Gas Thieves Drilling Into Fuel Tanks

[kahlistrophic]

DETROIT (May 29) - Dale Fortin is getting a new kind of customer at his Detroit auto repair shop, customers who have not just been in a fender-bender or had a windshield smashed by a rock.

The soaring price of crude oil has turned gas tanks into a cache of valuable booty, and Fortin has replaced several tanks punctured or drilled by thieves thirsting for the nearly $4-a-gallon fuel inside.

"That's the new fad," he said. "I'd never seen it before gas got up this high."

While gas station drive-offs and siphoning are far more common methods of stealing gas, reports of tank and line puncturing are starting to trickle into police departments and repair shops across the country.

Some veteran mechanics and law enforcement officers say it's an unwelcome return of a crime they first saw during the Middle East oil embargo of the early 1970s.

Gasoline prices surged just before the long Memorial Day holiday weekend and crept a hair higher overnight Monday to a new record national average $3.937 for a gallon of regular, according to a survey of stations by AAA and the Oil Price Information Service.

http://money.aol.com/news/articles/_...324x1200125153

[kyoru]

really not surprised, and there isn't much we can do, except drop our cars lower

[BustedS13]

my dad had the tank of his le mans drilled back in the 70's, this isn't a new thing.. fucking thieves, at least use a siphon if you're going to be a dickhole.

[ESmorz]

Originally Posted by BustedS13

my dad had the tank of his le mans drilled back in the 70's, this isn't a new thing.. fucking thieves, at least use a siphon if you're going to be a dickhole.

But then you gotta get the gas in your mouth and that shits ridiculous son.

[BustedS13]

Originally Posted by ESmorz

But then you gotta get the gas in your mouth and that shits ridiculous son.

you could get the handpump d00d.

here, harbor freight has a five dollar gas thief kit

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=93290

[lflkajfj12123]

its not like back in the 70's when you could just open the gas lid and stick some shit in there

almost all cars since the 90's have a latch to unlock the gas lid

i'm sure they'd rather siphon than drill a hole but its the only choice

and quite frankly its probably a lot easier with all the SUV's rolling around and you're under the car rather than standing along side it after the gas hits your mouth

[BustedS13]

Originally Posted by s0apgun

its not like back in the 70's when you could just open the gas lid and stick some shit in there

almost all cars since the 90's have a latch to unlock the gas lid

i'm sure they'd rather siphon than drill a hole but its the only choice

and quite frankly its probably a lot easier with all the SUV's rolling around and you're under the car rather than standing along side it after the gas hits your mouth

not all cars have a fuel door latch. my volvo didn't and it was a '95
and besides, most of them don't lock (the volvo locked the gas door but most don't), you can open a gas door with a quarter or a screwdriver

[lflkajfj12123]

you're such a thief

i did say ALMOST

new cars have locks yahhh!

[Howard92884]

Originally Posted by s0apgun

its not like back in the 70's when you could just open the gas lid and stick some shit in there

almost all cars since the 90's have a latch to unlock the gas lid

i'm sure they'd rather siphon than drill a hole but its the only choice

and quite frankly its probably a lot easier with all the SUV's rolling around and you're under the car rather than standing along side it after the gas hits your mouth

Prybar fixes that. It makes me wonder though, if they are using a cordless drill like a dewalt, if anyone has caught on fire from trying to steal gas. Ever see sparks in the little air vents on the back of the drill? Or even if its a metal gas tank, there is a possibility of spark. Thieves aren't very smart.

Edit: 500th post!

[98s14inaz]

Originally Posted by Howard92884

Prybar fixes that. It makes me wonder though, if they are using a cordless drill like a dewalt, if anyone has caught on fire from trying to steal gas. Ever see sparks in the little air vents on the back of the drill? Or even if its a metal gas tank, there is a possibility of spark. Thieves aren't very smart.

Edit: 500th post!

Yes. Some retarded kid in Arizona tried using a wet dry vac and caught himself on fire iirc. FAIL.

[BustedS13]

Originally Posted by Howard92884

Prybar fixes that. It makes me wonder though, if they are using a cordless drill like a dewalt, if anyone has caught on fire from trying to steal gas. Ever see sparks in the little air vents on the back of the drill? Or even if its a metal gas tank, there is a possibility of spark. Thieves aren't very smart.

