SEATTLE - STOLEN SAAB 900

[Hans]

The grocery store manager called the police, who called me. I'm guessing he only had the car for fifteen or twenty minutes. Wipers were on, and it hasn't rained since the theft.

Kill switch will initially merely keep it from being stolen again, but will also get something special to make sitting in the car impossible.

[SwedeSport]

I dunno, the harder you make it to steal, the more they will fuck it all up trying to get in it with a screwdriver. I always make my stereo slide right out. I'd rather they have the 150.00 radio than destroy my interior trying to get it out.

Had the key not worked, you would have just found it all buggered up.

[Jordan]

Reminds me up this past weekend at our motel. A fellow competitor knocked on our door. He had left his hotel key in the service van that was 25 miles away. Luke tried our room key in his door, click, opens....

[hutch]

I dunno, the harder you make it to steal, the more they will fuck it all up trying to get in it with a screwdriver. I always make my stereo slide right out. I'd rather they have the 150.00 radio than destroy my interior trying to get it out.

Had the key not worked, you would have just found it all buggered up.

I sort of agree with this, I'd of course prefer not to have my car broken into at all, but having been the victim of two break-ins of two separate 900s I can see the logic. The last time they just smashed a window just to steal an old mini iPod and the damn face to my radio. Not the whole thing. I was legimtely more pissed they broke the window than anything else because I was picking glass out of the carpet for months. But this was 2008 and the Phillies won the world series a few days later so I quickly moved on.

That being said the car did have a somewhat well disguised push button start, maybe that tricked them enough. That definitely makes me feel like I should add a somewhat hidden kill switch for the fuel pump or something to fool would be thieves if I have to park in a high traffic area again.

OP, that's great you got the car back, glad the worst damage is a moved seat.

[Crazyswede]

I dunno, the harder you make it to steal, the more they will fuck it all up trying to get in it with a screwdriver. I always make my stereo slide right out. I'd rather they have the 150.00 radio than destroy my interior trying to get it out.

Had the key not worked, you would have just found it all buggered up.

You have a point. I much rather they just steal the car instead of risking damage to the interior.

[SwedeSport]

I dunno, the harder you make it to steal, the more they will fuck it all up trying to get in it with a screwdriver. I always make my stereo slide right out. I'd rather they have the 150.00 radio than destroy my interior trying to get it out.

Had the key not worked, you would have just found it all buggered up.

You have a point. I much rather they just steal the car instead of risking damage to the interior.

LOL! Well,... In this case it worked out.

I agree that at least you still have your car when they fail to steal it. You still have your car, but you cant lock it without replacing the lock cylinder or innards, Your door is all bent up from where they tried to pry the lock out of the doorskin, and then they used a pry bar to remove the dash from your firmly attached radio.

I had a car broken into more than once. One time they stole about 3 dollars worth of change out of the ashtray, and a cassette deck that I picked up at the flea market for 25.00. But the damage to the car would have cost nearly 2000.00 bucks to fix at a shop.

Just saying you have to pick your battles. Is that electronic device more valuable than your car?

[Crazyswede]

I dunno, the harder you make it to steal, the more they will fuck it all up trying to get in it with a screwdriver. I always make my stereo slide right out. I'd rather they have the 150.00 radio than destroy my interior trying to get it out.

Had the key not worked, you would have just found it all buggered up.

You have a point. I much rather they just steal the car instead of risking damage to the interior.

LOL! Well,... In this case it worked out.

I agree that at least you still have your car when they fail to steal it. You still have your car, but you cant lock it without replacing the lock cylinder or innards, Your door is all bent up from where they tried to pry the lock out of the doorskin, and then they used a pry bar to remove the dash from your firmly attached radio.

I had a car broken into more than once. One time they stole about 3 dollars worth of change out of the ashtray, and a cassette deck that I picked up at the flea market for 25.00. But the damage to the car would have cost nearly 2000.00 bucks to fix at a shop.

