The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-03-26
UNCERTAIN FACTOR
In IDENTIFICATION
OF auto FAILURE
Successful Thief Runs
Car Through Service
Station" Removes Marks.
PUNCH MARK SAFE
Small Holes Bored in Frame
work Good Method to
Foil Thief.

II the average car owner were
asked whether he could identify his
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 unqualihedly.
As a matter of fact most car
owners 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 discernible degree. BY
the time a successful thief has run
a stolen car through his Service
station" it would puzzle the most
careful owner on earth to identify
his vehicle.
An instance in point is found in
the recent experience Of a car own
er in a Middle Western city who
lost his car. a touring model OF a
popular make. and after. some
weeks Of anxious waiting was sum-
moned to police headquarters to
see whether he could identify a
vehicle answering to his description
of his lost car.
The same Car.
Arrived at the police station. he
DSUnd small group of other own
ers who had assembled to try to
III nj ~ IT,,
he had been summoned. The hope
full owner had a number OF marks
by which he felt confident he could
prove his ownership OF the re-
stored vehicle. There was a bent
screw in one part OF the chassis.
dent in one fender. a scratch or
peculiar shape on the dash.
The car with which he was con-
fronted was undoubtedly of tie
same vintage as his lost boat. but
unhappily it was painted a rich
Rltramarine blue. instead Of the
dark green that had graced his We
hicIe. The most earnest scrutiny
failed to disclose any OF the dis
tinEuishing marks on which he had
relied
\ slight chipping Of the new coat
Of enamel revealed the fact that IL
had been put on over a previous
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
u served to give the car to the
owner. who had been able TO de-
scribe the imperfection.
As matter OF fact no car owner
ought to depend on such casual
means of Identification as slight i'm
projections that may have accrued
during the operation of the vehicle
When the professional automobile
thief steals a car he takes ii to
what amounts practically to a re-
building factory. In many cases
the entire mechanism is taken
down and the different parts re-
distributed with those from other
cars Of the same make and models
TO turn out what amount to new
vehicles
The only safe method OF placing
Identification marks on a car is to
put them on all major parts of the
mechanism. Perhaps the most sat
isfactOTy method OF doing So is to
place punch marks on the various
units. All such marks should be
put in places where they will not
be readily discernible: for instance.
on the inside of the axles. on the
flywheel. on the upper side of the
gearset housing. After the marks
have been made they should be
rubbed over with grease until they
are nearly indistinguishable as
possible. The car owner can have
a prick punch made with his initials
on ii in very fine type and with this
II is possible to place identifica-
tiOn marks on the various parts
that will generally escape notice
and yet remain permanently.
Small Holes.
Another clever idea is to bore a
few small holes a mere fraction of
an inch into the framework at a
& ven place. ca fully measured,
from permanently located land
marks. Then fill these holes with
lead and smear the spot well with
grease. II there comes a time when
1t is necessary to identify the car
IL is simple matter to measure of
the proper distance, scrape a little
lead of and prove ownership of the
car.