VIN Etching for you car

[luckysnafu]

I was looking up auto insurance discounts and came across this. It is called VIN etching and it supposedly can save you money on insurance.

- Chemically etch your VIN on your car's window
- VIN etched cars have a 64% lower theft rate than non-etched cars.
- An etched car that is stolen has a better than 85% chance of recovery.
- Police Recommended

Link

Has anybody done this or know anyone who has?

 

[Vegito]

I got that.. didn't save that much off insurance but its a visual deterance... most people just file it off.. if they want ur car..

 

[Rumpltzer]

The dealership that sold me my car etched numbers into all the windows and tried to sell it to me for an extra $200 or something. I told them I didn't want it and asked them to remove it. They then decided to give it to me for free.

They use dilute HF (hydroflouric acid) to etch the numbers into the glass. You can buy the stuff at a crafts store. People actually etch/decorate glass as a hobby! Wear gloves because the acid doesn't burn your skin but will eat away at your bones. It's suppose to be pretty painful... the treatment is suppose to hurt pretty badly too.

The numbers etched into my windows are so thin that I image they could be polished away pretty easily.

I get no insurance discount for them.

 

[Vegito]

yeah they'll rip u off for that... i got like 2 bucks off every 6 month... hahah..

 

[jadinolf]

Originally posted by: Vegito
I got that.. didn't save that much off insurance but its a visual deterance... most people just file it off.. if they want ur car..

Really? You have to look awfully hard to see mine.

 

[quikah]

Originally posted by: Rumpltzer
They use dilute HF (hydroflouric acid) to etch the numbers into the glass. You can buy the stuff at a crafts store. People actually etch/decorate glass as a hobby! Wear gloves because the acid doesn't burn your skin but will eat away at your bones. It's suppose to be pretty painful... the treatment is suppose to hurt pretty badly too.

This is an understatement, HF is one of the most dangerous acids you can handle, exposure can easily kill you if enough is absorbed into your skin, the highly diluted concentrations available at craft stores are probably not too dangerous, but be cautious, you would be surprised some of the stuff you can find for sale.

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

Originally posted by: Rumpltzer
The dealership that sold me my car etched numbers into all the windows and tried to sell it to me for an extra $200 or something. I told them I didn't want it and asked them to remove it. They then decided to give it to me for free.

They use dilute HF (hydroflouric acid) to etch the numbers into the glass. You can buy the stuff at a crafts store. People actually etch/decorate glass as a hobby! Wear gloves because the acid doesn't burn your skin but will eat away at your bones. It's suppose to be pretty painful... the treatment is suppose to hurt pretty badly too.

The numbers etched into my windows are so thin that I image they could be polished away pretty easily.

I get no insurance discount for them.

It's only a minor deterant. Sure, if a person is buying a new car and see highly polished spots on all the windows, they will probably avoid it. But for car theives, I doubt it will make much difference.

 

[jadinolf]

Originally posted by: quikah

Originally posted by: Rumpltzer
They use dilute HF (hydroflouric acid) to etch the numbers into the glass. You can buy the stuff at a crafts store. People actually etch/decorate glass as a hobby! Wear gloves because the acid doesn't burn your skin but will eat away at your bones. It's suppose to be pretty painful... the treatment is suppose to hurt pretty badly too.

This is an understatement, HF is one of the most dangerous acids you can handle, exposure can easily kill you if enough is absorbed into your skin, the highly diluted concentrations available at craft stores are probably not too dangerous, but be cautious, you would be surprised some of the stuff you can find for sale.

My employees used to splash around in it all day long. I was in the semiconductor industry. Nasty stuff and folks had many burns.

 

[cressida]

It's a waste ... car dealers make so much money off that sh1t. If you really want your VIN etched just buy a kit for like 20 dollars and do it yourself.

 

[tyler811]

Originally posted by: quikah

Originally posted by: Rumpltzer
They use dilute HF (hydroflouric acid) to etch the numbers into the glass. You can buy the stuff at a crafts store. People actually etch/decorate glass as a hobby! Wear gloves because the acid doesn't burn your skin but will eat away at your bones. It's suppose to be pretty painful... the treatment is suppose to hurt pretty badly too.

This is an understatement, HF is one of the most dangerous acids you can handle, exposure can easily kill you if enough is absorbed into your skin, the highly diluted concentrations available at craft stores are probably not too dangerous, but be cautious, you would be surprised some of the stuff you can find for sale.

