Stolen 993 in Maida Vale, London

[Pickled Piper]

I'm guessing that the simplest explanation is the most likely. I would suggest that the cars are being hoisted onto a flat bed truck and driven away.

pp

[bcnrml]

POORCARDEALER said:

I ALWAYS cover up the visible VIN number on Porsches when they are parked up (not foolproof as there are other ways they can get the VIN but why display it)

He inspects cars for sale by opening up doors and engine bays. In his considerable experience, a suspect VIN or engine number is spotted after a quick look and he then returns with the Cypriot police to clarify any suspicions.

---

Something else: When the gang to which I referred thought they were being watched or at risk (as indeed they were), they moved many of the stolen cars to underground car parks of the NCP type. These were caught on CCTV within the car parks (and noted by an alert attendant). But the gang usually stored "normal" cars in all sorts of places, openly parked in quiet streets, near their homes.

Trouble is, whether hoisted or driven away from Sutherland Avenue, if you head north, you're highly unlikely to have any good quality CCTV images available to help track it down (IIRC plenty of Scameras instead.....). The same is not true for other parts of RBKC/Westminster or parts of Camden, nor in the congestion zone, so the thieves would have a higher risk of getting caught.

Edited by bcnrml on Thursday 14th August 10:08

[The Londoner]

You have to wonder though where the market is for stolen 993's. After all, they are very much the enthusiast's choice, and most who buy look very carefully at what they are getting, they are all 10+ years old with a good number of miles on the clock, and surely the developing economies if that is where they are being containered to prefer their motors newer and with more bling. If they are being broken, is there that much of a market for 993 spares?

[POORCARDEALER]

The Londoner said:

You have to wonder though where the market is for stolen 993's. After all, they are very much the enthusiast's choice, and most who buy look very carefully at what they are getting, they are all 10+ years old with a good number of miles on the clock, and surely the developing economies if that is where they are being containered to prefer their motors newer and with more bling. If they are being broken, is there that much of a market for 993 spares?

Car we had stolen had some very identifiable parts on it........I think they go abroad in one piece, and are sold in places like Saudi etc

[phelix]

I'm guessing these cars are RHD? Can't see where they're going - the Middle East prefers newer cars with AC that works - I know of at least one person that buys air cooled 911s from the Middle East and imports them into Europe because of the profit to be made.

[Stealth997]

Jack

Very sorry to hear about your 911.

If you want off road secure parking (near to you) for the future, PM me and I can give you some details.

Regards

[Marf]

Jack911 said:

Adam B said:

what I don't get

likely to have been hoisted onto flat bed truck
surely alarm would have gone off
surely wife would have heard alarm

You're not the only one.

That's why I can't understand how they took it either.

My wife would most certainly have heard the alarm so I'm quite sure it didn't go off.

The other possibility is that they had a copy of the key and immobiliser control.

There was a documentary about car theft on BBC1 a few weeks ago, one of the methods discussed on the program was theives travelling abroad with fake documents(passport, drivers license, V5 etc) and approaching main dealers spinning them a story about how they have driven abroad in their prestige car and lost the keys. Foreign main dealer then supplies new keys, theif flys back to the UK and takes the car with no fuss or damage using the supplied keys.

[Pickled Piper]

Marf said:

Jack911 said:

Adam B said:

what I don't get

likely to have been hoisted onto flat bed truck
surely alarm would have gone off
surely wife would have heard alarm

You're not the only one.

That's why I can't understand how they took it either.

My wife would most certainly have heard the alarm so I'm quite sure it didn't go off.

The other possibility is that they had a copy of the key and immobiliser control.

There was a documentary about car theft on BBC1 a few weeks ago, one of the methods discussed on the program was theives travelling abroad with fake documents(passport, drivers license, V5 etc) and approaching main dealers spinning them a story about how they have driven abroad in their prestige car and lost the keys. Foreign main dealer then supplies new keys, theif flys back to the UK and takes the car with no fuss or damage using the supplied keys.

With a 993 you would also meed the immobiliser key. i believe the 993 immobilisers were fitted in the UK and not at the factory so I presume you would have to go through the Uk dealers to get this bit.

pp

[wildoliver]

Just a note on immobilisers.

I'm for fairly obvious reasons not going to go in to great details about this, but don't assume that they are the solution to everything, the only immobilisers that are of the slightest use are the ones that are built in to your key and linked to your ecu as most modern cars are.

The various aftermarket types (including several dealer fit versions and even manufacturer fit versions from the 80s and 90s) are a hindrance only to the cars users, they are absolutely no deterrent to a thief, I've had 4 cars lately with immobilisers fitted that weren't needed for insurance, and I hate the bloomin things, so they were all removed. Without exception and they were all expensive brands, no little flick switches here, they were all removed totally within an hour, and to bypass and just drive the car off would have taken about 30 seconds.

