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ZsZ
Samba Member
Joined: December 11, 2010
Posts: 1647
Location: Budapest Hungary, Europe
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 Posted: Thu Aug 15, 2019 10:37 pm Post subject: Re: STOLEN: 1987 Vanagon Westfalia Camper; Portland **FOUND** |
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Sad to see, but hope the best.
Use pedal locks or steering wheel locks to avoid joyriders
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Zoltan
1.9 MTdi 2wd Multivan (ex Caravelle)
Van since 2006, engine since 2008 |
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newerwesty1987
Samba Member
Joined: April 06, 2010
Posts: 407
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| Posted: Thu Aug 15, 2019 11:07 pm Post subject: Re: STOLEN: 1987 Vanagon Westfalia Camper; Portland **FOUND** |
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So the door lock is that poorly made? The guy just gets past it in seconds.
I hate dealing with clumsy locks and bars. A disable switch seems the best option. Make it even harder with a barrel key switch back in the floor somewhere... that would take some real thinking to get past in a hurry. |
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kamzcab86
Samba Moderator
Joined: July 26, 2008
Posts: 7924
Location: Arizona
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| Posted: Thu Aug 15, 2019 11:29 pm Post subject: Re: STOLEN: 1987 Vanagon Westfalia Camper; Portland **FOUND** |
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| newerwesty1987 wrote: |
| So the door lock is that poorly made? The guy just gets past it in seconds. |
Water-pumping Volkswagens were notoriously easy to break into and steal back in the '80s and '90s. And, frankly, that era of VeeDubs still are unless you take precautions.
There's a reason these Armor Door Plates were invented three decades ago:
Of course, ^that merely kept the would-be thief from punching a screwdriver into the door, requiring body work to repair. There's busting the vent/wing window (occurred on my van and Cabriolet given the replacement glass in both), among other [bleep]ing methods.
Now that the bastard is inside and wants to drive off with your VW? All I'll say is that it merely takes that same screwdriver. 
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~Kamz 
1986 Cabriolet: www.Cabby-Info.com
 1990 Vanagon Westfalia: Old Blue's Blog
2016 Golf GTI S
"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance." - 孔子 |
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newerwesty1987
Samba Member
Joined: April 06, 2010
Posts: 407
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| Posted: Thu Aug 15, 2019 11:51 pm Post subject: Re: STOLEN: 1987 Vanagon Westfalia Camper; Portland **FOUND** |
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That video referenced above didn't look like a pry situation. It looked like he stuck in a key of some kind and kept messing with it and it opened quickly.
Regardless, the problem of getting it started is solved with this. https://www.amazon.com/125V-tubular-switch-keyed-differently/dp/B07H1ZQPH1
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kamzcab86
Samba Moderator
Joined: July 26, 2008
Posts: 7924
Location: Arizona
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| Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2019 12:06 am Post subject: Re: STOLEN: 1987 Vanagon Westfalia Camper; Portland **FOUND** |
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| newerwesty1987 wrote: |
| That video referenced above didn't look like a pry situation. It looked like he stuck in a key of some kind and kept messing with it and it opened quickly. |
The method doesn't matter. The factory door locks, door handles, and ignition are easily defeated (especially if said key-ways are as old as the vehicle), going back to when water-pumpers first hit the roadways, regardless of the tool(s) used. Thus, a lot of us saying (ad nauseum), "Install a kill switch and use it!" The bastards might break in, but at least they won't be driving off with your van.
Of course, we talk about these old cars being simple targets... sophisticated theft rings can also easily swipe your brand new car if you leave the key remote anywhere near a window or door in your house. They use a tag team and electronic equipment without gaining entry into your home; in less than a minute your car is gone.
_________________
~Kamz
1986 Cabriolet: www.Cabby-Info.com
1990 Vanagon Westfalia: Old Blue's Blog
2016 Golf GTI S
"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance." - 孔子 |
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ZsZ
Samba Member
Joined: December 11, 2010
Posts: 1647
Location: Budapest Hungary, Europe
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| Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2019 2:00 am Post subject: Re: STOLEN: 1987 Vanagon Westfalia Camper; Portland **FOUND** |
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| kamzcab86 wrote: |
| newerwesty1987 wrote: |
| So the door lock is that poorly made? The guy just gets past it in seconds. |
Water-pumping Volkswagens were notoriously easy to break into and steal back in the '80s and '90s. And, frankly, that era of VeeDubs still are unless you take precautions.
