parking my car in a dodgy area...

[tim124]

Im going up to uni at the weekend for a while. Im living round the Hyde Park area of Leeds which is just full of students but its known as having really high crime.

I will be parking my valver on the road in front of our house so i have been preparing it...

The body work on my car is far from perfect but ive just reconditioned the original 16v wheels (1991 car) so im getting locking bolts aswell as the locking covers that they have as standard.

Ive also bought a quick release steering wheel boss which ive fitted so now i can completely remove the wheel and take it inside with me.

Today i fitted one of those Cat2 transponder immobolisers which is hidden under the dash and cuts the fuel and the coil and has a nice flashing LED. Im confident that it would take somebody a good 30minutes to get the car started if they knew exactly what they were doing and they would have to remove the whole dashboard.

I dont have a stereo in my car at the moment so i leave the flap open so people can see that.

Im going to do the obvious like not leave anything in the car but im still really worried.

I really cant afford an alarm at the moment but i might have to invest when i come back in a few weeks.

Do you think she will be ok?

 

[172.com]

Should be OK I reckon, it is the car crime capital of the UK, but if you're doing all that it should be fine. Just watch out for students running over it! I was in M'boro for a year with my clio, after-market A+I with disklok wheel - never got touched and that area is far worse than Hyde Park AFAIK.

 

[tim124]

im not too worried about it getting stolen because im quite sure it cant be done that easily, its just the mess sombody would make trying.

 

[172.com]

If you don't have a steering wheel, I'd doubt they'd try.

 

[Zebrs]

Hyde Park is undoubtedly dodgy for cars. You're more at risk from pissed students/local scallies messing with it than people trying to nick it though I think.

I lived in HP for 2 years and would choose the house I lived in based on the parking conditions; 3rd year had a house with huge private parking area at rear, and 4th year in a quiet cul de sac, used to drive my mates mad though!

Get an alarm as soon as you can afford with every sensor you can if you want peace of mind; but if it's not parked on one of the main roads though HP i.e. Brudenell Road, Victoria Road etc you'll probably be ok. Enjoy Leeds!

 

[shortos]

Car thieves generally hate the lock that covers the complete steering wheel. They say it takes them about 20-30 seconds longer to take off. leave your glove box open (and empty) and push your seats forward so they can see that theres nothing underneath them. If you have a parcel shelf take it out and show an empty boot.Park it under a lamppost in front of someones window if possible, but not by a front garden that has a high hedge, which may give them cover. Don't park it side by side with another car either. Car theives will walk along a line of cars and break into the easiest ones with the most on show. So it sounds like you're doing the right things.

 

[172.com]

Camouflage it so they don't see it...

http://images.funfreepages.com/index.php?id=2514

 

[tim124]

Get an alarm as soon as you can afford with every sensor you can if you want peace of mind; but if it's not parked on one of the main roads though HP i.e. Brudenell Road, Victoria Road etc you'll probably be ok. Enjoy Leeds!

LOL Im living on Brudenell Road! maybe i'll park it down one of the quiter side roads

I know somebody in the year above me who had his car broken into 3 times in a year round HP. I blamed it on the fact that he had heavily tinted windows so people coundnt see that there was nothing worth stealing. the first time they knicked his stereo, the car was empty the other two times.

 

[S77CCP]

Try parkig directly under the street lights. But sadly at the end of the day if someone wants to nick your car they will.

 

[tim124]

Fortunatly nobody is going to steal it as a high value car to sell. Its not worth much. It would however be a very good car for a joy ride!

 

[Zebrs]

LOL Im living on Brudenell Road! maybe i'll park it down one of the quiter side roads

I know somebody in the year above me who had his car broken into 3 times in a year round HP. I blamed it on the fact that he had heavily tinted windows so people coundnt see that there was nothing worth stealing. the first time they knicked his stereo, the car was empty the other two times.

Lol!!!

I never had mine broken into up there, however I was reversed into and had a huge dent put in my wing before the bloke drove off. I was shot with a paintball gun too (at the bottom of Brudenell Road!). Saw scallies burning out two cars as well, then one of them asking me if he can borrow my phone to call the fire brigade cos 'someone' just set this car on fire. Get fcuked pal!

Hope you don't get any trouble!

 

[tim124]

yeah, i was shot with a paintball gun around there. Thought i'd been properly shot for about a second! LOL

 

[jooliona]

sounds naff but u could also cover it with one of those tarpaulin thingies... they might be discouraged to even consider it then?

 

[jonesyx]

thing is though if you too far with things like that^ or removing steering wheel you might just end up attracting vandals and thieves trying to be smart by smashing the window anyway.

 

[jooliona]

well there is that. it does kind of draw attention to itself lol. but i thought ppl might assume its some old granny's car and not even bother looking at it