I had my stuff stolen while it was at a shop...the thing is the guy that broke into my car used a tool to pry my trunk lock cylinder off and messed up my trunk....but he didn't check to see if the lock cylinder was already off, which it was....I just had it setting back there. I had removed it when my car was painted and never put it back on. Theives are dumbasses, I swear.

 

Aye, on my brother's camry, they tried to drill the locks and break in, with a screwdriver too (for a radioshack cassette player? ) ... these guys must have been dumb... I can open that car in about 15 seconds

If you want to see if your 2nd gen is vulnerable, take off the door panels, and look at the mechanisms. look for the bar that you lift for the lock, and with the panel off you can stick a coat hanger / slim jim down there, and actually see what you're aiming for ... if you can reach it... it can be opened . When I looked at my mom's volvo, there is this steel bar going across the path of where you want to go.... making it impossible unless you know exactly what you want to do.

 

the shittiest thing about the first gen protege that i hate, they threw in the cheapest means of throwing power locks and power windows into a car, the motors are cheap, slow, break frequently, not to mention that the locking system isn't all that complex and doesn't work like traditional locking systems, where you have a central button by the window switch panel to unlock the doors, instead, the doors are unlocked and actuated by locking and unlocking the drivers door. the passenger can't unlock all the doors from their seat without reaching over.. it's a cheap design, never the less, not very theft deterent either.
peace

 

old volvos use the same actuated locking system.

 

Thieves ARE stupid. Why break someone window creating a lot of noise when you can pop the lock in 5 seconds? BTW my passenger front window was broken by a thief last summer. Stupid ****** broke window, alarm went off, and he ran off. ugh.

I've broken into 4 cars (86 RX-7, 91 Protege, 94 Tracker, 95 Monte Carlo) to get keys out. The most it took me was 45 seconds on the tracker. My first time was on the 7 and all it took was 10 seconds of jiggling the coat hanger around. Its pathetic!

 

a nice stereo head unit sticking out like a sore thumb will also attract people looking for 10 finger discounts

 

hell yeah ...
you have to remeber if a person thinks you have an audio system and that is what they are looking for. They will break into your car... the sad thing is they will break one of your glasses and then sheg your stearing column , for no frigin reason and mess up your damn ride in the process ....

 

cable cable cable, where did you buy your power locks from? I was looking at http://www.commandoalarms.com/index.htm , but im scared that the windows and locks might be to hard to put in my self

 

WOW!!!
After reading that it can be that easy to get into a 1st gen protege or 323, theres no doubt i'm getting those handles and locks (inner and outer) shaved and remote locks installed
then we'll see about getting in so easily...