Scumbags operate in this area

[James Doulton]

Last night, before going away for the night, I moved my Legerra out of the garage and parked it on the drive under my deluxe car cover. This morning it was gone!

It has two sewn-in straps which go under the car and clip in place, so there is no way that it left of its own accord.

So some local must have walked past in the evening and decided that he wanted a car cover and then he came back in the night and stole it. So how is he going to use it? It is also so demoralising to think that I am living amongst the sort of scumbags who would steal from a neighbour.

Of course it rained today and although the hood was up it wasn't properly buttoned down all around, plus it leaks anyway, so the carpets and my new Intatrim seats are soaked.

The car was 'secured' with a cycle lock that was threaded through the spokes of the front wheel and around the anti-roll bar. Just in case the scumbag comes back tonight with wire cutters, I have looped a couple of security chains (the sort that motorbikers use) through the rear suspension of the Legerra and around the trailing arm of my Mitsubishi which I've parked next to it.

[James Doulton]

When I saw "It was gone" I mean the cover, not the Legerra.

[Adrian Southgate]

I near on shit a brick when I read the 'it was gone' bit... Glad it wasn't the car. Some people just don't deserve to share our oxygen. 

Visible camera is a half decent deterrent but it won't stop someone determined to steal. We now have lights, motion detectors and cameras on the house due to a recent spate of thefts in our area. Oddly enough it would appear the transit is a higher risk than the Mondeo, Legerra or Sierra.

[Roy Kemp]

There's a big fad for nicking fancy motorcycle covers just now. Easy to pinch and the good ones are worth a few bob I guess.

[James Doulton]

My cover was a strong, waterproof-but-breathable one. It was sports car size. It cost me £160. I got it because the cheap ones kept tearing in the wind. I had it on one of my cars outside for many months a couple of years ago but I hadn't used it for over a year. Then first time it is on, it goes. Not a lot of people go down that road so it is probably someone very local, or one of their friends.

We do have gipsies that live nearby but that was very quick for them to have done a drive-by.

[Steve Kerswell]

sorry to hear this James, I did admire the cover when it was down here in Plymouth. I need one too, a good one> Let me know the details when you can, Thanks.

[James Doulton]

The brand was "Moltex". I bought it from a stand at the Kitcar Action Day at Castle Combe in 2015. They do 30 different sizes but the chap there only had 3 sizes. I chose the size for an MX-5 and it fitted the Legerra perfectly. It was a little baggy on the B+. I paid £160 for it. I was fed up with the cheap ones tearing and coming off.

[Adrian Southgate]

I bought a couple from one of my suppliers. Not expensive and the Legerra was under one over winter last year, seemed to do the job adequately. They are currently out of stock of the small ones, this link is to the medium size. The small ones are a good fit on a legerra and if tucked under and then poked over the back wheel they go quite snug.

Only drawback is the size when off the car as it's impossible to get them back into the bag they are supplied with...

[James Doulton]

I was rather concerned that with scumbags patrolling the streets then the Legerra might actually be a target too, So I have bought a big yellow wheel clamp from ebay and fitted that, plus I have bought a pair of small clamps which go on the wheel rim - I've not fitted them because I don't think that they will fit with the Cobra wheels that are on it at the moment. [The Cobras are 13" and have my Toyo R888 trackday tyres on].

[James Doulton]

I expect it would be an Escort within a few weeks and the shell would be in a canal.

[James Doulton]

The reason for getting the Legerra out of my second garage and on to the drive was to make room for getting on top of life and everything - in particular the V6 Malaga B+. Until the Legerra was out of the garage then I could not fit the roof insulation (100mm Celatex) which was stacked on top of the V6 in the main garage. Today I have been fitting that insulation in the new garage and I only have 2 8x4's left to do (tomorrow).

I had a bit of a moment of epiphany last week when it really struck home that at 60 years old, with my current rate of decline, I have probably got less that 10 years of Duttoneering left. If I don't get my finger out, then I'll never get to drive that V6. I have spent time in the garage every evening since (except that I went to my mother's last weekend).

I took the Legerra out for a blast yesterday evening. It didn't seem quite as cold with the top down as I had expected. The car felt good but there was a bit of a misfire at the top end - maybe it needs fresh fuel. I'll have to put my road wheels (16")on it though, so I don't have to use the back roads to avoid the speed bumps. I hope to use the Legerra more frequently, when its dry.