Damn little kids!

[Kooldino]

Ok, so yesterday on my lunch break I looked at my car and noticed that 2 of my valve stem caps were gone. Not 4...not 1...but 2. So after asking myself "why just 2", I came to the conclusion that some little punk ass kid in my neighborhood must have ripped them off and is now riding around with 2 nice valve caps on his bike. TO make matters worse, we have chrome valve stem covers. Neither out caps or covers are available at pep boys, and the caps are $10 each through the dealer. I'm THOROUGHLY pissed. Just so some little kid could get his kicks by "suping up" his bike. Little $hithead.

I heard that if you tighten then a quarter turn with a wrench, that they're really hard to take off bare handed. Ok, just needed to vent. GRRR.

[scott42]

Sucks man. I feel your pain...but the first thing I did when I left the dealer was to take off the valve caps and put a set of $0.99/four aluminum ones on that I had gotten from pep boys...a couple days later my boss bought me some pretty cool chrome/blue tipped covers as a joke (as he rips my ride jokingly for being so "ricey" (he drives a lincoln LS)) for like 4 bucks total...we put them on laughing, and then stood back...they actually looked good. The blue matched the car and they've been there since...You can definetly get cheap, good looking covers if you look around... :D
And if you find the kids with your caps on, beat the shit out of them like their parents should have done.. :eek: (did I say that?...yes) :D

[Kooldino]

Scott...man, I wish I could, but you know how things are nowadays...If I so much as give a kid an evil eye I'll get sued...which just pisses me off even more.

But I totally agree w/ you. ;-)

So did you just get the screw on caps or did you actually get valve stem covers too? BTW, I have a yellow MP3, so blue is a no go.

[initialRES]

you know, I am also missing 2 caps. I don't know of any kids that would do that for their bike but I do have shiny polished caps. Shit, if some kid took them, that is pretty low.

[appler]

Ooooooooooh, I'll be a freight train if some punk perp boosts my caps. Maybe I'll take the advice posted here and grab some cheapies. Hey, this is my first post. I'm officially deflowered by this site. I feel kinda cheap...

[ 12-13-2001: Message edited by: appler ]

[<oliver20006>]

first thing I did was change them.....they are in the glovebox.....I hope you also put lock nuts on the wheels....I got the dealer to toss those in for me.

[BigBlue]

I didn't even notice those nifty valve stems until the first time I washed my car. I immediately thought about how some idiot would take them one day. It sucks that there are so many idiots running around out there.

The VERY first night I had my MP3, I go outside the next day and what do I see....a broken driver's side mirror...from the looks of the mirror assemble being flipped all the way backwards somebody had given it a good kick. I was PISSED. :mad: In those cases you really do wish you could just know who did it so you can go and kick some ass.

[Mp3P0]

well, better than that some dumbasses who broke through my driver's side window and tried to steal my stereo. emphasis on TRIED. meaning, they broke in, tore out my entire center panelling with a screwdriver and then found out they didn't know how to get the stereo out. so basically, i was left with a broken window, glass everywhere and a jacked up panelling. oh, and they put a deep scratch in my driver's side door from the glass shattering. did i mention that panelling is on national backorder? today will have been 3 weeks and i should FINALLY be getting my car back.

grr...

[initialRES]

I hate theives. You know, I worked my ass off for what I have and you just come up and take it. FUCK THEM. Have you ever talked to kids who steal things? They say shit like, oh they have plenty of money, they won't miss it. Well maybe they do, but they will miss it. If my car looks good to you, it isn't because I have tons of money, it is because that is all I use my money for. So screw anyone who takes anything from my car.

[scott42]

Kooldino, I'll check to see If I could find some yellow ones for you (I just got screw on caps)...I think they had all sorts of colors...if anything red might look good...you can always go with the plain silvers from the auto store for 99 cents...I'm gonna try to get some pictures posted soon of both sets as soon as I can borrow one of my buddies digital camera..I'll post them..and as for getting sued, f-them

[mp3girly]

I didn't know my chrome covers were even there until they were gone.. (Mom: "Who stole your caps?")

