Digg

The Digg Crew wants to hear your thoughts!
Please take our short survey about Digg and potential feature ideas.

Protect Your Car by Making it too Ugly to Steal [w/pics]

dominicwilcox.com — An entertaining combination of art and practicality: These rust and scratch stickers are designed to make your beautiful bike/car look rusted and scratched so that passing thieves assume it's not worth stealing due to its apparent shabbyness.

Bury

suxmonkey 1 year 29 days ago, made popular 1 year 28 days ago

1307 diggs
digg it

101 Comments
Who Dugg It?

FameMoney, on 11/07/2007, -10/+5These are extreme practices ...
- DocHoliday22, on 11/06/2007, -0/+5Not really. They seem quite convenient when you wanna go on holiday or something. You can stick em up and remove em when you're back.
MikeonTV, on 11/07/2007, -4/+36I could see these being popular in Detroit.
- Dgen_X, on 11/07/2007, -0/+17I find that actually driving a ***** car works even better when I'm in the city.
- ncc74656m, on 11/08/2007, -3/+22Why? In Detroit, the cars come fully prepped and ready to rust and fall apart.
  - KibibyteBrain, on 11/06/2007, -1/+3Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if the designer who came up with these stickers flew up there to do his concept study.
    Now, it would be really funny to see these on a supercar with a carbon fiber, aluminium, composite, or other non-iron based body.
- Teksu, on 11/07/2007, -0/+1You have it wrong, in Detroit they will live in a ***** house just so they look fly rollin around the hood.
  I laugh every time i see a junker with brand new 22's on it, or a hummer in the driveway of a slum.
jlindenbaum, on 11/07/2007, -1/+9Heck I think that would work in any major area. Might have stopped the douche bag stealing my last bike.....
- barc0001, on 11/07/2007, -0/+8This won't work at all. 15 years ago I had a '75 Datsun B210 that I bought at an auction for $300. It was frankensteined together from at least 2 other B210s as it had a black body, green doors and a yellow hatchback. It only ran on 3/4 cylinders if the engine was below 2000 rpm (worn lobes on the distributor shaft) and it had a 3 foot aerial sticking out of the roof for the previous owner's CB rig. Someone still stole it. Got it back 3 days later after the cops found it stuck in a field. So making your car ugly won't necessarily stop it from getting stolen, it'll just change the nature of its mission once it's stolen, from being resold to being wrecked for fun.
scooterbaga, on 11/08/2007, -1/+64If your car is worth stealing, it ain't for the f'ing paint.
- PIPBoy2000, on 11/07/2007, -0/+5Yeah, like if you own a geo (like me)
  nobody's going to steal it!
  - CedEx, on 11/07/2007, -0/+1Yeah... but dumbasses break in just to steal the stuff you got lying around inside.
    
    My gf has a regular Corolla, nothing fancy, and even then someone broke in to look around inside. The damn car doesn't even have tints! The idiot ended up leaving her $1.15 in change that fell out of HIS pocket, and taking nothing of hers.
    
    Some people are assholes like that.
- rarson, on 11/08/2007, -1/+3Yeah, but if your car looks less appealing, they're less likely to steal it.
  
  I installed a cd player with removable face in my brother's car about 12 years ago, and we took the old tape deck that used to be in it apart. It was one of those crappy shaft-mounted units, an Audiovox or something. I just popped the plastic off and it slid right over top of the faceless cd player. So he'd pop that on whenever he left the car. Nice stereo in crappy car with no window tint, it's not a good idea to leave anything visible, even if the head unit doesn't have the fact on it.
  - smrekar, on 11/06/2007, -1/+2A CD player you say? What might one of these magical CD players cost?
    
