Messerschmitt and 1976 Mercedes 300D

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5/50, pastel green 11G - SOLD
8/50, gray 11A Beetle
6/52, pastel green 11C - SOLD
11/4/52, black Zwitter - SOLD to my little bro.
1954 Porsche, pre A, with VW 36 horse- SOLD
1/54, black 11C Beetle - TRADED
2/55 Iceland green Beetle, on a 1965 pan
3/55 113 Beetle, stratos silver
1955 Messerschmitt KR175 - SOLD, sadly
1960 single cab
1962 SO33, with SO 42 interior
9/63 Pacific blue, Ghia
'87 Toyota MR2
'02 WestFORDia E-150, GAVE TO OUR SON

All super-heroes, wear a MASK

[APPLEGREENVW]

[Dwayne1m]

I never lock my 78 and often the top is down, but I live in a respectful area. Nothing inside to steal unless they want some small change.

[finster]

in the 80s I never used to lock my cars (oval, '67, 181/thing) as they were not 'desirable' to thieves and I didn't want to repair windows. but these days there is a malicious vandal type around who just like to scratch paint or stove in a screen for fun. a whole line of cars can be done at a time if the trend hits and not in rough areas either...

[74 Thing]

Unlocked and in the summer the top down and side curtains off!

I learned this lesson within a few months of owning a convertible-anything you leave visible may be stolen (this includes the bolted down fire extinguisher or Mexican blanket in the back). If you can't live without it don't leave it in the car!

[ZENVWDRIVER]

[ZENVWDRIVER]

[KTPhil]

My brother had his headliner slit on his bug, and his glasses broken (they were in the glove compartment). He figures they were looking for junk to steal to sell for drugs, broke his window to get in, and then vandalized it in anger at not finding anything of value. Nice people. Ever since then he didn't lock the car.

Leaving it open has a psychological deterrent. It implies you will be right back and therefore didn't bother locking it. That makes their plans to search/vandalize it more risky to them.

[hitest]

[kurt912]

Go a step further and put a little sticker on the door glass that reads "it's unlocked, nobody's watching you."
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1964 MG Midget MK1 Monte Carlo Replica
1969 Karmann Ghia Coupe
1972 Mercedes 250 Coupe

[modok]

For 5 years, I didn't even have door handles. Not a problem.

[oprn]

Where we used to live was an older neighborhood and if the car was not locked you would find the contents scattered all down the street in the morning guaranteed! One Sunday morning we were dressed up in our best ready to go and found someone had emptied a fire extinguisher inside our Audi Fox and thrown the empty in leaving the door open. What a mess!

Now we live in a remote country area with police an hour and a half away so all our vehicles stay unlocked with the keys in the ignition. I have no desire to have some loser high on drugs stumbling around in the house in the middle night looking for keys. Take the bloody car and go!


As for locking our convertible? I do admit to being a bit nervous when we have it in the big city but it does have a 4 speed anti-theft stick and a secret fuel pump switch!