Stolen from Plymouth

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andyd
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Stolen from Plymouth

Post by andyd »

Mk1 Focus RS, reg LF53ULO
Taken during Sunday night / Monday morning (21st/22nd May).

Mates car, he only picked it up Sunday :( Please keep an eye out.

Thanks,
Andy
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Re: Stolen from Plymouth

Post by Paul G »

Oh no, not another one. Has it come to the point that we all have to chain them to concreted in posts after everytime we use them.

Hope your mate gets it back and in one piece. I know how he feels, I had a Sierra Cosworth nicked many years ago and you feel like sh*t afterwards. Especially knowing the bastards had been in your house in the night to get the keys.
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Re: Stolen from Plymouth

Post by andyd »

Hi Paul,
It was taken off his drive, no noise, broken glass or break in etc. Should have been garaged or blocked in with another car imo. Still no excuse to have it stolen though......As you say, do we have to bolt everything down now?

This sort of car is the new favorite that has taken over from the Cossie's, as it is a future classic I think.

Fingers X it gets found.....
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Re: Stolen from Plymouth

Post by Paul G »

Any sign of it yet?
andyd
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Re: Stolen from Plymouth

Post by andyd »

Paul G wrote:Any sign of it yet?
Hi Paul,
A few people on FB have said they have seen a 53 plate car around the area, with possibly the first two letters :?

Strange, because he bought it at 20.00, parked it on his drive at 23.45, and it was gone by 06.00.......
Did it have a tracker on it from previous work carried out on behalf of previous owner? Just a thought!!

He has 2 sets of keys, but someone had another key IMO, as there was no noise at all!!
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pbar
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Re: Stolen from Plymouth

Post by pbar »

andyd wrote:
He has 2 sets of keys, but someone had another key IMO, as there was no noise at all!!
That's an excellent point actually when buying a car, who knows how many sets of keys are floating around. All the more reason to use hardware security such as a disklok, clamp, etc. I guess.
andyd
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Re: Stolen from Plymouth

Post by andyd »

pbar wrote:
andyd wrote:
He has 2 sets of keys, but someone had another key IMO, as there was no noise at all!!
That's an excellent point actually when buying a car, who knows how many sets of keys are floating around. All the more reason to use hardware security such as a disklok, clamp, etc. I guess.
:agree: 100% Paul.

He said if it had been a bit earlier in the evening, he would have parked his other car across the driveway, but he wanted to get to bed as he had an early start....Hindsight!
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Re: Stolen from Plymouth

Post by tejb1 »

The Tibbe keys used on Fords from the early 90s up until a year or so ago are known to be pretty crap anyway - you can get a pick set for about 20 quid and I'm told they are very easy. All the fancy modern security systems roll over once a physical key goes in!
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Re: Stolen from Plymouth

Post by Paul G »

tejb1 wrote:The Tibbe keys used on Fords from the early 90s up until a year or so ago are known to be pretty crap anyway - you can get a pick set for about 20 quid and I'm told they are very easy. All the fancy modern security systems roll over once a physical key goes in!
When new they can be a bit more difficult but when worn they're useless. Tibbie locks are also designed so that any key will lock them.

The later keys need the correct chip in them for the immobiliser torrodial coil to read to allow the car to start. Again, there is so much pirate software out there it's easy for a crook to get a key set programmed in to work. I also know someone who can open up an ecu and remove the immobilier completely - but he'll only do it for cars that are causing seemingly incurable problems and he'll only do it for the registered owner of the car.
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Re: Stolen from Plymouth

Post by Andrew 2.8i »

tejb1 wrote:The Tibbe keys used on Fords from the early 90s up until a year or so ago are known to be pretty crap anyway - you can get a pick set for about 20 quid
Perhaps I'm naïve, but I'm a little shocked that pick sets are openly on sale to anyone who wants to buy them. I searched for "tibbe" on Google and most of the results were for lock picks and decoders. As said in previous posts, it's a good idea to have a supplementary security system in place too.

Andy, is there any further news on sightings or whatever?

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Re: Stolen from Plymouth

Post by mjcapri »

Unfortunately all variants of the Focus RS are a target at present. My MK3 is keyless and is susceptible to being 'hacked'; they basically intercept the signal from the fob to the car and can drive away as the car thinks the device being used is the fob. A lot of MK3 fobs are stored in lead lined boxes or pouches now! Mines also garaged, boxed in, fitted with a disklock (a good visual deterrent imo) and it hardly ever goes out anyway....

I hope your mate gets his car back in one piece; has this been posted on the Focus RSOC?
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Re: Stolen from Plymouth

Post by andyd »

Andrew 2.8i wrote:
tejb1 wrote:The Tibbe keys used on Fords from the early 90s up until a year or so ago are known to be pretty crap anyway - you can get a pick set for about 20 quid
Perhaps I'm naïve, but I'm a little shocked that pick sets are openly on sale to anyone who wants to buy them. I searched for "tibbe" on Google and most of the results were for lock picks and decoders. As said in previous posts, it's a good idea to have a supplementary security system in place too.

