On Thu, 25 Mar 1999, Dean Dashwood wrote:
> This is true - in fact, there's no need to slash the soft top to get in,
> because you can undo the poppers at the back and reach the handle
> (except with my locks, which can't be unlocked from inside if they were
> locked from outside!!) although I suspect this is known to Spitfire
> owners who lock their keys in their car, rather than by the average car
> stereo thief....
Guess it depends on several factors. What you describe can be done by
some. However, try this in the severe cold of winter (outer door handles
have frozen up). When one is 5'6", with not terribly long arms, and one
is trying to work that arm past very cold, inflexible vinyl (that had
been unsnapped, but don't forget that little tab that is supposed to be
shut in the door on the B post end), etc., etc. Bottom line: I couldn't
do it, not on the '74 1500 I had at the time. Only reason I got into the
car at all was that I remembered the passenger door glass was, well,
loose in its channel. I managed to lift it up and out completely, and
from there I got into the car.
> I would have thought that locking doors would be a good initial
> deterent, though - especially against the kind of thief who wanders down
> the street nonchalantly checking car doors, and when he finds one
> unlocked, "borrows" the stereo....
That's a good point. OTOH, there's a good chance your top could be
damaged even by someone smart enough to know how to unsnap it. (You don't
really think they'll take a lot of time and care doing this, do you?)
> Plus, locking the doors will help if you happen
> to have a hard top fitted ....
Guess that's true as well. Strangely, though, I never did get the outside
key locks on my GT6+ to work properly. Never had a problem on any other
Spitfire, Herald, Mayflower -- even on my one TR3A, the key would lock
the door handles. (Talk about your exercise in futility!)
--Andy
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* Andrew Mace, President and *
* 10/Herald/Vitesse (Sports 6) Consultant *
* Vintage Triumph Register <www.vtr.org> *
* amace@unix2.nysed.gov *
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