I was wondering how many people use a "Club" like device to protect your TL.

I for one don't use a Club because I figure the immobilizer in the car is good enough that the car won't get stolen. As far as someone breaking the windows to get at something in the car, they would do it regardless of me having the club or not.

 

Also, those things scratch up your steering wheel...and besides if they want it...they are going to take it...even if it means a flatbed.

 

Ok, I seem to be the first one to vote "YES".

Although immobilizer looks so "perfect" (actually "not"), I still prefer some visible lock to help while parking in some particular areas. My club never scratches my steering wheel yet. :o

 

Too much of a pain. I was disappointed that the steering wheel didn't lock up after it was turned a bit, though.

 

I tried the Club and found that the steering wheel horn button has a hair trigger! Woke up half the neighborhood I'm sure. :P


I might try orienting it differently....I too like to have some kind of visible deterrent.

 

HUH? What kind are you using? Robber on leather doesn't scratch mine at all. And while I agree they are going to take it if they want it...if you see two cars and one doesn't have it...guess which one is easier to take?

 

i keep it in the car but rarely use it, its more a weapon than theft protection. in the unlikely hood that i am face to face with the theif i can use the "club" as a club. seriously those things are a joke, a professional theif can steal the car no matter what.

 

The Club is removable in under a minute. It's a perfect invitation for a thief to hacksaw your steering wheel.

Always remember, you never STOP a thief. All you do is slow him down. The issue is by how much.
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If you're concerned about your car being stolen the BEST thing you can do is LoJack. The Club won't do anything, as already said. They'll still get the car and you won't know where it is. Forget about a club and just get LoJack if thieves are a problem in your area.

 

if my car is stolen i do not want it back....it might be psycological, but it never feels right when you get it back. i had a 92 accord stolen in 93, it just felt wrong when i got it back from repairs.

 

I can see what you mean. Almost like your baby was soiled and violated. Who knows what the thief did?

 

Had one (club) 2 cars ago..it did a number to my steering wheel. It would take them a couple more seconds to get it off. Not much of a deterent IMO.

I should mention that I am not referring to the actual wheel but where the airbag is. It tends to scratch that area.

 

I'd have to second that emotion....

 

I agree with you 100%!!!

It's just too much crap to deal with, I was finding broken glass for years, insurance never wanted to pay for the cuts on the dash and seat cause they said it was already there

I lease my cars now, so if they get stolen insurance will pay for the value of the car and GAP insurance will pay for the rest. So if my car gets stolen I get a brand new car!

What I don't want is for my car to be broken into but not stolen, I also don't want my car to be found. Just take the damn thing and let me get a new one

 

BTW guys, for anyone who uses THE CLUB. Test something out for me.

Go to the hardware store, by a hacksaw blade and a roll of duct tape. Wrap one side of the blade with a little bit of duct tape, slide the blade into your pants. When you come up to a car that uses THE CLUB simply use that blade to cut the steering wheel.

Yeah, sure, THE CLUB can't be cut... But in 10 seconds or less you can cut thru the steering wheel and THE CLUB is useless.

If you want something for protection (always a good idea) slide a 4 or 6 cell Maglite under the seat. Atleast you can also use it on a dark night.

 

Yeah, I probably wouldn't get LoJack for that reason... wouldn't mind a new car. Much cooler than the bit of money you save on insurnace by using LoJack.

I'd only get LoJack if my car had substantial mods to it that I wouldn't expect a thief to take out (like superchargers, turbos, other engine mods, maybe even tvs and audio if they didn't take it yet). Does insurance cover that stuff?

 

You would have to inform your insurance company, send reciepts and maybe even have an adjuster come out to see it, and then pay more money for insurance every year.

I installed a good stereo system a while back when I was in high school. For them to insure it raised my premium $550 a year. It wasn't worth it to me.

 

Yeah, doesn't sound worth it. Like I said, thats the only reason I would get LoJack.

 

We can see "club" is not the preferable protection for most of members here. But, before you guys figure out the best way to prevent cars being stolen. Club is still very useful bolt at this moment, at least, for us who have the extra "club" in the garage.

I don't recommend ppl to buy brand new "club" if they think this is the perfect way to go against the stealing. However, if you have the used "club" from the predecessor, this device could be useful sometimes.

