Stolen recovered - door damage

[Dustyy]

Hi all,
Just recovered my K reg Fiesta from its unauthorised trip last Friday night and the scumbags have bent the top of the passenger door back about 3-4 inches in order to gain access.
Does anyone know the best way of bending it back or is it best left to a garage? They have also knackered the ignition but that should be fairly simple to replace.
Take it from me, if you've got an old car without an immobiliser - get that additional crook lock on!! Not only do I have to sort out the damage but I had to pay £105 to get the car back from the garage that the police 'arranged' to pick it up - nice little earner!

 

[shaggy]

I had a Fiesta broken into and they screwdrivered the door lock before smashing the window. Ford sell a kit for re-building the lock so you can use the original key. I don't know about ignition lock but expect it's the same kit. A bit fiddly though.

 

[pipme]

What happened to the old trick of swapping a couple of plug leads around ... bit of a bind I s'pose

 

[david and julie]

You could try a piece of 3x2 wrapped by a towel. Get someone to hold this between the door and the bodywork then (wind down the window)push the door back. Don't overdo it and keep trying for closure. You may not get it perfect but it will do till you find the right colour door at the scrap/salvage yard.

For security I would use a chain as used on motorbike wheels. Bolt one end on the passenger side floor close to the seat crossmember. Use a nyloc nut, big washers and silicon underneath. Pull tight and wrap round the steering wheel and use a good padlock.Leave it on the floor when not in use.

I know this sounds brutal, but it is very visual and therefore it puts them of before they do any damage. Chrome chain is best because it stands out better. You soon get used to using it.

Most aftermarket products are easily broken because they are the same and thieves have sussed them out.

 

[pipme]

Could use a bolt with same thread as wheel stud ... use security wheel nut then.
Trouble is, along comes chummy with bolt croppers .. one inch out of steering wheel rim and good night Irene. ... How many walk around with bolt croppers ? ... just the creep looking for my motor no doubt !!
P

 

[david and julie]

It really comes down to how much you want to spend and how determined a thief is. You can crop chains or steering wheels, you can a by-pass alarms or immobilisors, mug people for car keys or even fish keys through a letter box.

Lets face it the best places get robbed.

I know of a guy who used to nick cars (mainly Jags) He had a rigid truck about 28ft long with a Hiab and sides about 6ft high, they had a compressor and burning gear in the back of it. They used to do minimum 1 a day, at the time the engines and boxes were worth around £600 each for export/recon. Plus they sold some other parts. I used to talk to him when he was weighing in the shells, Don't know what happened to them, but I remember seeing the truck impounded a couple of years later. (late 70's. happy days) When you could make a few bob.


Used to own a scrapyard myself, but I will leave that till another time. I don't know any of you that well!

We are just talking simple prevention measures that will put of most d**kheads that steal for fun.

Most so called joyriders are limited to a short piece of scaffold pole which slides over the lockbarrel and doubles up to smack you, if you go out.

Unlike boltcroppers you can carry the above pole down you sleeve unnoticed and they don't cost much.

 

[dombe]

You can bend the door back by hand. just put the window down the pull the frame back towards the body of the car with someone else holding the door open. you may then need to twist the front part of the window frame to get it to sit back as it should. Not too hard, but be careful not too push too far and make sure the window is down before you start!!

Good luck

 

[chambsesf]

Slightly different scenario, but my wife's Peugeot 406 was broken into - the culprits punched a hole in the doorskin so they could trip the central locking rods thus gaining access. They must have been well pleased, as the only thing they got away with was the baby's pushchair in the boot.....!!
Anyhow, faced with trying to repair the hole (and damaged door handle which meant the door could only be opened from the inside), the best option seemed to be to source a replacement door in the same colour at a cost of £120 as opposed to paying a £200 excess and having an insurance claim/loss of no-claims etc. A couple of hours fitting secured a great result - the replacement door came with nearly everything (lock/glass/door card/electric window motor etc.), the only thing that had to be transferred accross was the electric mirror. Needless to say I was well chuffed and the 'repair' is invisible.

Steve.

 

[Dustyy]

I had considered that 'repair' route but as yet have not got round to sourcing supply and materials.
Where did you get the door from? Was it fitted by the supplier?

Cheers.

 

[chambsesf]

Dustyy

Sourced the door via the internet (Partfinder I think) - delivered within a day or two and I fitted it with help from my Dad (a 2 person job, one to support the door whilst the other aligns and bolts it in, and it was unbelievably heavy....). Not at all difficult though - the longest part was taking all the wrapping off - the supplier had encased it in loads of cardboard, foam rubber and acres of bubblewrap - fair play to him, it arrived in mint condition. Just needed a bit of a rub down with white spirit to get all the adhesive tape glue off.

It was, however, worth the wait for one to come up in the right colour to avoid mismatching spray job etc. and the added cost of getting it painted.
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