make sure your car insurance company insures your HID headlights, especially if you own a Porsche

It is believed that the headlights make for ideal lighting solutions when growing marijuana indoors. The high-intensity discharge bulbs give off more heat and require much less power than standard grow lamps, yet, critically, they offer the right quality of light and heat. According to De Telegraaf, as many as 20 Porsches fell victim to this trend, resulting in thousands of dollars in damage. The cost of a typical HID assembly for hydroponics can run from $100 to $500, and up.

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/11/02/thieves-stealing-porsche-headlamps-for-marijuana-grow-lights/

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Someone stole Dr Phils 57 Chev from a Burbank repair shop

TV host Phil McGraw's '57 Chevy, which was stolen from a repair shop in Burbank.

 McGraw, who's known to many as simply 'Dr. Phil,' was driving the car on Sunday when it broke down. The car was towed to RODZ Fabrication Co. in the 2800 block of North Lincoln Street in Burbank.

 The theft is believed to have taken place around midnight on Sunday when a burglar alarm was tripped, said Burbank Police Sgt. Darin Ryburn.

 Investigators believe the thieves cut the lock to the secured gate then pried open a metal roll-up gate, Ryburn said. Dr. Phil received a call that his classic car had been stolen several hours after the theft, according to TMZ.

 Police are now working to recover the vintage ride, which is worth about $100,000.
http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-dr-phil-car-stolen,0,7197717.story

Sidenote, I wonder how many cars are reported stolen in Burbank every week?

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Auto theft in the USA infographic

this might only be large enough to be useful on the original site,
http://www.transportgooru.com/2012/06/an-infographic-view-of-auto-theft-in-the-united-states/

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6 Ways to Keep Your Car From Being Stolen

"Guarding against stealing your car can be as easy as installing an alarm or avoiding the top cities for auto theft. There are lots of ways to prevent your car from being stolen, and from the creative to the mundane, we�ve got six of them."

read them at http://www.carinsurance.org/2012/08/6-ways-to-keep-your-car-from-being-stolen/

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43 years since his car was stolen, and he kept looking, and finally found it

photo from AP http://www.hotsr.com/news/2012/07/08/texas-man-recovers-stolen-car-after-42-y-445592.php
Bob Russell never gave up hope that his stolen 1967 Austin-Healey would be found one day.

 He was a graduate student at Temple University in 1970 when he parked the English roadster at an apartment complex after a date with his future wife.

 When he went to the lot the next morning, the car was gone. Because he was a cash-strapped student, it was a double whammy: He had liability coverage, but no theft insurance.

 For more than four decades, Russell searched for the cream-colored convertible. This year, against all odds, he found it. And with the help of the Philadelphia Police Department, he has his Austin-Healey back.

 Russell was scouring eBay, the Internet sales website, when he spotted his hot car listed for auction by a Los Angeles auto dealer.

The listed VIN matched his beloved Austin. Russell, now living near Dallas, still possessed the title and set of keys.

The rest of the story at http://articles.philly.com/2012-07-12/news/32633503_1_austin-healey-hot-car-new-theft

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Grand theft auto, operating a chop shop, and busted with the pieces of an 800 mile 2005 Ford GT

a 30 year old and 48 year old guy got arrested Monday, and arraigned in court today. They plead not guilty to 11 counts.

When is the last time you heard of a stolen car getting recovered? When is the last time you heard of a chop shop and car theft ring getting busted?

All the parts of the GT were recovered, except for the steering wheel, carpet, and seats. Two Porches were also recovered.. the thieves were driving them.

Story and images from http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/aug/02/arrests-made-theft-250k-ford-gt/

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