As fishacura said above, two cars parking together, one has club, another one has none. Professionals may pick up whatever he think it's worth more and spend his "10 seconds" to get off that club and spend other minutes to disable the imombilizer.

Some guys driving the tow trucks may just move your car into their truck and figure out those locks at home later.

But the ordinary thieves or teenagers on the streets would take the one w/o it. At least, without it, the thieves even don't need to cut the steering wheel, they don't need to spend that so-called "10 seconds" to cut off your steering wheel or remove that club.

(Or, we can talk about another scenario... some thieves may think the car with club is purely having no secondary security protection. (Vice versa, the car without club could equip with some dangerous and powerful security system.) So, they decide to take their 10 seconds to cut off the steering wheel and try to steal that car. )

IMHO, I never urge ppl buying "club", and we all agree it's hard to STOP a thief. All we can do is to slow him down and reduce the risk of losing the car.
:o

 

The Club may detur a thief who is in a hurry but a good thief this wont bother him. If you take a hack saw and saw through one side of the wheel which takes less than a minute to do. You can slide the club right off like it wasnt even there. So the club is like a lock just there to keep honest people honest

 

What do you guys think about the device that attaches to the stem on the brake (automatic) or the clutch (manual), are those better?

 

Based on the theory above, it's just the matter of time to break it by PROFESSIONAL thieves. But it seems harder to break it, especially when thieves try to fracture it without proper tools, which could be found online. Again, applying to the theory above, you have no way to prevent those PROFESSIONAL thieves stealing cars. :sqnteek:

Anyway, it would be better than "Club", IMO.

 

I use the club when I park in a lot. Yeah, you can cut the wheel and otherwise get the thing off quickly. But if my TL is sitting there with the stupid Club on the wheel, and I'm parked next to another car that doesn't have it . . .

An added benefit: the rattle that the Club makes when I drive covers up the rattles that my TL makes

 

That is unless of course, that thief happens to be looking for an '04 TL and the car parked next to you isn't.

 

In certain higher risk areas, I use the Club and the Auto Lock (For the brake pedal). If they break in, I'd like to make it 20 seconds more of a hassle than using just the club! Depending on what type of mood I'm in, sometimes I don't use anything. If they steal it and I never get it back, it's a good excuse to get a 04 TL or 05 G35
Coupe 6 speed

 

I think those are bullshit.

That commercial actually pisses me off, they have "Professionals" but those professionals seemed to forget that they can reach up and press the brake light button (it's located right by the brake stem) and then put the car in gear. Then they can drive the car away like normal using the parking brake to stop.

 

well damn. now i am pissed off. If its the button that disengages the lock and allows you to put it into gear.

 

I used to always play with that button when I was under the dash installing stereo systems. That button is what turns your brake light on and what unlocks the gear selector.

It's such a simple thing to think of, I am not a car thief. But their professional car thieves on the commercial couldn't think of that

 

Thieves typically don't have specific preferences. They work from a long list of cars that have high after-market parts prices for the chop shops.....fyi TL is not near the top of the list.

 

Is it true there are alarm systems that will kill the engine after a predetermined time (1 minute) then start delivering shocks to the thief?

 

Someone posted this a long time ago, sorry, I have no link. It's "club"-like bolt, but would deliver the shock.

 

"Professional Thief"......it always makes me laugh when someone calls a louzy thief a "professional"...they are thieves...nothing professional about that....yeah I know they are good at stealing cars, but calling them professional is a joke....they are common crooks...scum...dirtbags...and if they took their "skills" and put it to better use, everyone would be better off.

 

I use mine frequently on the kids when they get out of hand in the back seat.

Why is everyone talking about steering wheels?

 

Maybe it's funny. I'm the one calling them "professional". Yes, how many thievies can steal the car and break the club in ten seconds? Lots of ppl upstairs indicate a few seconds they could break it. I'm sure this club stuff could be taken away soon. But, "10 seconds", they should be professional...

While saying/discussing how bad this "club" could be, everyone always tries to use the special samples to describ their ideas. Ppl don't talk about how regular thieves steal the cars, but talk about how "good" thieves can extremely fast break/steal cars. If this is the bad equipment, it should no long stay in the market any more.


Perhaps, they're not the professional, but expertise.


P.S. I don't suggest to buy "club" if you don't have, but you can use it if you one from your old car. It isn't useless, but helpful in some situation.