Trackers and Things

[nervous]

My otherwise excellent insurance company has decided that from this year on they need my F360 to be fitted with a pro-active tracker, despite insuring me incident-free without one on the car for 2.5 years.

Problem is, I'm not sure if my car has a tracker- I've certainly never used it, and the car came with no paperwork to suggest it has, but I'm told that all 360's from 2000 onwards have one fitted as standard.

So, does anyone have any idea how I might find out whether I have one or not? Are they always fitted in a common place? Are they ever even slightly visible? I'm guessing not as their removal by uncouth sorts would be a sight easier I suppose, but it's worth asking I suppose.

Sadly I cant contact the Ferrari main dealer in Edinburgh to ask them if I have one fitted, as they are the second most useless shower of s I've ever dealt with, and any contact with them will only result in further deep-fried-disappointment. So, that's not an option. Besides which, 'm not sure I could make it to the end of any sentence with them without using the phrase 'I hate you, and I hope you die horribly, soon'.

So, does anyone have any ideas how I might find out what if anything I have? Is there a sufficiently limited number of these people in business that it might pay me to phone all of them up and ask if my car has one of their little boxes of electronic paranoia fitted? Please say yes, I really don't want to have to buy one, and I'd really like to stay with my insurer.

Failing that, and assuming I dont have one, can anyone advise me what tracker to get installed? I dont care what it is, as we dont get crime here, and I dont plan to start leaving the car in increasingly dangerous or sinister places, but it cannot be one made, installed or operated by Tracker themselves as they are the first most useless shower of s I've ever dealt with, and after 2 years of them phoning me in the middle of the night to tell me a car that I no longer owned had been stolen again I've long since vowed never to use them. In fact, to place in perspective how strongly I feel about not giving Tracker any money whatsoever, let me put it this way: I'd honestly rather give the money to British Telecom. When was the last time you heard anyone say that? Never, that's when.

Anyway, your advice on any of the above would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
N.

Edited by nervous on Sunday 1st March 14:52

[Stu R]

I've used RAC for tracker stuff previously. Not quite sure how you measure who is good and who isn't, they could have installed a midget gem for all I know as the cars I had them fitted to never got stolen.

If they're supposedly standard fitment on all F360's, p'raps just ring another dealer and see what they say, or even Fez themselves (purveyors of fine hats too) and see if shouting the chassis number at them reveals anything?

Failing that, get savvy with an angle grinder and hack away till you find one. If you don't find one, at least you had fun with the angle grinder

[nervous]

I very much like the cut of your jib, Stu. Thank you.

FWIW, I've long since believed they don't fit anything at all, and just call you in the middle of the night just to make you think you're getting value for money.

Anyway, grassy-knolls asside, does anyone else know of anyone I might be able to shout at or know of some things I might be able to cut up? Either way is good for me.

[nmhmv]

I have had both RAC Trackstar and Tracker on two Lambo's. When I sent my Murcie to Lambo London for a service, on two separate occasions, via lorry, RAC Trackstar did not pick up that it had been moved without the engine running and could well have been being stolen. When I call them they are permanently too busy to take the call.

So long and short of it I would not recommend RAC Trackstar. On the other hand Tracker have always been great, even noticing that I was taking the car via ferry and calling to check I was with it.

[nervous]

nmhmv said:

On the other hand Tracker have always been great, even noticing that I was taking the car via ferry and calling to check I was with it.

In their defence, they used to notify me every time my car was moved.

But only after I'd not owned it for two years and had repeatedly informed them of this fact. Sometimes I would speak with the same guy three times in one night, and I'd have to tell him every time that I didnt own the car any more before he'd hang up. Brilliance personified.

Thanks for the tip on the RAC

[ns1]

Have an '01 360 spider and apparently a tracker wasn't standard on those vehicles. NAVTRAK is standard on later 360's. Had Navtrak fitted to reduce the insurance and its been pretty flawless since I have had it.

[nervous]

how much was your navtrack?

[sjn2004]

nervous said:

how much was your navtrack?