:Q

 

[Zim Hosein]

Originally posted by: luckysnafu
I was looking up auto insurance discounts and came across this. It is called VIN etching and it supposedly can save you money on insurance.

- Chemically etch your VIN on your car's window
- VIN etched cars have a 64% lower theft rate than non-etched cars.
- An etched car that is stolen has a better than 85% chance of recovery.
- Police Recommended

Link

Has anybody done this or know anyone who has?

My family has had this done on 2 cars; each time it was done for free by the NYPD

 

[LordMorpheus]

Originally posted by: Rumpltzer
The dealership that sold me my car etched numbers into all the windows and tried to sell it to me for an extra $200 or something. I told them I didn't want it and asked them to remove it. They then decided to give it to me for free.

They use dilute HF (hydroflouric acid) to etch the numbers into the glass. You can buy the stuff at a crafts store. People actually etch/decorate glass as a hobby! Wear gloves because the acid doesn't burn your skin but will eat away at your bones. It's suppose to be pretty painful... the treatment is suppose to hurt pretty badly too.

The numbers etched into my windows are so thin that I image they could be polished away pretty easily.

I get no insurance discount for them.

It can't hurt your bones if it doesn't break skin. I've had all sorts of (mostly dilute) acids on my skin, dilute acids will leave a painful spot for a while depending on the acid. Wash with a base if you have it or just rinse very very well, and you won't have that much of a problem.

 

[Rumpltzer]

Originally posted by: jadinolf

Originally posted by: quikah

Originally posted by: Rumpltzer
They use dilute HF (hydroflouric acid) to etch the numbers into the glass. You can buy the stuff at a crafts store. People actually etch/decorate glass as a hobby! Wear gloves because the acid doesn't burn your skin but will eat away at your bones. It's suppose to be pretty painful... the treatment is suppose to hurt pretty badly too.

This is an understatement, HF is one of the most dangerous acids you can handle, exposure can easily kill you if enough is absorbed into your skin, the highly diluted concentrations available at craft stores are probably not too dangerous, but be cautious, you would be surprised some of the stuff you can find for sale.

My employees used to splash around in it all day long. I was in the semiconductor industry. Nasty stuff and folks had many burns.

Here's a little cleanroom haiku:

processing is fun
naked in my bunny suit
HF hurts my tongue

I wouldn't say that HF is "one of the most dangerous acids you can handle". Sure, you need to wear gloves and keep it off your skin, but it's not like it's going to eat through your gloves or protective gear or burn your eyes or nostrils if you put your head over the beaker. Of course, you should be dumping acids over yourself and wiffing beakers to begin with.

I guess the nasty part is that you might not realize you got it on you until it's eating away at your bones... and that would really suck.

I've seen exploding solvents (people heating acetone on old hot plates that give off sparks when they turn on), and I've watched a guy pour sulfuric acid from a four liter bottle into a 15mL beaker with his face under the fume hood. I figure Darwin's theories should be allowed to take their course. I've never seen anyone mess with the HF, though. I guess we scare them well enough that they don't want to mess with it.

 

[Rumpltzer]

Originally posted by: LordMorpheus

Originally posted by: Rumpltzer
The dealership that sold me my car etched numbers into all the windows and tried to sell it to me for an extra $200 or something. I told them I didn't want it and asked them to remove it. They then decided to give it to me for free.

They use dilute HF (hydroflouric acid) to etch the numbers into the glass. You can buy the stuff at a crafts store. People actually etch/decorate glass as a hobby! Wear gloves because the acid doesn't burn your skin but will eat away at your bones. It's suppose to be pretty painful... the treatment is suppose to hurt pretty badly too.

The numbers etched into my windows are so thin that I image they could be polished away pretty easily.

I get no insurance discount for them.

It can't hurt your bones if it doesn't break skin. I've had all sorts of (mostly dilute) acids on my skin, dilute acids will leave a painful spot for a while depending on the acid. Wash with a base if you have it or just rinse very very well, and you won't have that much of a problem.

Link?

 

[ThisIsMatt]

So how exactly does this deter theft?

 

[Syringer]

Originally posted by: ThisIsMatt
So how exactly does this deter theft?

What are the Benefits of VIN Etching?
VIN Etching is one of the most simple and most effective ways to deter car thieves. VIN Etching makes a vehicle less attractive to thieves because police can accurately identify a stolen car more easily. VIN Etching also makes a car less valuable to a thief because the all of the car's windows would have to be replaced before a thief could attempt to sell the car or its parts.