Just saying you have to pick your battles. Is that electronic device more valuable than your car?

My point was more to install some sort of immobilizer hidden in the car so it cannot be started. You could leave your doors unlocked for easy access but prevent them from starting the car and driving it away. Many of the vehicles in Australia came with immobilizers...also the NG 900's were setup so that if you locked the car with the keyfob the ignition was disabled...so if you locked the car with the keyfob...dropped the fob and it broke...well you could still unlock the car with the key but you would not be able to start it with the key.

[SwedeSport]

A simple toggle switch hidden somewhere would do the trick.

[Geoff]

Kill switch will initially merely keep it from being stolen again, but will also get something special to make sitting in the car impossible.

Reminds me of an episode of South Park

My cousin had a Datsun in college that he had removed the ignition switch from and hooked up a board with some switches and a quick-disconnect. He kept the board in the glove box when the car was parked. One night he was at a party in Boston and there was some car thief there who said he could 'jack any car in two minutes'. My cousin bet him $50 he couldn't hot wire his Datsun. A half hour later my cousin was $50 richer.

[SalemSaab]

Not so much universal but they only made so many variations. Also as the cylinders wear more and more keys will fit. And ultimately anyone with a properly setup slide hammer can steal a classic 900 even if there is a reverse lockout. I wager I could steal your 900 is about a minute

good luck, I don't own a 900

I always hear about "reverse lockout" on 900s, I always forget to see if my 99 has it .. I presume not but that'd be nice to have.

You have a point. I much rather they just steal the car instead of risking damage to the interior.

Amen to that. Deductibles are too high to make up for broken windows, pried doors, stolen stereo etc. Just steal the car, hopefully I'll get it back mostly undamaged.
But of course tweakers looking for drug $ vs. tweakers looking for a joyride are two entirely different scenarios. Misdemeanor vs. Felony.

helpful hint: always keep a spare crowbar/tire iron in the trunk in case you catch said scumbag in the act & have to use 'reasonable' force ... "he came at me!"

[Crazyswede]

I always hear about "reverse lockout" on 900s, I always forget to see if my 99 has it .. I presume not but that'd be nice to have.


Your 99 has reverse lockout unless someone removed it. Reverse lockout is why you have to put the car in reverse to take the key out of the ignition.

[SalemSaab]

[color=#0000FF]
Your 99 has reverse lockout unless someone removed it. Reverse lockout is why you have to put the car in reverse to take the key out of the ignition.

None for me .. transmission shifts pretty well so perhaps it is not original.

Here is yet another stolen / returned Saab 900 .. word must be out that they are easy joyriders.

[Edward]

I dunno, the harder you make it to steal, the more they will fuck it all up trying to get in it with a screwdriver. I always make my stereo slide right out. I'd rather they have the 150.00 radio than destroy my interior trying to get it out.

Had the key not worked, you would have just found it all buggered up.

You have a point. I much rather they just steal the car instead of risking damage to the interior.

LOL! Well,... In this case it worked out.

I agree that at least you still have your car when they fail to steal it. You still have your car, but you cant lock it without replacing the lock cylinder or innards, Your door is all bent up from where they tried to pry the lock out of the doorskin, and then they used a pry bar to remove the dash from your firmly attached radio.

I had a car broken into more than once. One time they stole about 3 dollars worth of change out of the ashtray, and a cassette deck that I picked up at the flea market for 25.00. But the damage to the car would have cost nearly 2000.00 bucks to fix at a shop.

Just saying you have to pick your battles. Is that electronic device more valuable than your car?

Lol! I know what you mean. Some worthless wastes of oxygen broke into my old Miata many years ago at my apartment near UTSA. They smashed out the window and broke the console door off for a radar detector cord and a $5 xm receiver
The idiots left behind a few Mac and Snap On tools that were under the passenger seat
At least they didn't slash the top.