    Isn't it funny how 12 years can change stuff?
  - lharrod, on 11/08/2007, -1/+3that's awesome! I'm surprised no one's capitalized on that, selling shabby stereo faces to place over your nice car stereo when you're not around.
- mfpratte, on 11/06/2007, -0/+2i used to have a great anti-theft device it was a car with ***** paint, but it failed when it rained one night and a dumb ass broke in and stole the $50 tape deck, while leaving the $100 dollar sunglasses. seriously if some one wants your ***** and they are dumb enough they will take it regardless of how bad it looks
sclark, on 11/07/2007, -0/+11Nice post! Car thefts are such a well-organized business in some places. The thieves are hired to fill "orders" for parts. I think these stickers would work best on "common" cars where a thief can find several of the same car quickly. Painting adds overhead and saps profits. I don't think the bike stickers would make much difference. Perhaps a sticker that made it look as if the frame was fatigued or broken. I knew a bike messenger who wrapped duct tape around the center of his bike's top tube to make it look like he was covering up some kind of problem. You could easily make a duct tape setup that looked like the frame was askew.
MattJF317, on 11/08/2007, -3/+128What's next, keep your girlfriend faithful by feeding her until she gains a few hundred pounds?
- flak9, on 11/07/2007, -1/+4hahaha, nice!
- SupaSolly, on 11/07/2007, -7/+5Oh ya because no one likes fat people
- ronaldinho, on 11/07/2007, -4/+1I rather elope with another pretty lady then if she's not willing to stay fit and instead balloon to 200 pounds, I ain't going to deal with that
- Klarth, on 11/07/2007, -0/+17Nah, this is more akin to making her wear a fatsuit.
- anononon, on 11/07/2007, -0/+2And what's wrong with a good old-fashioned chastity belt?
- maffiou, on 11/07/2007, -3/+1Cheaper is to have an already fugly girlfriend (or none at all: Aye, digg users !)
  
