• Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Lakewood/Denver area: stolen XJ wearing my rear plate

Squarecat

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Colorado
To be clear, Jeep is not mine but probably has my rear plate 181-ZRE with May '17 tags.

It's dark gray with four black vents in the hood. I believe it was the pre-97 trim work, black steelies, and little or no lift but frankly other than the blond female passenger who briefly exited the Jeep, additional details were lost to the adrenaline rush that came on once I started to become suspicious...

Long story longer: I work from home and saw (from 2nd story apartment) someone pull up behind my Jeep and thought they were just another XJ owner taking a peek but discovered a few hours later, thanks to my 9 year old Sherlock, that they'd swapped my plate for the stolen one they probably were driving.

Here's the kicker though: after they quickly took off, I went to check things and didn't notice anything off except my plate was hanging but it's been mounted with a single screw on top and one plastic push-in trim/fender lining fastener for a few years. So I get it in my head I'm finally gonna fix it and go to Home Depot, pick up 2 larger screws, install those, then come home and put 2 plastic drywall anchors in the bottom holes and remount the plate. Never once noticing the plate is not mine. :eek:

Police report filed once I got back home and thankfully wasn't pulled over and greeted with the business end of an officer's service weapon.
 
Last edited:
Get yourself some tamper proof screws . More than likely it won't happen again but you'll have a little more of a defense against someone stealing your plates .


Historically, I'd secure my plates with hex or star (AKA Torx) mushroom bolts plus scoring the actual tags with a razor.

Figures the first vehicle I get complacent about in 20 years is the one that gets hit. Then again, it's also the most needy vehicle I've ever owned, so I guess dealing with the license plate mount ended up about dead last on the list.

Soon as I get my plate back/new plates, I'm using security torx! I've got 2 or 3 sets of bits for those around...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
There you go, just fiberglass it into the hatch. They'll never be able to remove it. :D
 
Back
Top