*sniff*

People are so mean. I went to Mazda to get my floormats replaced (The MP3 badge thingy on them was peeeeling off) and I was like, can I have some new valve covers? So I got some plastic yellow ones. Nothing amazing.. but oo.. yellow.

[scott42]

ok, here is that blue tipped chrome type cap thing I referred to earlier...(terrible picture quality...but you get the idea...
Blue cap (http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/lernin42/vwp?.dir=/for+fun&.src=ph&.dnm=Valve+Cap.jpg&.view=t&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/bc/lernin42/lst%3f%26.dir=/for%2bfun%26.src=ph%26.view =t)
Anyone know why this URL and Image shit never works for me?

[ 12-14-2001: Message edited by: 3pmadzam ]

[Kooldino]

Originally posted by initialRES:
<STRONG>you know, I am also missing 2 caps. I don't know of any kids that would do that for their bike but I do have shiny polished caps. Shit, if some kid took them, that is pretty low.</STRONG>

...and if an adult took them, it'd be even lower. Chances are it was a kid.

[Kooldino]

Originally posted by <oliver20006>:
<STRONG>first thing I did was change them.....they are in the glovebox.....I hope you also put lock nuts on the wheels....I got the dealer to toss those in for me.</STRONG>

Yeah, I have wheel lock lugs on my rims.

[Kooldino]

Originally posted by 3pmadzam:
<STRONG>Kooldino, I'll check to see If I could find some yellow ones for you (I just got screw on caps)...I think they had all sorts of colors...if anything red might look good...you can always go with the plain silvers from the auto store for 99 cents...I'm gonna try to get some pictures posted soon of both sets as soon as I can borrow one of my buddies digital camera..I'll post them..and as for getting sued, f-them</STRONG>

Sweet dude, thnx.

[Kooldino]

Originally posted by 3pmadzam:
<STRONG>ok, here is that blue tipped chrome type cap thing I referred to earlier...(terrible picture quality...but you get the idea...
Blue cap (http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/lernin42/vwp?.dir=/for+fun&.src=ph&.dnm=Valve+Cap.jpg&.view=t&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/bc/lernin42/lst%3f%26.dir=/for%2bfun%26.src=ph%26.view =t)
Anyone know why this URL and Image shit never works for me?

[ 12-14-2001: Message edited by: 3pmadzam ]</STRONG>

Yeah...kinda hard to see. From the looks of it, they look chrome with blue on the top...am I correct?

[LinuxRacr]

I have one missing cap! The bastards couldn't even take a set!! I now have to get a set just for one. :mad:

[scott42]

yeah, correct. the blue tip is a semi clear plastic diamond type cut to it...whatev, I'll look for some red or yellow jobbers and get back to ya.
:D

[BigBlue]

Originally posted by <oliver20006>:
<STRONG>first thing I did was change them.....they are in the glovebox.....I hope you also put lock nuts on the wheels....I got the dealer to toss those in for me.</STRONG>

Hmmm the locking wheel nuts don't come standard on the MP3? I know I have them, just figured they came as part of the wheel package.

[<oliver20006>]

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by :
first thing I did was change them.....they are in the glovebox.....I hope you also put lock nuts on the wheels....I got the dealer to toss those in for me.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hmmm the locking wheel nuts don't come standard on the MP3? I know I have them, just figured they came as part of the wheel package.


nope they are not standard

[BigBlue]

Well that's good to hear. The dealership I bought my car at originally tried to screw me and asked for way above MSRP on the car. I got them down to MSRP after I threatened to call the head office and report them.

After that tho I had a good experience. Apparently I got those nuts thrown in as well as having a really good tint job done on the windows. :)

[Kooldino]

3pmadzam, I appreciate it. Get back to me on those tips.

[BondoBob]

Dug up this old thread rather than start a new one:

Came out to the MP3 this morning and sure enough I'm missing two left side (the side away from the house) valve stem covers and one of the chrome stem covers. I am pissed. I have had this problem twice before and am REALLY F-ING TIRED of it. Some kid on a bike will die if I find him riding around with MAZDA valve stem covers.

Bob

I carry The Club in my car...and it ain't for locking up the steering wheel!

[Kooldino]

Hehe. Well, if it helps, i found ones that look ALMOST stock at wal mart for $2. Put them on with a wrench and they'll stay there forever.

