Secure your fender tags

[69bronzeT5]

I just got an email from a fellow Mopar buddy here in B.C warning me of recent Mopar fender tag thefts at show and shines. At a recent event, 3 individuals were attempting to steal fender tags from cars. 2 of them would distract the owner and the third was removing the tags with a cordless screwdriver. They were actually able to get a few tags off before someone caught on but they managed to escape with the tags. Just a heads up to everyone, this is becoming a common occurance so make sure you secure your fender tags or just do what I did and removed mine all together. My Duster's tag is locked up safe and sound in my shop.

[68X426]

Those Canadian thieves are bold indeed. 

Why not just steal the entire car?

[ChgrSteve67]

Some people steal just for the event of steeling.
Doesn't matter than they can't do anything with it.

I removed my original and had a reproduction made.
Its the only true piece of documentation I have about how my Charger was originally built. (I don't have a build sheet)
I have heard of some people spray painting the interior of show cars, throwing lit cigarettes in the car, taking a key to the side and so on.
No matter what you do or where you go there is the possibility that some a$$wipe is going to try to ruin your day.
Don't let it stop you from showing your car and having a good time.
Keep an eye on your property and others property at the event and others will do the same for you.
Its always a good idea to find a group to hang out with that way there is usually someone around watching the cars.

I have seen more than a few people open car doors and take a seat for a picture without asking the owners permission.
And of course the person that likes to lean on cars because they don't feel like standing up.
They are not trying to do any harm but just seem to have a brain malfunction that these cars are not their property to do with as they please.

Bicycles freak me out the most.

-Steve

[twodko]

Bicycles, babystrollers, people with big buckles, chains on their wallets and/or dangling key rings............oh shit, oh damn get away from my car!!!!!!

I was considering riveting mine in place but a re-pop sounds even better. Steve, where did you get your reproduction plate? Thanks.

Tom

[John_Kunkel]

Instead of the original sheetmetal screws, substitute threaded screws with a self-locking nut on the bottom.

[69bronzeT5]

I just heard it was at the big Mopar show here to boot. I was at that show and there was AAR 'Cudas, Hemi Roadrunners, 340 Dusters, Hemi Challengers....I really wonder what tags got stolen. Actually, I better email my buddy with the '70 R/T SE Challenger to see if he still has his

[ChgrSteve67]

http://datatags.com/

I put it in a scanner and scanned the back of it then flipped the image so the letters and nunmbers could be read.
The front was really hard to read.

[68X426]

My tag is locked up. No where to put it in the engine compartment anyway (generous use of stainless steel on the fenders (for show)) plus safety of the tag. Like Steve said, no broadcast sheet means the fender tag is the only physical link to the factory and the history.

I took numerous photos of my tag and finally got one to look great (lighting, quality). Then enlarged it slightly and put it in the car's show "book", with the info on the de-coding. One could do it in a picture frame, too. Looks professional and is way cheaper than the repro tag (though I have heard datatags does superb work).

I assume the tags are stolen for blackmail/ransom purposes. Maybe there is a market for stolen tags for the guy who wants to build a fake Hemi Cuda. I figure it's the druggies who want to ransom it back to the owner for a few hundred bucks.

[Highbanked Hauler]

 
   

I assume the tags are stolen for blackmail/ransom purposes. Maybe there is a market for stolen tags for the guy who wants to build a fake Hemi Cuda. shruggy I figure it's the druggies who want to ransom it back to the owner for a few hundred bucks. flame
 
   It'd be a quick way to end up seriously injured.

[Back N Black]

I was at a car show on the weekend and someone stole my wheel wrench, i did not notice until the next day......

[RD]

i try to turn the other cheek, but after all the work i did to my car, if I was someone doing anything to it that should not be done, I am afraid I would put a 55 gallon drum of whoopass all over them.  2 things you dont mess with.. my car and my wife.. in that order

ps dont tell my wife i said that hehe

[MoparManJim]

the easy way to secure your dang fender tag to the car so that NO one can take it is just to weld/braze the dang thing on! I like to see them try to steal it then.

[bull]

the easy way to secure your dang fender tag to the car so that NO one can take it is just to weld/braze the dang thing on! I like to see them try to steal it then.

Brilliant! While I'm at it I think I'll weld my lug nuts to the wheels too.

[bull]

Instead of the original sheetmetal screws, substitute threaded screws with a self-locking nut on the bottom.

Or...

http://www.tamperproof.com/categories/products.html

[MoparManJim]

the easy way to secure your dang fender tag to the car so that NO one can take it is just to weld/braze the dang thing on! I like to see them try to steal it then.

Brilliant! While I'm at it I think I'll weld my lug nuts to the wheels too.

