Stolen ford cosworth stories...

[Stevenr]

Not a Cosworth but my old XR4x4 was stolen after I sold it and used in a robbery and burnt out in Glasgow,real shame as it was a very clean car.Wish I kept that one D44NKL

My uncle has owned the same 4x4 Sapphire twice,managed to keep a hold of it so far thankfully.

I WILL own that very car one day.

[LanceRS]

Back in the day, I worked for a BMW dealer. They took in a white 2wd Sapphire as a part exchange on a 7 series. The owner was fed up with people breaking into his garage, moving his wife's car out of the way, bypassing the car's security and nearly getting away with the car.
A friend had his RS 500 taken away from a car park on the back of a low loader. Apparently the alarm was going off but nobody thought to challenge the crew of the truck. Never seen again.
I've had my Sapphire for 15 years and I am still totally paranoid about it. It does not get left anywhere I cannot see it and i never drive straight home if there is someone behind me.
I have had people trying to follow me back a number of times over the years. They are still nickable if only for the parts rather than the ram raiding.

[j90ny]

As a youth i also have no first hand stories, but out of interest why where imprezas or evo's not targeted like the cossys ? AWD, turbo, four seats ?

Edited by j90ny on Monday 27th January 22:42

[S11EPS]

j90ny said:

As a youth i also have no first hand stories, but out of interest why where imprezas or evo's not targetet like the cossys ? AWD, turbo, four seats ?

Because they were comparatively rare as st and required more than a soggy piece on spaghetti to break into.

[goldblum]

j90ny said:

As a youth i also have no first hand stories, but out of interest why where imprezas or evo's not targeted like the cossys ? AWD, turbo, four seats ?

Edited by j90ny on Monday 27th January 22:42

They were, here in Manchester. I had one nicked from work and another two years later went off the drive. Very common in Manchester 10-15 years ago.

[GC8]

Subaru Imprezas and Mitsubishi Lancers were targeted by thieves, but these cars were far more difficult to steal.

Before Ford realised that an unsecured 'Cosworth' was uninsurable, they were sold with nothing more than a door and steering lock which could be overcome in seconds.

[goldblum]

Impreza's and Evo's desirability led to a spate of house break-ins in Manc as thieves found nicking the keys was a far easier way to be off with a vehicle.

[markcoznottz]

GC8 said:

Subaru Imprezas and Mitsubishi Lancers were targeted by thieves, but these cars were far more difficult to steal.

Before Ford realised that an unsecured 'Cosworth' was uninsurable, they were sold with nothing more than a door and steering lock which could be overcome in seconds.

Utterly third world build quality on the sapphire, even the top and bottom halfs of the dash didnt line up, although to be fair it was already long in the tooth by 1992.

[greggy50]

Not a Ford Cosworth but back in the day my dad ordered a brand new Ford XR3i and had one of the first to hit the UK as he knew someone that worked for Ford.

Anyway at the time he had just started dating my Mum and drove round her to flat to show her. When he woke up the next day the car had gone after he had owned it for 1 day!

He found it nearby with a smashed window and some general damage car had been joy ridden and then dumped he sold it soon after saying it would never have been the same

[ezi]

What is it with fast Fords and thieves? It seems like every generation of them has a really bad reputation of being popular with thieves which you just don't get with other manufacturers.

[leedsutd1]

one problem was the scum who nicked the cars just got community service,there was a documentary filmed in Glasgow where the local thieving scum were put on a car course ,most of them had been caught 25-35 or more times in nicked cars. should have cut a finger off every time, scum

[andymc]

leedsutd1 said:

one problem was the scum who nicked the cars just got community service,there was a documentary filmed in Glasgow where the local thieving scum were put on a car course ,most of them had been caught 25-35 or more times in nicked cars. should have cut a finger off every time, scum

this and the phrase TWOC, they weren't actually stealing it as they were going to dump it

[cptsideways]

I know of someone who got taken for a lot of money by a rogue businessmen friend, the businessman in question owned a mint no mileage Escort Cossie 4x4 kept wrapped up under covers & he never used or even insured it transpired, not long after taking this person I know for ££££'s it got replaced with a snotty base model 1.3L Escort rung into the originals cossies ID they even put the covers back on & so the chap didn't realize it had been replaced for several months.

Apparently the cossie became a new but previously totaled rally car (as did many of the nicked ones)

[andymc]

I remember up here in Newcastle Vic Graham's never got bothered (local hardman)well until he was shot

[k-ink]

Loosely related, in that it was an old 80s Ford with crap security... My first ever car for a few months was a Fiesta. I managed to lock my car keys inside it like a muppet. My girlfriend had a crazy idea. She waved down the next passing Fiesta and asked to borrow their keys for a second. To my amazement she opened MY car using THEIR keys! How mental is that! My girlfriend was laughing and everyone else was open mouthed Worst security ever!!

[Escort Si-130]

They should have had a hand cut of each time, then their testicles removed.

leedsutd1 said:

one problem was the scum who nicked the cars just got community service,there was a documentary filmed in Glasgow where the local thieving scum were put on a car course ,most of them had been caught 25-35 or more times in nicked cars. should have cut a finger off every time, scum

[Marvib]

Not a cossie, but at 21 I had use if my mums sierra 2.3....until I had to come home on mothers day without it when it got stolen "Happy mothers day mum, you better call the cops" didn't go down to well.

[theplumber]

I wish my 1994 Escort Cosworth had been nicked, did nothing but cost me money, most unreliable car I've ever owned.

I was never mad on security, was left on the drive most of the time, maybe the thieves didn't notice it as was one of the few cars without the rear spoiler

Even though it caused me much financial pain I still have fond memories of it 16 years on.. Might try and buy another one day

[Chlamydia]

k-ink said:

Loosely related, in that it was an old 80s Ford with crap security... My first ever car for a few months was a Fiesta. I managed to lock my car keys inside it like a muppet. My girlfriend had a crazy idea. She waved down the next passing Fiesta and asked to borrow their keys for a second. To my amazement she opened MY car using THEIR keys! How mental is that! My girlfriend was laughing and everyone else was open mouthed Worst security ever!!

A mate of mine had a Mk3 Capri and locked his keys in it. A friend of ours who was with us at the time had a Fiesta so we borrowed her key in desperation - it opened the Capri door no problem at all, although it wouldn't start the car when we tried it.
I had a Cortina Mk3 that my brother unlocked and started with a small twig.

[Tony Starks]

Chlamydia said:

A mate of mine had a Mk3 Capri and locked his keys in it. A friend of ours who was with us at the time had a Fiesta so we borrowed her key in desperation - it opened the Capri door no problem at all, although it wouldn't start the car when we tried it.
I had a Cortina Mk3 that my brother unlocked and started with a small twig.

It may have been on here I read it but I'm sure someone got into the wrong car in a carpark and couldn't get it started so called out the RAC/AA and only realised when the AA man pointed out the different reg.
Again I could be dreaming it but who knows