  (Now: a special message for the wife: No dear, you're flippin gorgeous, it's just me and my rubbish sense of humour...)
Nightlie, on 11/07/2007, -5/+7Alternative: flower/rainbow stickers
AmishRefugee, on 11/07/2007, -1/+41If I ever saw those in real life, I think I would peel them off the car and keep them, just for the sense of irony
- ronaldb, on 11/16/2007, -0/+1Hehe, that's the equivalent of having a ***** bicycle locked with an expensive lock, and on return to find out someone stole your lock but left your bike behind...
ohsin, on 11/07/2007, -10/+4this site is much more interesting then this "anti theft device"
http://www.dominicwilcox.com/reverse.html hehe
- superfusion, on 11/07/2007, -4/+1Brilliant!
  - ohsin, on 11/07/2007, -4/+1damn i just realized that my comment looks like a spam comment :-[
    - okokitsme, on 11/07/2007, -0/+6It IS a spam comment, as it is a total offtopic with a "promising" link.
KokomoNYC, on 11/07/2007, -5/+19I kinda don't really get it. If you're going to leave stickers on your car all the time that make it look ugly, why not "avoid theft" by beating your car with a hammer in a few places? It would avoid the cost of these stickers.
- rarson, on 11/06/2007, -1/+7Because, um, you're not ACTUALLY damaging the car?
Novion76, on 11/06/2007, -3/+2that's pretty creative actually...
theForemanGrill, on 11/07/2007, -2/+47MIRROR : http://imager.cc/page2/antitheftdominicwilcox/
quentinp, on 11/07/2007, -0/+20Our neighbours had the most busted up old Caravan imaginable - it still got stolen. The reason was apparently the thieves had stolen an ATV and need to transport it away!
- NSMike, on 11/06/2007, -0/+1A similar thing happened to my uncle. His garage, which was actually a bit more than just a garage, but a shed and a shop, was robbed, and they stole his truck just to take his ATV. The truck was nicer than a busted up old caravan, though. He got the truck back, but that's it. They weren't very smart thieves, though.
krets, on 11/06/2007, -1/+4This is the same way I've remained married for 10 years...
- ronaldinho, on 11/06/2007, -0/+4you just can't seem to shake off that rust from not doing it?
typicalusername, on 11/07/2007, -0/+17I'm SO gonna use these to play practical jokes on people! Buddy buys a new car, and I go out and plaster those all over. Comes out the next morning, they'd be pissed!
gtluke, on 11/07/2007, -1/+4meh, that car commercial with the car cover that disguised the car as a total junker was better.
sUGArDawg, on 11/06/2007, -2/+9YAWN! SNL did this like 17 years ago...Phil Hartman...***** car....duh
- rarson, on 11/06/2007, -0/+1Your comment reminded me of the Adobe: the car that's made out of clay!
  - CircleFusion, on 11/07/2007, -0/+1Alright, I'm gonna start digging down everyone that begins their comments with "YAWN".
    That style of reply is getting very old.
dirtyfrog, on 11/06/2007, -0/+3I prefer SNL and Will Ferrel's anti-theft device built into a car. Sorry I couldn't find a video of it on youtube, although I only checked real quick because I am at work.
antdude, on 11/06/2007, -1/+3Use them, and you don't get women. :)
- ayeroxor, on 11/07/2007, -7/+2At least not stuck-up whores like your wife. But she is a good lay.
  - antdude, on 11/07/2007, -0/+1I have a wife? Since when? Who? Where?
socbookmark2007, on 11/06/2007, -3/+2Or you could just paint it ORANGE! --> http://www.carstylingtips.com/60-orange-escort-rs- ...
80)
- Dgen_X, on 11/06/2007, -0/+3I think that car has less of a chance of being stolen....mainly because it's an Escort. Thieves don't steal cars because they get good gas mileage!
  - demonstro, on 11/06/2007, -0/+5Ahh yes. The Escort XR3i. Back in the day you could easily open the locks with a teaspoon handle if you'd lost your keys.
- inigomntoya, on 11/06/2007, -0/+1For some reason when I see that car, I get the taste of a creamy tomato/basil soup my wife makes...
- rarson, on 11/06/2007, -2/+1That's not orange, that's more like peach.
  - Tazmaster, on 11/07/2007, -2/+5Go away and take your female color names with you. Red, blue, green, etc... with variables like, light and dark can and DO cover every color out there. We don't need peach, mauve, and the rest of those ***** names.
- Inara, on 11/06/2007, -0/+1Wow... and I thought the bright pink escort I used to have was fugly.
carnag3aus, on 11/07/2007, -2/+1Its a trap!
leerdag, on 11/06/2007, -4/+2YES! Birth control that lasts! Too bad my car has it all built-in already.
Almost as good as birth control for Geeks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbU1EBYh0ZQ
Scotty87, on 11/06/2007, -1/+1@scooterbaga

AMEN!
nycmac247, on 11/07/2007, -3/+2ESCAPED FROM IMAGINATIONLAND!?!?!?!?
Sassanix, on 11/06/2007, -0/+5usually people steal cars that are old for parts ;) not the new ones or their paint.