While you are only joking, I am being very serious bud. 

Now if you have a flat or a major blow out, how in tar nations are pose to get the rim off the car? where as a fender tag is different it's only there to show people what the car came with from factory and there for it doesn't have to change out unlike a tire does. 

[bull]

the easy way to secure your dang fender tag to the car so that NO one can take it is just to weld/braze the dang thing on! I like to see them try to steal it then.

Brilliant! While I'm at it I think I'll weld my lug nuts to the wheels too.

While you are only joking, I am being very serious bud.  

Now if you have a flat or a major blow out, how in tar nations are pose to get the rim off the car? where as a fender tag is different it's only there to show people what the car came with from factory and there for it doesn't have to change out unlike a tire does.  

Really? I never thought of that. I'm glad you said something before I fired up the welder and went crazy. I was also going to weld the gas cap down so they wouldn't steal that too. Is that a good idea?

And where is Tar Nations? I can't find it in my world atlas. Is it near the United Nations?

[MoparManJim]

the easy way to secure your dang fender tag to the car so that NO one can take it is just to weld/braze the dang thing on! I like to see them try to steal it then.

Brilliant! While I'm at it I think I'll weld my lug nuts to the wheels too.

While you are only joking, I am being very serious bud.  

Now if you have a flat or a major blow out, how in tar nations are pose to get the rim off the car? where as a fender tag is different it's only there to show people what the car came with from factory and there for it doesn't have to change out unlike a tire does.  

Really? I never thought of that. I'm glad you said something before I fired up the welder and went crazy. I was also going to weld the gas cap down so they wouldn't steal that too. Is that a good idea?

And where is Tar Nations? I can't find it in my world atlas. Is it near the United Nations?

Where is Tar Nations at you ask? that's a good question.. he must be a racecar driver I guess..   

I looked up the so called place "World Atlas" and couldn't find that either.. so where is that place at? 

[bull]

I looked up the so called place "World Atlas" and couldn't find that either.. so where is that place at?  

It's a planetoid in the Degoba System. I'm sure you've passed by it once or twice during one of your many Astral travels on the Crazy Train.

[twodko]

Thanks ChgrSteve67!

[ODZKing]

bull, you crack me up  
I tell folks all the time that you'll love those locking lug nuts in the winter, on the side of the road in the freezing cold with a flat, and they're frozen on!  Get rid of them.
The goofy screws are actually a great idea until you loose the screwdriver to remove them. Fact of the matter is, if they want it bad enough, they'll take it.  And the more difficult it is to get it off/out, the more damage they'll do.
I'm not saying remove the screws and just let it sit there, but what happened to keeping an eye on your posessions?
On another note, back to the original discussion ... I had a dog jump up on the door with his paws as if to look in the car.  When I went to the cruise-in-person-in-charge, they said (quoting here) "what would you like me to do"?
So I don't go to that one anymore because it has gotten completely out of control.  Hey, that's the way it goes, I guess.

[Khyron]

punch the owner of the dog.... dog doesn't know any better.

[charger_fan_4ever]

Instead of the original sheetmetal screws, substitute threaded screws with a self-locking nut on the bottom.

Real good idea. Never thought of that.

[ODZKing]

punch the owner of the dog.... dog doesn't know any better.

Almost did.  Probably should have.   

[bull]

The goofy screws are actually a great idea until you loose the screwdriver to remove them. Fact of the matter is, if they want it bad enough, they'll take it.  And the more difficult it is to get it off/out, the more damage they'll do.
I'm not saying remove the screws and just let it sit there, but what happened to keeping an eye on your posessions?

Well, as Jimbo alluded to with his lame welding idea, it's not really an item you frequently need to take off. I'd be more apt to use security screws since the bad guys are probably much less likely to "screw" with something they can't remove quickly. One look at a couple of spanner screws and they'd probably move on to an easier target whereas a locknut setup would be messed with (paint likely scratched) until they figure out the bolt isn't backing out. Part of keeping things secure is the immediate visual warning such as a padlock on a door, a blinking red light on the dash, a funky screw head you've never seen before...

[ITSA426]

Why not just use a #8 screw with a not quite tight self locking nut to hold the tag on if that's the issue?  They can use a cordless screwdriver hooked to a car battery and still not do anything but make noise as the screw turns loosely in the hole.  Better yet, don't leave the hood open; and don't open it unless someone asks.  Most of these cars look better with the hoods closed anyhow. 

A taser might be a good dog/owner training device.  It's too bad some of the dogs are so much smarter than the person at the other end of the leash.

I guess if theft is such an issue we should just drive them like they were meant to be; or at least be choosier about which shows to attend.