Unfortunately I was greeted with this scene yesterday morning when I went out to my Panda. A very poor attempt (which I am glad about) to steal my Panda. The smashed the passenger door lock in and then proceeded to smash the ignition to pieces, they either then got disturbed or couldn't get past the steering lock, which took me 30secs to get off with a pair of pliers!


Anyway no major damage and the story could have been a whole lot worse, I suspect had they have got it going it would have been found burnt out on the moor.

AndyPanda4x4 has already said he has a spare ignition barrel and casting unit that I can get off him but does anyone have a spare door lock and key they are willing to part with?


Thanks in advance,


Michael

Really sorry to hear that mate. Like you say, at least they didn't drive off with it...

I had my two parked together, the one with the Stoplock didnt get touched...

Aston Martin said:

I had my two parked together, the one with the Stoplock didnt get touched...

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Yeah i should have had my steering wheel lock on, it should also have been in the garage, aaahhhh hindsight!

It was the Panda steering lock that they couldn't get past, you can see it in the picture, its a little brass pin that has a black circle on it.

Just manager to successfully hot wire it and got it going so i can at least move it now.

Michael

Sorry to hear about this - relieved that at least they were unsuccessful. I'll have a check in the garage to see if I can help.

Best wishes

David

Thanks David, Allen has already offered me a lock and key so no need to have a look in your garage. Thanks anyway.

I'm going to be making the Panda a bit more secure now!

Sorry to hear about this, terrible when this kind of thing happens

i know its a bit smashed up but i am just glad they didnt make off with the car. i know if i were you i'd just fit one of those basic alarms for what they take to put in...

saved talon twice.. that i know of...

Hope you get it sorted, soon. :hug:

failed to steal an old fiat panda, must be the worlds worst car thieves!!! This kind of thing really gets my back up, thankfully its not too bad really

Thanks for the advice and words of kindness guys, think I might have a look into one of those alarms and I'm thinking about a 'secret' switch somewhere..................not so secret now though!

it matters not if its not secret thats its there so long as no-one knows where the secret switch is

blu73 said:

it matters not if its not secret thats its there so long as no-one knows where the secret switch is

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Apart from the driver!

Palio said:

Apart from the driver!

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I once forgot where the immobilizer switch was in the Clio I had in the early 1990s. Must have taken me four or five minutes before I thought to check the handbook. Opened the glovebox to get the book out... -- ah, that's where it is...! :bang:

I can't think of a good excuse, either.

A secret switch doesn't stop them trying to start by it by destroying the doors, locks and steering again.

homeward said:

I once forgot where the immobilizer switch was in the Clio I had in the early 1990s. Must have taken me four or five minutes before I thought to check the handbook. Opened the glovebox to get the book out... -- ah, that's where it is...! :bang:

I can't think of a good excuse, either.

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I had an AX GTi not that long ago that had a secret switch for the fuel pump, so many times I would sit there trying to start the car forgetting about the switch!!


I'm thinking about putting the switch in the wire to the coil pack.

Aston Martin said:

A secret switch doesn't stop them trying to start by it by destroying the doors, locks and steering again.

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yes but to does stop them from actually driving it off... End of the day if someone is gonna break into your car there is little you can do to stop them, only things that will slow them down.. I had my old puntoGT broken into and i felt totally violated but truth be told it could have had the best alarm in the world on it and i would still have had a hole punched in my door before they knew that.

blu73 said:

yes but to does stop them from actually driving it off... End of the day if someone is gonna break into your car there is little you can do to stop them, only things that will slow them down.. I had my old puntoGT broken into and i felt totally violated but truth be told it could have had the best alarm in the world on it and i would still have had a hole punched in my door before they knew that.

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Agreed, no need to make it easy for them, they can break in again but as long as they don't/can't drive it off im relatively happy!

Part of the problem is a Panda sticks out like a sore thumb on a modern street (as does any older car). A crook has no chance of driving away a new car without the keys, so they will go for the only car they can.

The police caught some ned in my ex gf's Nissan Sunny trying to hot wire it. He was drunk and just wanted a drive home and the Sunny was the only car on the street he had a chance of starting. Fortunately this individual was so drunk he made enough of a commotion to alert the police

Remove the fuse for the fuel pump when leaving the car. Makes it impossible to drive away at the very least