Car Gone........

I've heard of two XMs being stolen, both through XM-L. Although theft of these cars is a lot less common than your garden variety Astra, it has to be borne in mind that they're getting older. The security systems on modern cars are now so good, that its virtually impossible to steal one without the keys (hence the massive increase in 'creeper' burglaries). This can only mean that the scum will begin targeting older, more vulnerable cars, with increasing frequency.

I know an XM comes low down on the pondlife's wishlist, however living in an area where car crime is rife, I don't believe in giving these barstewards one iota of a chance, and if they're going to steal my car, I want to make it as difficult as possible for them to do so.
Some may think I'm mad, but I really value my XMs, and they're not just some throwaway Mondeo that I could replace with 5 minutes browsing of Autotrader, hence I go out of my way to secure them. I've spent nearly 90 quid on a heavy duty steering wheel lock, and bought a 3rd party alarm for the S1. Overkill most will probably say, but I just don't believe in lying down and letting these idiots get away with it. All it takes is for your car to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, when they're looking a ride home in the rain, and that Focus across the way is too hard to get around the immobiliser...
I'd rather be overzealous and seen as paranoid, than loose my pride and joy through being lackadaisical.

Ciarán

Too right

I have read that the environmental impact of the manufacture of a car far outweighs it's entire running life afterwards. Therefore saving a car from being scrapped and therefore a new one being manufactured is far more environmentally friendly. Probably even if it involves running 2 'only good for scarp' cars in order to avoid 1 new one being made.

I've stopped using my crooklock thing years and years ago! Don't thnk I'll be staring that again.

Did have both bits of glass in OS rear door broken last year is separate incidents only motive was vandalism, no attempt to steal anything:-(

I guess if you hot wire a car last thing you want is to wait 1-2 mins for the suspension to raise, so S1 cars are safer than S2 :-)

later