security for your daily driver

[enferno]

i currently have a club and i am about to install a magnetic reed-switch type killswitch under my dash.


what type of precautions/measures are you guys doing for your cars that you drive frequently? what types of alarms, killswitches, clubs, etc. would you recommend?

 

[xoxbxfx]

i currently have a club and i am about to install a magnetic reed-switch type killswitch under my dash.


what type of precautions/measures are you guys doing for your cars that you drive frequently? what types of alarms, killswitches, clubs, etc. would you recommend?

for your stang?? The club is worthless, you might as well throw that in the trash. Kill switch to keep from hot wiring..if you want to spend more money, use an immobilizer. Nothing is going to prevent a flatbed from winching it up the ramp and driving it away though.

Id go with an immobilizer...i believe thats what you are talkinb about (magnetic reed switch)... But its a pain to touch the chip to the reader everytime you want to start the car.

A wheel/tire boot works well too

 

[black_demon]

i've got a grant removable steering wheel, "club" type locking device for the brake pedal, various kill swithes, alarm system with backup battery, hood with key lock pins, the interior door locks have been removed so someone with a coat hanger cant just pull it up and you cant slim jim the vehicle because there's a type of metal barrier inside the door... all this came with the vehicle when i purchased it back in may.. this car is never taken out, it just sits in my garage and i take it out every 2-3 weeks for bout an hour or so just to keep everything in tip top shape...

 

[SHIFTY101EASY]

yeah...how about a garage? lol

theres never a way to me COMPLETELY safe....just like you in your house or something....theres always that faint chance a plane could fall out of the sky into your living room or something u know? just do the kill switch thing and an alarm system and try not to leave it out for long times in shady areas.

 

[SHIFTY101EASY]

i dont really reccomend this, and i didnt do it to my car, but the previous owner bypassed the neutral safety switch to put in one of those ridiculous ratcheting shifter things and so you could just do that and have the switch hidden somewhere in the engine compartment and just twist it and the car wont start i believe....

 

[mustangchris]

I am going to the extreme with mine. I will be custom doing all the wiring in my car. (looking at ron francis) I will have a timed inside light for the car. This will power a relay which in turn will complete the circuit for the starter. My door handles are getting shaved and there won't be interior handles either. So i figure if a thief breaks the window and climbs in through it to get into the car he still will not be able to start it unless for some odd reason he turns on the dome light.

 

[Edbert]

I have a vert, so physical barriers are meaningless. I have a maxi fuse that essentially disables the entire fuse panel from power.

Most of the things you guys have named are good defense against the teenagers and joyriders. But anything you can name is useless defense against a serious theif, they'll just pull up the flatbed and she's gone in less than 60 seconds.

Best advice is to be careful where you park. Since mine is a purely recreational vehicle I can always be where I can see it if it is not locked in the garage, and yeah my door is "hardened". Of course just because you can see it doesn't mean they wont get it unless you live in a state where it is leagal to use deadly force to prevent vehicle theft...GOD BLESS TEXAS!

 

[ForceFed70]

Rember that our cars are easily hotwired and started from under the hood in a matter of only seconds. Starter kills, and immobilizers are pretty much useless for all but the most basic of theives.

I saw a great idea the other day. A fuel cut-off solenoid that must have power to allow the fuel to flow. With the fuel cut off, the theif could start the car, and probably get it out of the parking lot only to have it die once the carb bowls are empty.

 

[69 Rustang]

Back in the 80s and early 90s when my '69 was my daily driver, I had a crude, simple means of locking the hood shut that required a key. This helped to keep my shaker from going places I didn't want it to.

For the whole car, my other means of protection I used were: the Club (may not be highly effective, but it is a deterrent), always locking doors, and an alarm system with motion sensors/engine kill. When leaving the car someplace I was really uncomfortable with or leaving it for any period of time, I also would open the hood and disable the coil wires, then lock the hood back up--my theory was that maybe the thief would get frustrated with a car that wouldn't start and bail on the attempted theft.... Of course if they see you messing under the hood it is a giveaway . The alarm system was always a pain in the rear as it would go nuts at 2 or 3am for no reason, but I had it nonetheless.

My current theft deterrent was to completely disassemble the car (See avatar). I call it "The Discombobulated Immobilizer" system, the thief just won't know where to start with stealing this heap of parts--patent pending of course. It really works great!!! I will be licensing this out to others--PM if interested in a license agreement or franchise.