Also on the same note as paint, red cars get stolen the most.
geodescent, on 11/07/2007, -1/+5apparently the server wasn't dirty enough
colklink, on 11/06/2007, -0/+4The Chameleon XLE from the old SNL was way better than this. It was both the most expensive AND cheapest car you could buy! I would post a video, but I can't find one.
- shotgunefx, on 11/07/2007, -0/+2My first thought seeing the title. I'm surprised it's not easy to find anymore.
syncpulse, on 11/07/2007, -0/+6funny; fatigue, rust spots and a damaged bumper didn't stop my POS ford wagon from getting stolen a few years back. though all that neglect made it much easier to be an aggressive rush hour driver. Nothing quite says to other drivers that "I don't care about my car so you better let me merge" like a bumper that is no longer attached properly.
xero69, on 11/06/2007, -0/+4Oh no, someone done stole the website! Man I would LOVE to go on a used car lot and add some of these stickers to a car I wanted to buy. Then I could "point out all the paint problems" on the car and get a better price. CHA-CHING!
sexybobo, on 11/07/2007, -3/+15I think i will just stick with my BBGNB (Big Black Guy Named Ben)
http://uploads.ungrounded.net/2000/2137_Bbgnb.swf
funkytaco, on 11/07/2007, -0/+9Because chop shops care about rust. Right.
ronaldinho, on 11/06/2007, -0/+2Wow, there is always a business for everything and anything......at least this is more practical than buying fake wishbones
philzone, on 11/06/2007, -2/+7Or you could drive a total POS like I do. I never even bother to lock the doors. Hey, if it gets you from A to B, then it is doing its job. Cars are a huge waste of money.
- shinedout, on 11/06/2007, -0/+1My car was the biggest POS in LA and it was stolen a year ago. I locked the doors too.
carpespasm, on 11/07/2007, -1/+2actually theives usually go for older rattier cars anyway since they have a less clean history and they're easy to sell parts from without anyone noticing. They;re also generally easier to get into, especially when you have a trash bag and duct tape for a window or your locks don't work, of you think it looks too trashy for someone to bother taking anyway.
Mockylock, on 11/06/2007, -0/+5Or, make your car so ugly that it breaks the page it's posted on.
hansk, on 11/06/2007, -1/+1mirror? this page has been suspended
kinggimped, on 11/06/2007, -1/+2Dugg to Death - mirrors:
http://www.dominicwilcox.com.nyud.net:8080/sticker ...
http://duggmirror.com/design/Protect_Your_Car_by_M ...
daxsymbiont, on 11/06/2007, -0/+1lame
cbartlett, on 11/06/2007, -0/+1A few years back I had my '92 Dodge Shadow stolen. I imagine its captors just wanted to rip off anything that was inside and cared not about the condition of the car itself.
trenchfever, on 11/06/2007, -0/+1404 the thief?
whalesalad, on 11/06/2007, -0/+1Red VW MK3 Golf/GTI (1994-1999)
shinedout, on 11/06/2007, -0/+1This would not work.
My crap Honda was stolen in Venice CA a year ago and it looked 20 times worse then what those stickers could imply with real rust damage and dents. Seriously, I never would have thought anybody would want it, but alas, it's probably half in Mexico and the other half is probably roaming the streets of LA in multiple vehicles.
cooleyandy, on 11/06/2007, -0/+3you leave it long enough, you'll get an imprint of the sticker.
sbgunn, on 11/06/2007, -0/+2SNL did this a while back (early 90s?). It was a commercial for a luxury sedan that looked like a jalopy on the outside. I think Phil Hartman did the voice-over. I miss him. I can't find the vid on youtube, but anyone who could would be super helpful, thanks.
directsun, on 11/06/2007, -0/+1Too much work
iHippie, on 11/06/2007, -0/+1Oh please.
anononon, on 11/06/2007, -0/+1Are there any stickers that will make a car look like a Gremlin or a Yugo?
tomee, on 11/06/2007, -0/+1I finally understand the Fiat Multipla
aB0z, on 11/06/2007, -0/+2The previous owner of my car put these stickers all over it, I just can't get them off.. They are very convincing.
TheLoneHoot, on 11/06/2007, -0/+2Often thieves steal cars for parts (sum of the parts > the whole). If you own an obscure enough car, you are at a significantly lower risk of having your car stolen. I remember from my days as a property and casualty insurance agent in the late 90s, that hte then Acura Integra (now the RSX I guess) was one of the most stolen cars in the US - by far... thus it had VERY high "comp" coverage. It wasn't a particularly "nice" vehicle, or rare, but it was a favorite of chop shops.
I drive an old Subaru - reliable, fun to drive, and you rarely see one like it in your own city... I've never had my car stolen, stripped, or otherwise compromised. I live in one of the largest cities in the US. I've never owned a "club" or any other anti-theft device, and I rarely lock my doors. I listen to my i-Pod through my car's old stock radio, so no theft there either.
Show 51 - 59 of 59 discussions
Login or register to add a comment

Create a new account or login to join in the conversation on Digg. You'll also be able to Digg stories to help promote things you like.

Protect Your Car by Making it too Ugly to Steal [w/pics]

Login or register to add a comment