R

RickL

New Member
Hi folks.

New to this forum. I have a Defender that I bought in 2014. I don't use it off road (here in south London) and don't know nearly enough about it but hope to learn more here.

In some ways it was a nostalgia purchase as I owned a Series III back in the mid 1980s, when I was a student and for a few years afterwards. My wife says the Defender is my mid life crisis car.
 
RickL said:
Hi folks.

New to this forum. I have a Defender that I bought in 2014. I don't use it off road (here in south London) and don't know nearly enough about it but hope to learn more here.

In some ways it was a nostalgia purchase as I owned a Series III back in the mid 1980s, when I was a student and for a few years afterwards. My wife says the Defender is my mid life crisis car.
Click to expand...
Welcome to LZ. :)

Might be a short crisis if you live inside the extended ULEZ.
 
Welcome to the forum
I7pha4t.jpg


They're easily nicked. Upgrade the security.

Defender, 90, 110, 130 (tratters)
https://www.landyzone.co.uk/forum/defender-90-110-130.7
 
Hippo said:
Welcome to the forum
I7pha4t.jpg


They're easily nicked. Upgrade the security.

Defender, 90, 110, 130 (tratters)
https://www.landyzone.co.uk/forum/defender-90-110-130.7
Click to expand...
Hi Hippo,

You were absolutely right - it was indeed nicked. Pinched from outside our house one night recently.

The police found it 48 hours later, thanks to the tracker. So when you say, "upgrade the security", I'm really open to any helpful hints right now.

It also has a hidden kill switch, but that didn't stop them. I'll be buying a lockable box for the pedals asap.

A friend suggested removing the rotor arm as an interim measure until I have some extra hardware, but it is a 2008 diesel and has no distributor. Does anyone know an equivalently simple fix for overnight security?
 
That’s terrible. Did they do much damage?

Pedal box is good shout. There’s good info in defender section on security
 
RickL said:
Hi Hippo,

You were absolutely right - it was indeed nicked. Pinched from outside our house one night recently.

The police found it 48 hours later, thanks to the tracker. So when you say, "upgrade the security", I'm really open to any helpful hints right now.

It also has a hidden kill switch, but that didn't stop them. I'll be buying a lockable box for the pedals asap.

A friend suggested removing the rotor arm as an interim measure until I have some extra hardware, but it is a 2008 diesel and has no distributor. Does anyone know an equivalently simple fix for overnight security?
Click to expand...
How did they nick it? Was it parked/stored somewhere to see if it was being tracked?

Get the windows etched with isr and recorded. If it's nicked then tell isr. Anyone who see's the etching can check online or by phone if its stolen on their database. It makes it more identifiable when nicked. Etch every window. Even the 2 little ones next to the back door and alpine lights in the roof. If yer need more stickers after buying the pack, contact them and provide yer unique isr etch number.

https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/security-etching-glass.242382/

If it were mine i would paint the registration number on the roof in big letters in something permanent. And sell it and buy a freelander.

Be careful where yer park it. Out of sight means they can work on it unseen.

Fit an alarm with movement detection inside. Also vibration sensing. Fit security screws/bolts to the light lenses and door hinges. They sometimes take the headlight out to disable the horn. Not sure which years/model of tratter build that applies to.

As above fit pedal lock. Be prepared for them to try to simply tow it away anorl.

Yer can't stop them taking it. But yer can make that process more difficult. Making it more recognisable once nicked, makes it more difficult to change its identity. Not impossible. Just another job for them to do.
 
Sorry - just realised I never replied to the helpful replies on this thread. Thanks everyone.

Hippo said:
How did they nick it? Was it parked/stored somewhere to see if it was being tracked?
Click to expand...

I don't know how they nicked it. They didn't break any windows. They also worked out where the kill switch was. The PC I spoke with said they sometimes have a bucket full of key tags and drive slowly down the road pressing the buttons and seeing if anything unlocks.

The thieves parked it in a field near the A127 in Essex, presumably to leave it for a few days to see if it was tracked. During that time I contacted the tracking company and paid them to activate the tracker. (It had never been activated and I only had a vague recollection that there was one). A passing cop car then picked up the tracking signal within an hour or so, which was great. When I got it back from the pound, you could see inside that the thieves had tried to prise part of the dashboard out, and removed both the fuse box covers. Presumably they were (unsuccessfully) looking for the tracker?

I now have a pedal lock. And a window sticker saying I have a pedal lock. I think I might belatedly follow your advice about window etching, too.
 
RickL said:
Hi Hippo,

You were absolutely right - it was indeed nicked. Pinched from outside our house one night recently.

The police found it 48 hours later, thanks to the tracker. So when you say, "upgrade the security", I'm really open to any helpful hints right now.

It also has a hidden kill switch, but that didn't stop them. I'll be buying a lockable box for the pedals asap.

A friend suggested removing the rotor arm as an interim measure until I have some extra hardware, but it is a 2008 diesel and has no distributor. Does anyone know an equivalently simple fix for overnight security?
Click to expand...
Exchange it for a freelander, jobs a goodin, nobody pinches them-;
 
RickL said:
Sorry - just realised I never replied to the helpful replies on this thread. Thanks everyone.



I don't know how they nicked it. They didn't break any windows. They also worked out where the kill switch was. The PC I spoke with said they sometimes have a bucket full of key tags and drive slowly down the road pressing the buttons and seeing if anything unlocks.

The thieves parked it in a field near the A127 in Essex, presumably to leave it for a few days to see if it was tracked. During that time I contacted the tracking company and paid them to activate the tracker. (It had never been activated and I only had a vague recollection that there was one). A passing cop car then picked up the tracking signal within an hour or so, which was great. When I got it back from the pound, you could see inside that the thieves had tried to prise part of the dashboard out, and removed both the fuse box covers. Presumably they were (unsuccessfully) looking for the tracker?

I now have a pedal lock. And a window sticker saying I have a pedal lock. I think I might belatedly follow your advice about window etching, too.
Click to expand...
I would assume they pulled bits oft inside to look for a tracker. It's quite common on high end vehicles or those which are known targets as thieves expect there to be a tracker. Hence leaving it in a field to 'cool oft' to see if it's traced.

Some peeps on ere take the p*ss out of etching windows. Deterrents put thieves oft. Security devices make it more difficult to nick. Once it's taken they have little or no further security to offer. Peeps will spend hundreds on metal plates but ignore the low cost and benefit of etching.

Trackers and window etching give you a chance to get it back, once it's been taken. The ISR system is cheap and checkable by anyone who finds it, by phone or internet. Yes they can change the windows but that takes time and they need windows to do it.

To be frank I've been on ere a lot of years. I regularly see owners listing their heap up as stolen. Only a small number get them back. They post in the hope it will help but in reality there's often no evidence to help the police trace it. Anything that tracks or identifies it once stolen is worth it in my opinion. Etching is currently 36 sovs per kit.
 
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