As someone else stated, if the thief wants your car bad enough there is no stopping them. A rollback is the easiest way to steal a vehicle--just watch Overhaulin and observe how people's neighbors watch cars disappear without saying a word.

 

[ratio411]

The whole 'rollback' thing is what concerns me most.

I make sure to park in such a way that there is a solid object on at least 2 sides of the car. One of which is directly in front or behind.
Then I turn my wheels hard towards an obsticle.
That way when the front wheels roll, they steer the car in a circle, and hopefully to a position that blocks the car or causes the car to make a comotion to draw attention.

Dave

 

[dewdrop]

Lots of stuff

I have key lock shifter handle, locking hood pins, Ignition kill, electric fuel pump kill and batery in trunk with key shut off switch. They still can get it on a rollback, but they would have to drag the rear tires.

 

[Decurion]

If you have black spark plug wires you can replace your coil wire with a piece of vacuum hose. That works well for parking it at night, of course it will do little to prevent someone from breaking into it, or stealing the wheels or something lol. Its cheap, but effective for the typical thief. Not to mention if youre a light sleeper, you may hear your car cranking and give you enough time to put on your @$$ kickin boots and run out the door.

 

[mustangchris]

Another idea is a motorcycle cable lock. They have these in very long lengths and are thick enough that it would take them 20-30 minutes to hack it off. for the ultimate security you could run one through your back wheel up to the front wheel or a tie down bracket to something like a sign pole or fire heidrant (Illegal in some states to park in front or near one)

 

[suki243]

"I saw a great idea the other day. A fuel cut-off solenoid that must have power to allow the fuel to flow. With the fuel cut off, the theif could start the car, and probably get it out of the parking lot only to have it die once the carb bowls are empty."

My calc. teacher told me a story about an older car he once had. It was famous for getting stolen. One day he decided to put a toggle switch that controlled the fuel injection system inside the ciggarette lighter. When the car would start everyone woke up and the theif was able to back out but then it died.
They all woke up and found the theif outside in his car.

 

[DissFigured]

i dont really reccomend this, and i didnt do it to my car, but the previous owner bypassed the neutral safety switch to put in one of those ridiculous ratcheting shifter things and so you could just do that and have the switch hidden somewhere in the engine compartment and just twist it and the car wont start i believe....

I think your previous owner previously owned my mustang as well. I have a ratchet shifter, and the neutral safety switch is wrapped around the export brace. It annoys me and I plan to get it all corrected but I must admit many times, I have gone in and manually stuck it in gear so it wouldn't start.

 

[ratio411]

If you park on concrete, you could put a 1/2" or 5/8" drop in anchor in your normal space. Then put a forged eye bolt through it to hook your hardened chain or cable through.
Then a rollback would not be able to drag your car.
This is a fairly permanent solution though.
Not something you could use down at the corner store or in asphalt.
Dave

Edit: Just to give an idea of how strong these are, I regularly install this sort of thing in body shops so they can anchor car/truck frames and hydraulically pull them straight. Only anchor point being the 4" concrete of the shop floor.

 

[1967stang302]

I just got an alarm with a battery backup that is GSM enabled, so if my alarm goes off, it sends me an SMS. I can call up my alarm and listen to the interior of the car without the theif knowing and I can record it on my phone. I can also press a button which kills the power if they were able to bypass the battery kill switch in the trunk. (the alarm is powered from a seperate cable from the trunk. As for hotwiring, this stops them.

rollback, I recommend buying a boot, you can get them for $300 and they can't move it at all. get 2 if you are really paranoid.

As for hotwiring, luckily some of us who had idiot P.O.s the rats nest of wires under the dash will prevent hotwiring.

I also have locking hood pins, but they aren't that secure really.

 

[Dothang67]

What kind of alarm did you installed? (brand, model, etc)

 

[truck90278]

A boot works good as stang 302 suggested. Also look at LOJACK. You can get a version that you will be notified immediately if your car is moved without the fob required. A friend of mine moved his vehicle a short distance, across the street, and within 15 seconds he had a pager and cell phone go off and was asked if he knew his car had been moved. fairly expensive ~1K, but what is your vehicle worth?

 

[gonzothegreat]

I just got an alarm with a battery backup that is GSM enabled, so if my alarm goes off, it sends me an SMS. I can call up my alarm and listen to the interior of the car without the theif knowing and I can record it on my phone. I can also press a button which kills the power if they were able to bypass the battery kill switch in the trunk. (the alarm is powered from a seperate cable from the trunk. As for hotwiring, this stops them.

What alarm is it if you don't mind me asking?