 

[ThisIsMatt]

Originally posted by: Syringer

Originally posted by: ThisIsMatt
So how exactly does this deter theft?

What are the Benefits of VIN Etching?
VIN Etching is one of the most simple and most effective ways to deter car thieves. VIN Etching makes a vehicle less attractive to thieves because police can accurately identify a stolen car more easily. VIN Etching also makes a car less valuable to a thief because the all of the car's windows would have to be replaced before a thief could attempt to sell the car or its parts.

First off, police don't drive around with VINs memorized and able to spot a stolen one just like that. If a cop can read the etch he can just as easily read the one on the dash. Second, nobody who steals a car to strip and sell gives a damn about the windows.

 

[Vegito]

Originally posted by: jadinolf

Originally posted by: Vegito
I got that.. didn't save that much off insurance but its a visual deterance... most people just file it off.. if they want ur car..

Really? You have to look awfully hard to see mine.

thats because you didn't buy the kit that Op posted, those are ugly and huge and makes me not want to steal my own car

 

[wfbberzerker]

Originally posted by: ThisIsMatt

Originally posted by: Syringer

Originally posted by: ThisIsMatt
So how exactly does this deter theft?

What are the Benefits of VIN Etching?
VIN Etching is one of the most simple and most effective ways to deter car thieves. VIN Etching makes a vehicle less attractive to thieves because police can accurately identify a stolen car more easily. VIN Etching also makes a car less valuable to a thief because the all of the car's windows would have to be replaced before a thief could attempt to sell the car or its parts.

First off, police don't drive around with VINs memorized and able to spot a stolen one just like that. If a cop can read the etch he can just as easily read the one on the dash. Second, nobody who steals a car to strip and sell gives a damn about the windows.

it's a lot easier to remove the vin from the dash than it is from the windows.

 

[ThisIsMatt]

Originally posted by: wfbberzerker

Originally posted by: ThisIsMatt

Originally posted by: Syringer

Originally posted by: ThisIsMatt
So how exactly does this deter theft?

What are the Benefits of VIN Etching?
VIN Etching is one of the most simple and most effective ways to deter car thieves. VIN Etching makes a vehicle less attractive to thieves because police can accurately identify a stolen car more easily. VIN Etching also makes a car less valuable to a thief because the all of the car's windows would have to be replaced before a thief could attempt to sell the car or its parts.

First off, police don't drive around with VINs memorized and able to spot a stolen one just like that. If a cop can read the etch he can just as easily read the one on the dash. Second, nobody who steals a car to strip and sell gives a damn about the windows.

it's a lot easier to remove the vin from the dash than it is from the windows.

It's not like the cop sees a scratched off vin and says "Oh well" if it's scratched off.

 

[Xyclone]

Originally posted by: tyler811

Originally posted by: quikah

Originally posted by: Rumpltzer
They use dilute HF (hydroflouric acid) to etch the numbers into the glass. You can buy the stuff at a crafts store. People actually etch/decorate glass as a hobby! Wear gloves because the acid doesn't burn your skin but will eat away at your bones. It's suppose to be pretty painful... the treatment is suppose to hurt pretty badly too.

This is an understatement, HF is one of the most dangerous acids you can handle, exposure can easily kill you if enough is absorbed into your skin, the highly diluted concentrations available at craft stores are probably not too dangerous, but be cautious, you would be surprised some of the stuff you can find for sale.

:Q

 

[MikeMike]

Originally posted by: ThisIsMatt

Originally posted by: wfbberzerker

Originally posted by: ThisIsMatt

Originally posted by: Syringer

Originally posted by: ThisIsMatt
So how exactly does this deter theft?

What are the Benefits of VIN Etching?
VIN Etching is one of the most simple and most effective ways to deter car thieves. VIN Etching makes a vehicle less attractive to thieves because police can accurately identify a stolen car more easily. VIN Etching also makes a car less valuable to a thief because the all of the car's windows would have to be replaced before a thief could attempt to sell the car or its parts.

First off, police don't drive around with VINs memorized and able to spot a stolen one just like that. If a cop can read the etch he can just as easily read the one on the dash. Second, nobody who steals a car to strip and sell gives a damn about the windows.

it's a lot easier to remove the vin from the dash than it is from the windows.

It's not like the cop sees a scratched off vin and says "Oh well" if it's scratched off.

and if i place a business card over the VIN on the dash???

then the cop cant read that VIN.