Did you see this article in Thursday's (Feb 26th) Boston Globe http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2004/02/26/left_in_the_dark?mode=PF about the incidence of XENON theft on the increase? I posted this to the general thread, but was wondering if anyone in the Boston area has had a problem w/ their MINI...

Did you see this article in Thursday's (Feb 26th) Boston Globe http://www.boston.com/news/local/ma...ft_in_the_dark/ about the incidence of XENON theft on the increase? I posted this to the general thread, but was wondering if anyone in the Boston area has had a problem w/ their MINI...

not in boston, but my uncle recently had the xenons stolen from his toyota in south florida, the dealership said that it was the third one that day. it seems to be a national thing.

how much you want to bet they end up on an 1985 honda CRX with a oversized wing on the back?

Yeah I just had my second set of lights stolen in just over a year. They seem to be getting quite proficient. They use some king of pry bar to break the main retaining clip and they they pop the lights right out, leaving two nasty dents in the bonnet and ruining the headlight housing. Both times my car has been parked in the Fenway area, and I walked by another Cooper S yesterday with the same damage to one light, it seems they realized too late he just had standard lights.

I seriously doubt that they care about the headlights for resale to other MINI owners, what they are after are the Igniters. I've been researching a secondary alarm system with proximity alerts and two-way notification. I'd love to find something with video survellance too, if anyone has heard of the like I'd love to know.

Anyway MINI is in the shop now, getting a new Bonnet and Lamps. I hope someone can come up with some way to make the lights more secure.

Bummed-in-Boston

Yeah I just had my second set of lights stolen in just over a year. They seem to be getting quite proficient. They use some king of pry bar to break the main retaining clip and they they pop the lights right out, leaving two nasty dents in the bonnet and ruining the headlight housing. Both times my car has been parked in the Fenway area, and I walked by another Cooper S yesterday with the same damage to one light, it seems they realized too late he just had standard lights.

I seriously doubt that they care about the headlights for resale to other MINI owners, what they are after are the Igniters. I've been researching a secondary alarm system with proximity alerts and two-way notification. I'd love to find something with video survellance too, if anyone has heard of the like I'd love to know.

Anyway MINI is in the shop now, getting a new Bonnet and Lamps. I hope someone can come up with some way to make the lights more secure.

Bummed-in-Boston

Haggis, that sucks! Sorry to hear, and makes me pause to think about bringing my MINI into the city....on a fun note, did you see this note about the world's most expensive haggis?

http://www.luxist.com/entry/1234000737029052/

http://www.weblogsinc.com/common/images/1131471947181237.JPG?0.3544092177288335 (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/01/25/nhaggis25.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/01/25/ixhome.html) We never ever thought we’d be tempted to try haggis until we read this one. John Paul McLachlan has created a haggis made of Scotch beef foiled in a sheep’s stomach and infused with some of the world’s best whisky, the Balvenie cask 191. Usually you need whisky to wash down traditional haggis which is made from hearts, lungs and other interior parts mixed with onions and oatmeal. The chef created the dish to celebrate Burns Night (honoring Scottish poet Robert Burns). There are only 83 bottles of the Balvenie cask 191 in existence; it’s a deeply amber 50 year old Scotch with a spicy taste and a pricetag of over $11,000. They plan to serve 10 customers at over $500 per serving. While it sounds tempting to just forget the haggis and drink the whisky, the chef insists that the meal is not a waste of fine whisky. Proceeds from the meal go to benefit tsunami relief.

too late: the 07 lamps will be securely mounted in the fender.

That's terrible to hear guys :(
I would be devestated if I found my MINI with it's eyes missing :mad:

too late: the 07 lamps will be securely mounted in the fender.

That's not going to stop someone if they really want them. Face it, they'll just tear up the fender to get them out. :(

Well this sucks. I've gotta go into Boston the end of April. Maybe I'll disguise my car.

I'm sure you'll hardly even notice after being so used to being robbed by every parking garage!

That's not going to stop someone if they really want them. Face it, they'll just tear up the fender to get them out. :(
At least the pros will pass them by. You've got a point about the frustrated kids, though. I can imagine how much damage that could cause. MINI should put a card slot just above each headlamp - Offering a free xenon igniter if the toll free number is called and the owner of the car reports no damage to the car. Fedex delivery. :P

(and by frustrated kids i don't just mean frustrated kids, but frustrated crack addicts, frustrated desperados, frustrated housewives, etc)

Gmini - Even the pros won't pass them up. They will find a way to get them out - as long as what they want isn't damaged, they don't care. It's just a dang shame for anyone that it happens to.

