When your car is stolen, time is of the essence. This is because of the main reason why they are stolen – to provide parts for cars in black market rings. A car is actually far less valuable than parts for the car disassembled. Thieves have discovered that it is too hard to keep a car they have stolen from being discovered if the car is left intact. An intact car has traceable numbers on it – even if the license plates have been changed.
Chop Shops
Chop shop is the slang term for a hidden place that cuts apart stolen cars as quickly as possible in order to sell the parts for cars to whoever is desperate enough to pay for the parts. Chop shops can be anywhere – even out of doors, if the area is deserted enough and no one around is willing to do any snitching. However, small buildings or warehouses tend to be chop shops.
Hey – The Car Won’t Start
Older cars are now targeted more than brand new ones, because there is more of a demand for parts for older cars than for newer ones. But there is another aspect of car crime an owner must be aware of – those thieves that just steal parts of cars and leave the rest of the car behind.
Parts that have been targeted in recent years include airbags, GPS systems, stereos, batteries and just about anything else that can be yanked off. The widespread use of cordless auto tools has made thefts of parts for cars a lot easier. With practice, a thief can strip a car of sellable parts in mere minutes.
Commonsense Safety Tips
There are many things a car owner can do to help deter thieves. One is having the car parked under or very near a bright light that is on all night. Another is always making sure the car doors are locked and the keys are out of the ignition whenever you get out of the car. (It amazes me that I still come across cars running with the keys in the ignition in the greater Philadelphia area.)
Car alarms don’t work to well – and in some towns and cities, they are banned. Car alarms can also be a target for thieves looking for parts for cars to sell. However, theft prevention tools like “The Club” have helped slow down a thief enough for them to be caught in the act. The Club doesn’t stop thieves entirely, but they seem to help deter the thief from choosing your car to target.
It’s amazing how such a tiny thing as a microscopic virus can knock out a whole body. The same happens to your car. I remember when my mighty Buick suddenly refused to move. Turned out to be a surprisingly small auto part in the engine needed replacing. So, your car is only as good as the parts in it. This is one reason why many Americans rely on O’Reilly Auto Parts.
A Brief History
O’Reilly Auto Parts began as one little Springfield, Missouri shop in 1957. There is actually an O’Reilly who founded and named the shop after himself. Michael Byrne O’Reilly was forced to leave Ireland because of the potato famine and wound up in America. O’Reilly Auto Parts was opened by his two sons, who learned about the auto parts business from a stint in Fred Campbell Auto Supply.
For some unknown reason, Michael Byrne named both of his sons Charles. Perhaps it was his sense of humor; but we really don’t know. Charles Francis and Charles H. (Chub) were offered a Link dealership when Link went into a management shake-up, but refused it for unknown reasons, preferring to be bull-headed and open up their own store.
And America is sure glad about Irish bull-headedness. Old Michael worked in the store, too, even though he was in his 70s. They must’ve done something right, because in their first year they made over $700,000. Eventually, the stores grew into a mighty chain with nearly 1800 stores across 26 states in America. Today, O’Reilly Auto Parts is still in the O’Reilly family.
What’s The Big Deal
You can get everything you want for the care and maintenance of your car at O’Reilly Auto Parts, except the original car. Not only can you get quality and affordable car parts, but you can get oil, fluids, tires and those little pine trees you can hang off of your rear-view mirror. O’Reilly Auto Parts offers service as well as parts, including brake retuning, car fluid recycling, electrical testing and a loaner tool program for do it yourself auto repair.
O’Reilly Auto Parts also has the clout to buy in bulk and pass on the savings to their customers. They also have gift cards, good for any O’Reilly Auto Parts in the nation. They put out their own auto parts and accessories catalogue and sponsor their own fun contests for their customers. They also sell their own line of limited edition stuff, including Hot Wheels and T-shirts.