The Washington times., 1922-03-25
H0WW0ULD YOU
IDENTIFY YOUR
CAR IF STOLEN?
Police Insist on Some Mark Of
Identification Besides
Owners Say-so.


own car under any set OF circum-
stances. his impulse would be to re-
turn an unqualified and indignant
affirmative. The police OF one OF
our larger cities would disagree with
him just as unqualifiedly.
AS Il matter OF fact uost car own.
ers depend for Identification on some
scratch on the body, some broken
screw in the chassis or some other
equally uncertain factor. They do
not stop to consider that our big
manufacturers are turning out
models in ten thousand lots that
differ from each other in not the
slightest discerniblc degree. BY the
time a successful thief has run
stolen car through his Service sta
tion" it would puzzle the most care
full owner on earth to IDENTIFY his
vehicle.
An instance in point is found in
the recent experience Of car owner
in middle western city who lost
his car, "A touring model OF a popu-
lar make, and after some weeks or
anxious waiting was summoned TO
police headquarters to see whether
ne could identify vehicle answering
TO his description of his lost car.
The Same Car.
Arrived at the police station, he
found small group OF other
owners who had assembled TO try
to identify the same car TO see
which he had been summoned. The
hopeful owner had a number of
marks by which ne felt confident
he could prove his ownership Of
the restored vehicle. There was
bent screw in one part of the
chassis, "A dent in one fender, a
scratch Of peculiar shape on the
dash.
The car with which he was con-
fronted was undoubtedly of the
same vintage as his lost boat, but
unhappilY it was painted rich
ultra. marine blue, instead OF the
dark green that had graced his
vehicle. The most earnest scrutiny
failed TO disclose any Of the dis
tinguishing marks on which he had
relied.
A slight chipping OF the new
coat OF enamel revealed the fact
that 1t had been put on over pre-.
vious coat of the dark green that
our friend had described, but two
of the other assembled owners had
put in bids for dark green cars and
eventually one OF them managed to
identify the car by a chip in the
gearset housing. The Identification
was not particularly convincing but
in the absence of anything better II
served to give the car 10 the owner,
who had been able TO describe the
imperfcCtiOn.
As matter Of fact no car Cwnor
ought 10 depend on such casual
means Of identification as sight i'm
pcrfeCtions that may have accrued
during the operation Of the vehicle.
When the professional autOmObilr
thief steals car n" takes il TO what
practically to 4 rebuilding
factory. In many cases TIA" entire /
mechanism .iS taken down ana 'hc .
different parts rcdisirlhutcd With |
those from other ears Of IT," same |
make and models to ,url out Wnlt !
amount to new vehicles.
The only safe method Of placing /
marks on i CHr Is to /
put them on all ma iUr parts Of the .
Perhaps the must sails. /
factory method Of doing 50 ~ 10 /
place punch marks on IN" various :
units. All such marks should Eo put /
in places wher" they VIII not bo !
readily discernible; for instance. on 1
the inside OF the aXles. rn the fly |
wheel. on the upper sid" of tn" gear. /
set housing. After the ira"i,S have /
been made they should L. rubbed /
over with grease unit. they are /
as nearly indistinguishablc as pos /
sihle. The car owner can have q |,
prick punch made with his initials |
on il in very fine type and with |
this it is possible to plaC' Identifies |
ton marks on the various parts that |
will generally escape notice ana yet /
remain permanently.
Small Holes.
Another clover idea Is 10 rorc \ /