Not sure about installation cost but Navtrak with ADR is £295 per year subscription fee. This is the standard system on Maserati's, so I guess it's the same system as used by Ferrari. The ADR part (advanced driver recognition) is a plastic fob which you need in the car with you when you start the car. You store this in a different place to your keys. If the car starts without the fob an alert is set off. On a few occasions I taken the car out of the garage without the fob and within minutes Navtrak call my cell phone.

http://www.navtrak.com/products.html

[nervous]

Thanks SJN, that's great.

Does anyone else have any additional suggestions?

[Steve_T]

Yep, I suggest a you see if a Meta Sat 800 offers what you want. Call Carl Baker at Car & Bike Installations 07720723407, although quite a lot of his work is TVRs he also does plenty of Ferrari work.

[nervous]

Thanks Steve, will do

[martisracing]

The best deal I could find on trackers was the Neo-Trac. A 3 year deal for a Thatcham 5 one is £1067.00 (including the unit, installation and 3 years subsciption). A one year deal is £779. The yearly subscription is only £145. They are part of Unipart. No experience of the aftermarket service but very helpful in arranging installation. One point to bear in mind with trackers is that some insurance companies will only accept Thatcham 5 (the highest rating) and not the lower Q rating.

[neil-f]

Navtrak is standard fit on later 360's I have this on my CS.
If you don't know if you have anything fitted you will have to start from scratch I would think!

[ns1]

Hi Navtrak was circa 1000 gbp all in fitting and years subscription. Went for the package where they also give you a little credit card which also needs to be in the car with you when the car moves as an additional precaution. (can be a pain if you forget it as phone goes when you're driving!!). I think I got a small discount as I went through Lancaster Colchester who I think were having a promotion in conjunction with Navtrak at the time. Had it fitted at Lancasters too.

[nervous]

Thanks NS

[sjn2004]

I guess its possible your car already has navtrak installed but the subscription ran out. Have you considered asking Navtrak if your car has a unit fitted? You may need the original plate that it was registered on but its worth a try.

[nervous]

Funnily enough, that's where I'm up to now.

After speaking with the excellent Ferrari Colchester, it transpires that all 360s come with a Trak Bak 1 system, includinmg mine. Winner.

But, when I called the firm that operate the contract now they couldnt make my unit 'wake up', meaning an engineer will have to be sent out to have a look at it at £80ph, probably making fixing such an old unit redundant, especially since it wouldnt be worth porting to my next car after repair. Loser.

So, it looks like shopping for a new one might be the way forward.

Rats.

[Need For Speed]

My late 2002 360 Modena has a TrakBak system fitted from new. The company who monitor the system changed a couple of years ago and they are pretty shoddy. They even sent out a letter regarding future subscriptions a few weeks ago and it p!ssed a lot of people off........the company then apologised and backed down. When my insurance renewal comes up, I'll be asking if I can have a policy without needing a tracking system and fk the subscription.

Think about it, if your car gets stolen and then recovered by the police, any future HPI check will flag up the car as stolen and recovered.....try selling it then! If my car ever gets stolen, I don't want it back!

Edited by Need For Speed on Tuesday 3rd March 12:33

[nervous]

Need For Speed said:

My late 2002 360 Modena has a TrakBak system fitted from new. The company who monitor the system changed a couple of years ago and they are pretty shoddy. They even sent out a letter regarding future subscriptions a few weeks ago and it p!ssed a lot of people off........the company then apologised and backed down. When my insurance renewal comes up, I'll be asking if I can have a policy without needing a tracking system and fk the subscription.

Think about it, if your car gets stolen and then recovered by the police, any future HPI check will flag up the car as stolen and recovered.....try selling it then! If my car ever gets stolen, I don't want it back!

Edited by Need For Speed on Tuesday 3rd March 12:33

I totally agree, I place no faith in these people- it's nothing more of an item to enable my insurance.

[neil-f]

All UK Ferraris have NAVTRAK fitted at the factory since about 2002 this company is owned by Cobra and is nothing to do with Trakbak mentioned by Derek.