Morris Minor Owners Club

Maybe I lack imagination or am too cynical but how is this supposed to work in practice?
Who will check what numbers against what database and what will they do about what they find?
The only person with strong motivation is going to be the person whose car has been stolen.

My database lists every detail - except regn & colour.

IF one of those vehicles listed is stolen, it can be traced if 'ringed' provided potential buyers contact me.

Sadly, people don't check numbers beforehand and once purchased - and realising it's a duffer, do NOT wish to admit buying
something which may be stolen.

Marking/stamping parts with the vehicle body number?

Would decrease the number of cars stolen for 'ringing' & 'spares', but I cannot force owners to send in details.

Something HAS to be done, rather puzzled why MMOC haven't posted their thoughts.

What would be the best result of this exercise?
I'd say reuniting owners with their stolen cars.


Cross referencing with other classic car clubs or forums could well be helpful too, I would suspect that people who specialise in nicking high end modern cars won't have a side line in classics and vice versa.

Looking at where stolen classic cars turn up is about the only way forwards, ones that are never seen again don't help much.

I thought the police were looking at patterns in crime but maybe they are concentrating on burglaries and ignoring classic car theft as it's rare?

I'll leave it in your capable hands.

Here's to another 26yrs of number crunching

I'm not volunteering, just suggesting what may be a more useful and used approach.
The police will have all the information and probably know exactly where classic car thieves live, it's just not high profile enough for them to act on it.
Agitating the local police commissioner might get something done but at the cost of something else not getting done.
Terrorism, illegal immigrants, burglary, child abuse, slavery, violence of all sorts and whatever the daily mail next gets upset about will have much higher priority. The list just goes on and on.

At the end of the day it's up to us to protect our own property and try to help those who have been the victims of crime how we can.

Heed one of Baldricks 'Cunning plans' then?

...we do nothing!

[another world beater]

Agitate the local police commissioner

protect our own property and try to help those who have been the victims of crime how we can.

Not nothing, practical things. Other ideas welcome.

MarkyB wrote:

Agitate the local police commissioner

I doubt any correspondance will be dealt with by him personally, just passed on to others.

protect our own property and try to help those who have been the victims of crime how we can.

Not nothing, practical things. Other ideas welcome.

See my previous posts.

Although I feel great sympathy for the victims - been there myself, owners must realise how
vunerable a standard spec Minor is, therefore should be given advice by fellow enthusiasts how
to make the vehicle more secure.

We have 4 major threats;

1. Joyriders
2. Theft for spares
3. Theft for id swop
4. Theft for export(?)

Need to do something NOW, not debate whether Club Regalia has XXL sweaters,[frame][/frame]

Club supply of Smartwater ( where could it be best applied - under the bulkhead / parcel shelf area ? ) And use a UV marker on say the sun visors ? I also try to park up with only a cupful of petrol in the tank .

Could the barrels for Union locks be replaced?

Is it worth contacting the likes of Maple/Yale or Chubb?

Yes, yet ANOTHER mad suggestion from me!

Etch the windows and security mark the engine etc with micro chip which is quite cheap now .The reason I say etch the windows is the thief wouldn't want the reg on every piece of glass

irmscher wrote:Etch the windows and security mark the engine etc with micro chip which is quite cheap now .The reason I say etch the windows is the thief wouldn't want the reg on every piece of glass

Better, though both can be replaced.

Micro-chip the bodyshell, but where could this be hidden?!

lots of places Chris bulkhead etc

I am also thinking of Smartwater, wonder if they offer bulk discounts

My motorcycles are insured through Carole Nash insurance brokers on a club-based policy. A year or two ago, along with my renewal certificate, they sent me (free) (well at no extra charge) a little bottle of smart water, instructions of where to use it (so that every bike had the stuff in the same places) and some stickers to put on the bike to say that it was so marked (visual deterrant bit and indication to Mr Plod when he finds the bike). If I wanted to mark more than one bike on a multi-vehicle policy there was an extra charge - I think it was around a tenner a bike. I realise that we are all insured through different insurers, so this may not be so simple on a universal basis, but could the club scheme with Footman James be encouraged to do something similar? Or could it be viable through the club itself? or through an Insurance broker? or something?

Any news of KRU805F? And is there a mobile number to phone if I happen to spot it?

Bit brutal perhaps?

NOT available from Halfords![frame][/frame]