Edit: 500th post!

mythbusters time, i'm not sure that that'd be hot enough to ignite gas, especially if you're drilling into liquid at the bottom of the tank. if you were drilling above the fill level and were drilling into fumes, i could see it going up.

[LB.Motoring]

Originally Posted by BustedS13

mythbusters time, i'm not sure that that'd be hot enough to ignite gas, especially if you're drilling into liquid at the bottom of the tank. if you were drilling above the fill level and were drilling into fumes, i could see it going up.

Ingenuity,


You wins.

[S13_Nightkid]

i guess thats the new fad. Got a problem with a guy? Go siphon the bitch's gas. Take that douchebag! haha

[lflkajfj12123]

Originally Posted by BustedS13

mythbusters time, i'm not sure that that'd be hot enough to ignite gas, especially if you're drilling into liquid at the bottom of the tank. if you were drilling above the fill level and were drilling into fumes, i could see it going up.

no need to speculate

almost all gas tanks are made out of some kind of plastic

no fires here

[BustedS13]

Originally Posted by s0apgun

no need to speculate

almost all gas tanks are made out of some kind of plastic

no fires here

new gas tanks are plastic? wtf? i'd be a fool NOT to steal gas

[S13_Nightkid]

+1 indefinitely

[silpena]

some guys got cought here by where i live stealing gas. It said in the paper they stole over 1100$$ worth of diesel from fleet trucks. IDk how u do t hat and not get caught?

[an_orange_s2k]

its not like back in the 70's when you could just open the gas lid and stick some shit in there

almost all cars since the 90's have a latch to unlock the gas lid

i'm sure they'd rather siphon than drill a hole but its the only choice

and quite frankly its probably a lot easier with all the SUV's rolling around and you're under the car rather than standing along side it after the gas hits your mouth

i believe a lot of american cars dont have gas locks. i kno my friend's explorer doesnt and thats a big tank..

[S14DB]

S14's have a valve in the fill neck that helps keep gas from burping out and from tubes going in to siphon. I needed to drain the old gas from my S14 and ran into this. 6ft of tube in the tank and no gas...

[Matej]

Originally Posted by an_orange_s2k

i believe a lot of american cars dont have gas locks. i kno my friend's explorer doesnt and thats a big tank..

Yeah, neither does my mom's 2001 Malibu, most 90s and earlier 2000s American cars don't.

When I was living in a dorm people had their gas siphoned all the time, especially suv's haha, my roommate drove an Explorer and his fuel was stolen on two different occasions.

[gabe30]

"nearly $4-a-gallon"


... its at $4.25 for 87 octane here..

[Andrew Bohan]

4.29 here. we're always above the national average.

they should just report california prices so we feel "normal" and everyone else feels relieved they don't have it as bad as us.

[lflkajfj12123]

[Yeah, neither does my mom's 2001 Malibu, most 90s and earlier 2000s American cars don't.

When I was living in a dorm people had their gas siphoned all the time, especially suv's haha, my roommate drove an Explorer and his fuel was stolen on two different occasions.

lol damn that sucks! i guess i was wrong my family has only owned imports

4.29 here. we're always above the national average.

they should just report california prices so we feel "normal" and everyone else feels relieved they don't have it as bad as us.

this is your tax for having sunshine all year round bastards

[mRclARK1]

I'm surprised it took this long for it to happen. If I was a person of lesser morals I would have been doing this loooooonnnnng ago.

[BustedS13]

Originally Posted by Andrew Bohan

4.29 here. we're always above the national average.

they should just report california prices so we feel "normal" and everyone else feels relieved they don't have it as bad as us.

whenever local news talks about gas they always cap it off with "but in california, you'd be paying this! ha ha ha!"

[oscarsx]

made out of plastic?
and here i was to scared to drill out my gas from my old crashed s13 thinking it would spark and i would die in my very own backyard lol

[lflkajfj12123]

haha yeahh

even if it was metal though

its the gas vapors that are more likely to ignite rather than fuel

[aziankingz]

next up..alternate day people can get gas..

[BustedS13]

Originally Posted by oscarsx

made out of plastic?
and here i was to scared to drill out my gas from my old crashed s13 thinking it would spark and i would die in my very own backyard lol

no, the 240's tank is metal.

[lflkajfj12123]

lets test it