[BondoBob]

Thanks, I'll stop at Walmart on the way back from my client. Are you sure they don't have ones with a razor edge? I want to see pieces of little fingers laying on the ground next time!;)

[Sir Nuke]

the wheels on my wifes P-5 are the painted ones...mine are polished....so her wheels didn't come with the chrome caps or stem covers.....she noticed pretty quick and made the comment that she wanted shiney vavle stems too.....after one of these threads first started and someone mentioned wally world I checked them out and got a set for $3....then told my wife I got something for her car and she needed to check it out....now understand my wife IS NOT INTO cars....and I was really surprised it only took her about a minute to notice! lol best $3 I ever spent!!! :{D I mean...how many times can you go out and spend $3 and REALLY make a woman happy!! lol :D

[1sty]

Originally posted by Kooldino


I heard that if you tighten then a quarter turn with a wrench, that they're really hard to take off bare handed. Ok, just needed to vent. GRRR.

It does I had to do it for my integra when I worked at shaws becuase they kept getting stolen even the black plastic ones

[drifter]

yeah my valve stem caps got stolen too, sucks, but what can you do, not like I have any clue who took them, cause If I did, oh man would I WHOOP some ass.

[BondoBob]

Stopped at Walmart (second time I've visited one of these) and bought a set of blue caps and stem covers. Now I'm sure to lose them since these REALLY stand out. But for 2.93 and tax...I won't get QUITE as upset.

The thing that really bugs me is not that some cretin's child is pedaling around the neighborhood with MAZDA logos on his Schwinn, but how close somebody can come next to my car and I don't know about it. If you have enough time to steal the valvestem caps then you could cut the tire, key the car or smash the side window.

[Sir Nuke]

Bob, get you four attack dogs...and stake them out at each corner and with just a long enough chain that they can just about touch each other nose to nose......that should deter the missing valve caps in the future! :D

[Kooldino]

Originally posted by BondoBob
Stopped at Walmart (second time I've visited one of these) and bought a set of blue caps and stem covers. Now I'm sure to lose them since these REALLY stand out. But for 2.93 and tax...I won't get QUITE as upset.

The thing that really bugs me is not that some cretin's child is pedaling around the neighborhood with MAZDA logos on his Schwinn, but how close somebody can come next to my car and I don't know about it. If you have enough time to steal the valvestem caps then you could cut the tire, key the car or smash the side window.

true, but they're not stealing your caps out of spite, they're doing it because they want to and it's convenient. Besides, you shouldn't wish harm on your car!

[BondoBob]

In talking with a friend on the phone the other day, I was reminded of the time WE took some guy's caps for our bikes. It happens.

With the crap that has happened to my car, it's funny how jumpy my wife has gotten about it. Case in point: My car was parked in the driveway overnight. This morning early the garbage men were out front. The wife heard the cans get dumped and was doing something in the kitchen (just over the driveway) when she heard the terrible sound of glass breaking. Instantly, she thought that someone had hit the car. Turned out to be a large number of Snapple bottles that the neighbor put out get crushed in the garbage truck.

[Kooldino]

Originally posted by BondoBob
In talking with a friend on the phone the other day, I was reminded of the time WE took some guy's caps for our bikes. It happens.

With the crap that has happened to my car, it's funny how jumpy my wife has gotten about it. Case in point: My car was parked in the driveway overnight. This morning early the garbage men were out front. The wife heard the cans get dumped and was doing something in the kitchen (just over the driveway) when she heard the terrible sound of glass breaking. Instantly, she thought that someone had hit the car. Turned out to be a large number of Snapple bottles that the neighbor put out get crushed in the garbage truck.

You little hoodlum you! I never did stuff like that because my dad would have beat me silly if I ever got caught.;)

That's GOOD that your wife is jumpy about the car...one more person on the lookout.:cool:

[BondoBob]

As I noted elsewhere, the NEW set of !@#$% valvestem covers from WalMart disappeared from the train station parking lot today. I think I'll just buy a case of the god damn things. Wonder if there is a way to run DC power down to the wheels. A lot of power...maybe just electrify the whole car exterior. Key that you little SOBs!