I remove them as I'm paranoid of one kicking in and not kicking out when I don't have my tools. But it has been an eye opener, and I really wouldn't pay for one. If you think your car is at risk of theft then you need to find a better solution to one of these, at the very least get a good alarm/immobiliser (eg. clifford) with a proximity alarm, at least that way if someone gets near to the car chances are the alarm will go off before it is killed by a thief, meaning if someone is in the house at least you get a warning.

[Modificata]

POORCARDEALER said:

Car we had stolen had some very identifiable parts on it........I think they go abroad in one piece, and are sold in places like Saudi etc

I doubt that very much. I know a saudi who bought a 911 and tried to register it in Saudi. Came up as stolen and the authorities gave him grief. The authorities returned the car back to the owner.

Besides the Middle East market is more for the latest models than for older models. Im guessing these cars are becoming parts cars.

[grogger]

Jack

Very sorry (and angry) to hear your news. I saw your 'Stolen Car' posters up on Wednesday night when I walked home from the tube. Call me sad, but when your car was parked on my road (Castellain Road) I often used to cross the road to walk past it to see if it was OK - us 993 owners have to stick together!

I hope the insurance claim is resolved to your satisfaction and that you get another 993 plus access to a garage. Don't let the bds stop you enjoying yourself. The only consolation I can think of is that last time I saw your 993 I think you still hadn't had your mirrors replaced since the scumbags pulled those off a while back.

There used to be several 993s round here. First the mirrors went and then the cars. I can think of just one 993 left and I see he's got so pee'd off with mirror thefts he's retrofitted the yucky earlier rectangular ones. Maybe you should stick a note under his wiper telling him/her to look after it.

Keep you chin up.

Grogger

PS For any scallys reading this my 993 RS is garaged well away from here, so don't waste your time looking for it.

[Police State]

SNDa said:

Police State said:

For my part, whenever I give my car over to an OPC or insurance company. I never give my home address, I use a relatives for that purpose. In short, the only people who know where my car actually sleeps is me and the Mrs. I pay a little extra in premium for this piece of mind, but given the state of data protection in this country, I don't trust any of their potentialy criminal employees.

so when the insurance company asks where the car is kept overnight, are you saying you don't tell them, or at least don't tell them exactly where? Let's hope it doesn't happen, but i wouldn't fancy you're chances of a payout if you were in the OP's position.

To the OP: sorry to hear of this and the ste you'll have to go through as a result.

The domestic situation is more than adequately covered; I don't want to tempt fate (or go into details), but in the event of the worst happening, the outcome will be satisfactory. Just one other note on the op's missing 993 (and perhaps others).

On another note, I forgot to say in my original response, that a few years ago. I was positively followed for some time through west london by two rodents in... an early 996. I more than know my way around London, which is why I know they were tailing me (for a good 1/2 hour) before I decided to take them across the westway and dump them in... Maida Vale. it's worth bearing in mind that it may not simply be a case of them spotting your car in the street.

[madala]

...sorry....but how do you know the two "scalleys" in the 996 were after your car?.....bit of an assumption don't ya think.

[Dr JonboyG]

996C2 said:

Sorry to hear about that.

Just an idea but have you tried ringing Westminster council? My mate thought his MX-5 had been stolen but it was moved around the corner by the council as they needed the parking space empty. Is everything ok with your permit? They're very hot on this in Westminster, I used to live in St John's Wood and saw cars being towed all the time.

Yep. my sister's Smart Car used to get moved by Westminster all the time.

[Jack911]

Yes we did contact Westminster as it's been towed in the past.

Apparently they don't remove cars any longer.

Maybe they sold all their flat-bed trucks to the car thieves.

Edited by Jack911 on Friday 15th August 22:44

[Dr JonboyG]

Sutherland Ave is a bit notorious for that - I remember being on holiday with a friend who used to live there about 10 years ago and he got a call from his mum to tell him his car (a Golf convertible) had been nicked from outside their flat.

[Police State]

madala said:

...sorry....but how do you know the two "scalleys" in the 996 were after your car?.....bit of an assumption don't ya think.

Have you ever been followed?

[SEE YA]

madala said:

...sorry....but how do you know the two "scalleys" in the 996 were after your car?.....bit of an assumption don't ya think.

The 996 could have already been stolen that was following him?.


SEE YA

[madala]

Have you ever been followed?

....no....but I have followed other porsches going my way.....

[VanhireBoys]

A m8 was followed around for awhile in his Evo. He made a few turns and made sure. He phoned around us and got a load of "friends" orgainised in a back alley. Lets just say when he his pursuers (Members of The Travelling Community) were led in they got quite a surprise...! I wont go into details but lets just say 2 hours of "robust interrogation" and a trip in a transit van to a remote location for further "enquiries" definately done the trick. Have you ever seen scumbags cry for mercy ?.. Cried like two little girls .. So funny to see the hunters being hunted

I am not saying that we were right in what way we "dealt" with that situation but it got the message across.The cops hands are tied with procedures and political correctness - they have a fair idea who the culprits are but cant touch them.

Hopefully you get sorted out with another car soon...!