By this we mean making the classic or parts of it recognizable. And that can be very important if your stolen classic suddenly appears on the Internet. And that can be just one or two years after the theft.
It was for sale on the Internet. And it was him
The classic in the photos had a few features that the former owner recognized too well. Which had to be the car that had disappeared from its garage a year earlier! He telephoned the seller to make an appointment. According to the papers, the seller only had the car for a few months. He had offered him for sale in connection with his departure abroad.
The seller was in good faith
During the viewing the former owner noticed a number of details that convinced him that this was the car that belonged to him in the garage. So he went to the police. The police investigated. The car was bought in good faith, according to the owner. He had checked the papers and numbers before purchase. They were fine. Of course.
Because the classic was professionally 'reverse'. The police promised to investigate the previous "owner." But for the time being the classic remained with the selling party because there was no reason that it had anything to do with the theft. The numbers had changed professionally. That change can be traced. But you have to have the car for that.
In this case it would have been a simpler case if the robbed owner had clearly marked his property as prevention of theft. And even more important: if he could have documented it with photos.
What are we talking about?
Of course we know the plates etched or engraved in the glass as theft prevention. It takes some work, but they can even be placed out of sight by dropping them under the window rubbers. But it is not only the glassware that can be marked.
And that doesn't even have to be an expensive affair
With a center punch and / or a set of stroke letters you can provide various (technical) parts with a unique passport. Such a capital letter set does not cost much to our advertisers. An embossed dot or a three-digit letter / number code usually resembles something that could have been applied ex works. That does not arouse suspicion among thieves. Again: The story only makes sense if pictures are taken of it. The confirmation by a witness gives bonus points.
It can also be more high tech
There is also a chic way to mark parts. After all, lettering in the hood of an E-type is less desirable. This approach works with a kind of 'technical DNA' as theft prevention. The stuff is a carrier of very small, characteristic particles. Each 'set' has its own 'fingerprint' that is stored in the manufacturer's database. And that can be read under one.
Prevention is better than cure
What is also very useful in this time are the GSM apps that together with a detector in the classic make clear when the classic is fiddled with. Because with that you can possibly prevent the theft of your classic car. And does the old saying not say "Prevention is better than cure?"
