Do you lock your car?

[randy7601]

This has been on my mind recently. With the good weather, I've been riding top down and when I park, I lock the storage compartments and the doors. Of course "breaking into" the car is no harder than leaning over and pulling the latch. The locked center storage bin on my NB feels like a good tug is all it would take to defeat the lock (giving access to the trunk). But thieves are either looking for something quick to grab and run, or won't be deterred by a simple lock.

Reading Walter's post about having his top cut and radio stolen, reminds me of something I read about not locking convertibles for this very reason. So...

• Do you lock your Miata?
• Do you lock your car with the top down?
• Do you lock the inside storage compartments with the top down?
• Any idea if Insurance companies would deny a theft claim because your door was unlocked?
• Is an alarm system with starter-disable worth investing in? But how many Miatas are stolen? Isn't theft of contents the greater concern?

[channelmaniac]

Doors are always locked... nothing is left in plain sight... trunk is almost always locked to where you can't open it from the inside - just turn the key the opposite way & feel the "click".

If you have an NA that doesn't have the remote trunk pull disabled feature then you need to look on the board for the modification to the lock cylinder. It's easy to do with a dremel tool. I did it on my 92 B&T and it worked nicely.

That way if they do break into your car then they can't get into the trunk. Oh, and I always leave the glove box and center console unlocked since they are easy to rip open & break.

RJ

[Treibenschnell]

Never... it doesn't even have a top.

[black roadster]

Doors are always locked... nothing is left in plain sight... trunk is almost always locked to where you can't open it from the inside - just turn the key the opposite way & feel the "click".

Actually they didn't add that till 2000.

Here are the instructions

I did it to mine. Intimidating but not too difficult if you are careful.

I lock mine and set the alarm except when parked in the garage at home.

[Magma]

I lock it all the time, but I am lazy and have the keyless entry, so I never really think about it.

If I am going into a big store and have the top down, I will normally put the V! and faceplate in the trunk and dissable the remote release

[MadMonkey]

Never... it doesn't even have a top.

They can't get to it in the garage anyway

[HudsonHawk]

A friend of mine had the top slashed on his Jeep Wrangler and the radio stolen. Bad part about it was he nevel locked his doors hoping that a would be theif would not tear up the top. The idiot never checked the door. Just assumed it was locked and sliced away.

[johnwag]

Boisking and myself talk about this often. I park in the garage at my house just for this very reason. I'm somewhat cautious when I'm in public. Certain places worry me. 95% of the time I'm not bothered.

[juxt3r]

If the hardtop is on, the doors get locked.
No hardtop = one or both doors unlocked at all times, and I'll generally leave the windows down a little, as well, hoping to give a little hint to anyone who wants to steal the precious tire pressure gauge.

[MiataMike]

If the hardtop is on, the doors get locked.
No hardtop = one or both doors unlocked at all times, and I'll generally leave the windows down a little, as well, hoping to give a little hint to anyone who wants to steal the precious tire pressure gauge.

+1

Never leave anything in the car worth stealing. And if you do have something don't leave it in plain sight.

[Supermiataman]

I always lock my car. I figure I'm gonna make the thief work a little for it...Also I have full coverage, and I might as well use it. Locks keep honest people Honest....

I'm always amazed by the people who say, "if they want it, they will get it, so why try"....I say "if they want it, they will probably get whatever it is they want, but I'm gonna give it my best to prevent it. Also, the longer it takes em, the better the chance I get to catch em in the act. Then I get to use my peacemaker!!! But I typically avoid leaving things in plain sight. All CD's in my car are burned, just encase they decide that's worth slashing my top.

I lock the compartments as well. again keep honest honest. I even lock the car w/ the top down...Course the car would lock itself if I didn't.

2001+ cars have a OE immobilizer. but miatae aren't commonly stolen. I know a guy here in Lubbock whose was stolen (1st gen.) found a few days later. (joy riders)

I

[jeff_man]

It's funny, where i live the only security system you need is stock rims =/

[Billy Blaze]

A friend of mine had the top slashed on his Jeep Wrangler and the radio stolen. Bad part about it was he nevel locked his doors hoping that a would be theif would not tear up the top. The idiot never checked the door. Just assumed it was locked and sliced away.

Same thing happened with my 01 Wrangler will zip out windows...lol, 1 month old and I had nothing in the car. except a 120. bottle of cologne which they left.

I have entertained the thought of a killswitch, had one on my stang with a touch bead that if moved from a 1 ft radius would kill the car...very nice kill switch.
anyway everytime I think about it, I think.....who would steal my car?

[boisking]

The only valuble thing (to me) in my car is the 4-way lug wrench. I leave it unlocked hoping anybody interested in stealing from me will just open the door (so long as they don't look behind the seat and take my tire iron).

[jeff_man]

best thing i can think of is theft insurans seeing how if someone wants your stuff they will take it regardless of what you do to stop them =(

[RX7-2nr]

thats why i like dark tinted windows. if they cant see into the car in the first place, youve got less chance of being broken into.

[MiataMike]

thats why i like dark tinted windows. if they cant see into the car in the first place, youve got less chance of being broken into.

5% visability on my SE =P the po-po doesn't like it much though :-\ Darn ticket cost me $120. Not to mention its hard to drive at night.

but DAMN she looks good

[randy7601]

best thing i can think of is theft insurans seeing how if someone wants your stuff they will take it regardless of what you do to stop them =(

OK. I'm on board about not speaking meat shield. But at least he didn't say "irregardless." Then again, maybe that's what he meant, just didn't feel the need to type all those extra letters.

(just kidin!)

[Monkey of Death]

I always lock mine, mostly out of habit. And the top's always down (unless I get caught out in the rain). I just never leave anything valuable in sight. That's one reason I love the MP3 mod to the Bose: I can keep the factory stereo which is less appealing to thieves but now have a better mix of music. In fact, I got a cheap ($30) 1GB player to keep in the car. It fits in the 'hidden' cubby next to the starter button. (closed and open) Even if the player does get stolen, I'm only out $30. Would still suck, but not as much as a $300 player!

Since I have an NB, I can keep things in the trunk and disable the remote release by turning the key counterclockwise. Awesome feature!

I got into the habit of locking with the top off back when I had my '90 300ZX with t-tops. The factory 'alarm' worked in such a way that if you locked the car, after 5 minutes the system would require the key to unlock it or the alarm would go off. In other words, you couldn't just reach in and unlock the door through the window. Well, you could, but it would set off the alarm

[sammm]

It fits in the 'hidden' cubby next to the starter button. (closed and open)

That's cool. Where did you get that?