Is car radio theft even a thing anymore?

[Jody]

I'm aware of the stealability/breakability of a Defender. Keeping to the point & OT, are car radios still being stolen?

Can't see many buying an old radio from some geezer 'down the pub' or more up to date, who would buy a second hand radio of mediocre standard and dubious condition from eBay?

I leave the front on mine all the time as I don't think they get stolen these days. Most cars now have integrated systems or double din so the market isn't what it used to be.

 

[fossyant]

Car radio theft was endemic when many cars were supplied from new with no radio and the "Standard" ones were crap quality. My first electric drill purchase was to bore a hole in the wing of a Capri to mount the arial.

I fitted an electric arial to my Escort to stop it getting broken - it was cooler than your electric boot openings now !

 

[Electric_Andy]

I wouldn't think it's worth it these days. My first cd player was £70 20 years ago, which is £113 now. Now you can get the same sort of quality for £60. Plus no-one wants cd's in cars now, it's all infotainment screens with apple car play. Thirdly you can get a Chinese unbranded player with Bluetooth for £20… I had one and it was surprisingly good.

 

[fossyant]

They will be robbing your wellies out the back mate, for when you drive through 5 foot ditches full of water on a off road weekend !

 

[HMS_Dave]

Im sure someone would if they could but it's definitely not a crime it once was. I think Mobile Phones are an easier and more lucrative target for thieves and easier to shift on due the mass market.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I wouldn't think it's worth it these days. My first cd player was £70 20 years ago, which is £113 now. Now you can get the same sort of quality for £60. Plus no-one wants cd's in cars now, it's all infotainment screens with apple car play. Thirdly you can get a Chinese unbranded player with Bluetooth for £20… I had one and it was surprisingly good.

I've got a CD player in my car, in six years of ownership I've never used it and don't even know if its still working.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

I'd be more worried about the Land Rover going with the radio front left behind ! It's probably worth quite a few bob in parts.

According to a landy loving copper I know, the main problem for such vehicles is people nicking the panels for spares. It doesn't take them long either, so a short shopping trip could be all they need.

I agree
When l had my 110 ‘Heritage’ (Td5), l expected to look out of the house every morning, & it not be there

 

[I like Skol]

Funny enough, did have a full size axe and 6x D cell maglite stolen out of the back a few years ago. They abandoned the axe a few gardens up the road when it dawned on them they were asking for trouble wandering the streets at night with that. Never got the torch back though which was frustrating because it had recently been treated to new reflector, lens and mega LED conversion

 

[Jameshow]

I think you're more likely to have the Catalytic Converter nicked than the radio.

Not On an old landy!!

 

[gbb]

I'd be more worried about the Land Rover going with the radio front left behind ! It's probably worth quite a few bob in parts.

High Peak Autos has a YouTube channel and test drives, talks about cars coming onto his lot. He recently did a LR Defender, 2005, TDV5 ? With 120k on the clock. It had had some sympathetic mods on it. He brought it for 15k, sold it for 21k, went out the door really quick. He said, there's no other 'cars that attracts the money for what you get.
So yes, I'd be worried about the LR, not the radio

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Most of the car radio thieves of the 80s: now listen to radio 4 with a cup of cocoa and a blanket.

 

[november4]

Most of the car radio thieves of the 80s: now listen to radio 4 with a cup of cocoa and a blanket.

When we lived inner city used to leave car open so they could see it had a stereo not worth nicking, neither was the car

New crop of thieves, just no market for what you have. Nice landie though

 

[I like Skol]

used to leave car open so they could see it had a stereo not worth nicking,

This was probably a good idea, it prevented the damage done in order to get at the often crappy radios that were stolen.

If they smashed a window you were lucky because replacing the glass was often cheap enough and straight forward. If you were less lucky they might try to screwdriver the door lock which inevitably damaged the door skin, or they would even bend out the door top! Once inside the damage goes on, dashboards wrecked as they try to forcibly remove the radio or even half-assed attempts to steal the car with smashed steering cowls etc. I suffered most of these.

Just remembered, at one point we even had pull out radios with a carry handle. We would park up and take the whole radio with us!!! Absolute madness, but necessary at the time.

 

[DaveReading]

I remember in the 1970s buying a kit push-button radio from a place in Acton, a lot of my mates had them too. They were about 7 quid, so about 50 pints' worth in the student union.

To my amazement, some b*st*rd nicked it when I went on holiday and left my car parked outside my flat.

 

[vickster]

Most of the car radio thieves of the 80s: now listen to radio 4 with a cup of cocoa and a blanket.

and frequent Cyclechat...