Andy, is there any further news on sightings or whatever?

Andrew.
Just got a tibbe key cut for my Sierra at Timpsons for £8. Chipped tibbe keys are around £60.....Lucky me :lol:

No more sightings of the RS that i know of...Probably in bits by now :(
mjcapri wrote:Unfortunately all variants of the Focus RS are a target at present. My MK3 is keyless and is susceptible to being 'hacked'; they basically intercept the signal from the fob to the car and can drive away as the car thinks the device being used is the fob. A lot of MK3 fobs are stored in lead lined boxes or pouches now! Mines also garaged, boxed in, fitted with a disklock (a good visual deterrent imo) and it hardly ever goes out anyway....

I hope your mate gets his car back in one piece; has this been posted on the Focus RSOC?
He had a new 17 plate RS for 2 days, but returned it due to paint and bodywork flaws....I don't think he's meant to own an RS :?

He has it on several sites and it was in local paper this week. He wishes he had taken the extra few minutes to block it in now.....
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Re: Stolen from Plymouth

Post by tejb1 »

Andrew 2.8i wrote:
tejb1 wrote:The Tibbe keys used on Fords from the early 90s up until a year or so ago are known to be pretty crap anyway - you can get a pick set for about 20 quid
Perhaps I'm naïve, but I'm a little shocked that pick sets are openly on sale to anyone who wants to buy them. I searched for "tibbe" on Google and most of the results were for lock picks and decoders. As said in previous posts, it's a good idea to have a supplementary security system in place too..
The legalities of owning these things are odd - I think it is ok to own them, but not to carry them in a public place unless you have a reason to be doing so (although granted your chance of being stopped and searched by a copper is very low). Eg - if you are skulking around a dark street at 2am with a lock pick vs if you are going round the corner to your garage where your project car is that needs new keys cut.

It does emphasise though that Disklocks are as useful on a modern car as an old one... ok if they nick your keys they'll have the key to it, and if they take it away on a towtruck it's no use, but otherwise it isn't going anywhere!

Reading a few things about Focus RSs, are they what a Sierra Cossie was to the twoccers 20 years ago??
andyd
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Re: Stolen from Plymouth

Post by andyd »

tejb1 wrote:
Andrew 2.8i wrote:
tejb1 wrote:
Reading a few things about Focus RSs, are they what a Sierra Cossie was to the twoccers 20 years ago??
I think so......Big money Fords will always attract the thieves. Mustangs are a similar price to the new RS's, wonder if they will get stolen :?
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Re: Stolen from Plymouth

Post by mjcapri »

[/quote]
I think so......Big money Fords will always attract the thieves. Mustangs are a similar price to the new RS's, wonder if they will get stolen :?[/quote]

It's getting silly, in some areas of the country (West Midlands springs to mind....) it's organised crime plain and simple. Unless there's violence involved (thankfully rare) I'm not sure it's a priority for the police as it keeps happening. I know they have limited resources etc. but these s**t heads are making off with £35k each time in the case of a MK3....
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Re: Stolen from Plymouth

Post by andyd »

mjcapri,
:agree: Car stolen, call Police get a crime number and that's it :banghead:

Claim on your insurance, get paid out and the Scum continue unchallenged...... :twak:
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Re: Stolen from Plymouth

Post by andyd »

The outcome http://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-new ... bay-755174

The sad thing is, many suspected this within a few hours, but his mates on F/B said he would never do it he's not like that..... :wank:
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Re: Stolen from Plymouth

Post by Andrew 2.8i »

Hi Andy,
What a complete and utter.......
Perhaps he should have been locked up, as the whole thing was premeditated.

I know it's hard to find positives here, but at least the Police investigated the crime properly, they didn't simply issue a crime number for the insurers and then forget about it.

Did your mate get another car with the insurance money?

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Re: Stolen from Plymouth

Post by mjcapri »

He certainly should have been locked up.... It sounds like the judge actually felt sorry for him! And what of the person who put him under pressure to commit this crime? My main concern is; where’s the deterrent?
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Re: Stolen from Plymouth

Post by andyd »

Andrew 2.8i wrote:Hi Andy,
What a complete and utter.......
Perhaps he should have been locked up, as the whole thing was premeditated.

I know it's hard to find positives here, but at least the Police investigated the crime properly, they didn't simply issue a crime number for the insurers and then forget about it.

Did your mate get another car with the insurance money?

Andrew.
Hi Andrew,
He should have done 6 months IMO.....But with prisons apparently full, I think this will now be commonplace :?

Not seen my mate for a while, but not heard he has bought another car.
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