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if you not disassembled and cleaned you lock barrels then they can be opened with any key
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Zoltan
1.9 MTdi 2wd Multivan (ex Caravelle)
Van since 2006, engine since 2008 |
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Abscate
Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014
Posts: 22670
Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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| Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2019 3:20 am Post subject: Re: FOUND: 1987 Vanagon Westfalia Camper; Portland, OR |
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| djkeev wrote: |
| Merian wrote: |
| djkeev wrote: |
Any inexpensive Cellular tracker would have pin pointed this Vans location days ago.
Dave |
and then what?
police won't do much if anything
so, are you going to pick up an AK and go after the meth freaks driving it? |
Well...... back here on the right coast, if I were to call my local PD and told them my Van was stolen but I know where it is..... they would be so excited to have something besides a speeder, burned out tail light or cell phone use while driving, they would be all over this like White on rice!
Not used to police department apathy here.
Maybe the greater NYC Metropolitan area is a much better place to live than Portland in some aspects.......
Dave |
Oh my God, Dave
You can’t just ask people eating rice why they are white.....
Van fixable with a good body person aka panel beater
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MarkWard
Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2005
Posts: 17155
Location: Retired South Florida
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| Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2019 4:34 am Post subject: Re: STOLEN: 1987 Vanagon Westfalia Camper; Portland **FOUND** |
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Finding a good panel beater will be the hard part. From the one picture, that’s a pretty heavy impact. To restore to its previous condition is going to take a lot of labor.
So sorry to see another vanagon boosted in the PNW.
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a2wolfsburggli
Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2018
Posts: 279
Location: WI
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| Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2019 8:09 am Post subject: Re: FOUND: 1987 Vanagon Westfalia Camper; Portland, OR |
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| djkeev wrote: |
I know I'm harping on a theme but this unit never left the city. That means it has been in cellular coverage the entire time.
Any inexpensive Cellular tracker would have pin pointed this Vans location days ago.
Dave |
What service / tracker do you recommend?
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Current: '87 Westfalia | '16 Audi Q5 3.0T S-Line w/sport package.
Past: '09 CC 3.6L 4motion "R36 wannabe" | '02 Audi TT "ALMS Edition" | '84 Jetta GLI with Autotech Supercharger | '89 Helios Jetta GLI 16v's (x2) | '95.5 URS6 | and the list goes on.
Never underestimate the entertainment value of OCD overruling Common Sense |
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mikemtnbike
Samba Member
Joined: March 26, 2015
Posts: 2797
Location: North Carolina
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| Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2019 8:19 am Post subject: Re: FOUND: 1987 Vanagon Westfalia Camper; Portland, OR |
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| tristessa wrote: |
| Steve M. wrote: |
| There are a lot of great solid police officers there in Portland, |
Where are they? I sure as hell don't see them -- every single officer I've met in the last 15 years of living here seems to have a serious case of Don't-Give-A-Shit-itis going on about pretty much anything that doesn't let them throw their weight around.
The fraternal lodge I was involved with had a B&E a few years ago; thousands of dollars of gear and computers taken from the FIRST Robotics team that used the basement workshop, fingerprints in a part of the building nobody had been in for years, video footage .. we could barely get the PPD to come out and take a report. Shoplifter threatened to stab a coworker when she got caught stealing, could barely get the PPD out to take a report .. and they knew right away who the shoplifter was. Buddy of mine was ticketed and threatened with arrest after an unmarked squad car ran a red with no lights or sirens running and smashed into the side of his truck. A stolen car might get the PPD out to take a report if you're lucky but if you're expecting something more proactive .. don't hold your breath.
"More Useless Than The TSA" might as well be the motto. |
True story, I was present. Bike shop I was racing for broken into...staff forgot to lock the door to the outside bathroom, thief took out a vent between the bathroom and showroom, enlarged the hole by beating at the concrete blocks with a tool of some kind, crawled through, set off the alarm, ran to the front, knocked out a window, kept running.
In the bathroom looking at the hole with our local police force, they're like well nothing was taken sorry about your damages bye-bye. Friend looks up into the hole in the wall, pulls out the wallet that fell out of the guys pocket when he was crawling through, and hands it them saying hey maybe this will help.
CSI, most police forces are not. But, to be fair, I also think they are horribly tasked with being default mental health providers, marriage counselors, child protective service workers, and in a million other ways see the horrors of life at such a level that I'd probably develop a serious case of don't-give- a -f about property crimes as well.
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1991 Vanagon GL 2.1 AT Westfauxlia. "Frankie" Totaled  https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=764510&highlight=carnage
1995 Eurovan Camper "Marzivan"
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dobryan
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