[98 SNAKE EATER]

I work in Crooklyn and over the last few weeks, we've noticed a particular group of guys taking up all the parking spaces on the side street outside of our building with random unregistered vehicles

On a daily basis, one guy drives up with an Infiniti, pops the trunk where he keeps a box full of keys and a bunch of out of state license plates, then hands them out to his colleagues to mount on the cars and shuffle them around for the night

We're talkin 15 to 20 cars, so we just figured he's running a shop or dealer nearby and just storing them out on the street

Thing is, yesterday he had a few newish lookin Toyota Sequoia's and Sienna's and had some guy in a Range Rover pull up and rip out their instrument clusters

Now, one can only assume what they were doing, but I'm sure he wasn't just changing out the backlight bulbs lol

Some of them got wind that we were gawkin at them from our 2nd floor hallway and the guy pulling the clusters stuck them in his jacket and took off with his Range Rover, leaving both Sequoia's wide open with their dashes pulled apart

About 20 minutes later, he parked in the gas station and walked back with the clusters hidden in a shopping bag

We hid behind gaps in the windows as he looked around to see if the coast was clear, then he had them both installed in a matter of minutes before taking off again

Got some sh!tty potato quality video (damn thing won't focus with the stupid window grid)

 

[steve108]

Brazen. Is that even legally parked?

 

[ukrkoz]

P-O-L-I-C-E.
Do your good citizen part, and forget it.

 

[Truethug]

P-O-L-I-C-E.
Do your good citizen part, and forget it.

But now they’ll have a good idea of who called.

 

[ukrkoz]

Nope. Police does NOT disclose source.

 

[Truethug]

Nope. Police does NOT disclose source.

I’m talking about how they saw themselves being watched. They saw where the watchers are.

 

[98 SNAKE EATER]

OK, so we've informed the head of security as well as an NYPD sergeant, but even he said not to expect much of anything to be done about it with all that's going on right now

Firgured I'd keep a record of the cars whenever I can just in case

Yesterday, he pulled the cluster out of this Sienna

And today, this Rav4

As I was filming, we noticed a lady across the street taking a leak lol

Welcome to Brooklyn

 

[diesel-man]

I think that you would find that the odometer information is stored in the computer, not the instrument cluster. Maybe it is just a repair done on the street. If it was a chop shop it would make sense....no tags doesn't make sense either. Then again, I can think of no good reason to be in such a place anyhow. I would not let myself be in the cage with the monkeys at the zoo.

 

[98 SNAKE EATER]

I think that you would find that the odometer information is stored in the computer, not the instrument cluster. Maybe it is just a repair done on the street. If it was a chop shop it would make sense....no tags doesn't make sense either. Then again, I can think of no good reason to be in such a place anyhow. I would not let myself be in the cage with the monkeys at the zoo.

Yes, mileage info is stored in the ECU/BCM (as shown in TechStream), however, what is displayed on the odometer is stored on an EEPROM in the cluster itself and the values can easily be changed just like this.....

How to adjust odometer Toyota Camry by Digimaster 3Auto Repair Technician Home

Here comes the step by stey guide on how to modify mileage of odometer of Toyota Camry by Digimaster 3.Hope this article is helpful. Step 1:Remove the instrument of Toyota Camry to find out the PCB board shows as below picture.The picture give the location of chip C46,remove chip C46 form PCB...

www.car-auto-repair.com

That being said, there are only a few reasons I can think of to pull instrument cluster

1) Replace Burnt Backlight Bulbs (not likely in this case)
2) Remove the Check Engine Light bulb (possible, but unlikely given the time they actually have the clusters removed from the cars)
3) Roll Back Mileage (ding ding ding)

 

[diesel-man]

I stand corrected....as long as the people and cars are 6' apart, then thin blue line is A-OK. Watching Blue Bloods on TV...I'm reminded that snitches get stitches. Stay safe up there!

Thank God for Carfax....

 

[Deadly Sushi]

Call the police and ask to speak to a detective. Leave a message if they arent there. Also try to speak to the Sergeant on duty. Do the right thing. This COULD be big!

 

[98 SNAKE EATER]

Some footage from today

 

[Thomcat]

Here's my .02 opinion. Brings back memories. Born, lived and worked in Brooklyn for 35 years before bailing out 30 years ago for civilization. Commuted in a '73 Pinto which was mechanically perfect, but every body panel on it was intentionally smashed up by me with a hood secured by chains to leave no useful parts for thieves or strippers. My GMs never left Staten Is. becuase the half life of a GM being found with all the wheels, or found at all, where you had parked it was about 6 hours and half that for Chevys.

Reason it is being done on the street is to shield the location and any criminal liability of the "chop shop". So the most the police can do is question the guy "repairing the dash for some unknown guy who paid him $20 in cash" and later play "stupid" and be walking the street two hours latter...........think they have the original VIN?.