I can only say one word about this subjecs. As :bad: :bad: :bad: :bad: es

I read this post a few days ago and was quite surprised that this problem had escaped my attention. I don't read that left-wing rag called the Globe, but I am in the tow biz in the Boston area and contract for several dealerships and body shops. I asked around at few of the local places I tow for, and they all said they've seen the problem, just as described in the Globe article. Nobody knew about the DataDot ID system, but one shop owner told me that somebody makes these small stickers to put onto the light housings that read "Non-Xenon", supposedly to fool a potential thief into believing that he hasn't found what he was looking for.
It just goes to show you that nothing is sacred anymore.
..........They'll steal the wheels off a miscarriage.............. :mad:

On another website, I have fielded requests for photographic proof that this atrocity is befalling local MINIs. Politely put: please show us any pictures you may have of said instances. I am sorry for your loss to this barbaric practice.

...... many BMW, Audi, and assorted other forums, I have noticed a marked increase in the quantity of complaints about this issue. A great number of the complaints seem to be out of Boston, Mass., Philadelphia, PA., and Newark, NJ. It appears to have become a worldwide phenomenon now.

Pictures have been posted of cars sans lights with owner's descriptions (sardonically) depicting their new "custom twin CAI's"... Many spoke of wishing they could nab the respective culprit(s) so that they could exact revenge. I am waiting for the first news of a successful "Xenon theft revenge squad"... and backlash resulting from a rampage of "auto vigilantes".

Lately here in south Texas, the favorite target of car part thieves has been the easily removed tailgates of various models of pickup trucks. It seems that they are worth about $1500 !!! One newscast showed through a demonstration that the tailgates could be removed in less than 20 seconds. As they still have laws on the books down here allowing for hanging of horse thieves, it makes one ponder the fate of tailgate bandits should they be caught by folks other than the police.

What, if anything, can be done about this ?

Pray alot...and hope for the best.... (I prefer this aforementioned methodology to the toting of "Mr. Sig Sauer" around with me to check on my MCS in the underground parking area... because I am genuinely afraid of what I might have to do if I were to catch a thief !)

That is all.

I read this post a few days ago and was quite surprised that this problem had escaped my attention. I don't read that left-wing rag called the Globe, but I am in the tow biz in the Boston area and contract for several dealerships and body shops. I asked around at few of the local places I tow for, and they all said they've seen the problem, just as described in the Globe article. Nobody knew about the DataDot ID system, but one shop owner told me that somebody makes these small stickers to put onto the light housings that read "Non-Xenon", supposedly to fool a potential thief into believing that he hasn't found what he was looking for.
It just goes to show you that nothing is sacred anymore.
..........They'll steal the wheels off a miscarriage.............. :mad:

Kind of reminds me of Boston in the 80's when you'd see cars w/ "No Radio" all over the windows, especially Jettas....What's the DataDot ID system?

well it still seems to be a problem, the carpundit has an ongoing saga, and autoblog.com referenced it today.

http://carpundit.typepad.com/carpundit/2005/03/boston_audi_hea.html

Gotta feel for the guy who lost 'em 4x in one year....

Kind of reminds me of Boston in the 80's when you'd see cars w/ "No Radio" all over the windows, especially Jettas....What's the DataDot ID system?

:mad: ARRGH! :mad:
I've been reading about the Maxima thefts for 2-3 years now, luckily mine never disappeared. An issue is that while 5th gen Max's all look alike, 2000-2001 had no Xenons while 2002-2003 did. I owned both and the regular halogens were unusually poor, Xenons were a big improvement. Have seen articles where NY/NJ dealerships had entire lots stripped of their Maxima's Xenons.

I'd forgotten all about this problem and am hoping it's less likely to occur within our smaller community. I mean, can you picture a MINI owner commiting this kind of act? :rolleyes:

DATADOTS:
I got the postcard but never had this done.. the dealership will spray or stick teenie tiny thingies in your lights which are apparently coded to the VIN. Plus you got stickers saying 'protected' or whatever, and a better bracket for the Maxima.

Don't worry, they don't differentiate between Xenons and non-xenons. Just don't park your mini near the statehouse:
http://carpundit.typepad.com/carpundit/2005/06/miniblinds_head.html

Just don't park your mini near the statehouse:

Is that why the Commonwealth is running a budget surplus again? :eek: