Need good car security ideas

"deekster_caddy" (deekster_caddy) 04/10/2015 at 12:04 • Filed to: None

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Okay, my 1973 Buick isn't exactly hot used parts material, but I've put a crapload of work into it lately and my brother's very expensive engine... So I'm trying to think of some reasonable ways to protect it from theft.

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I know, nobody can stop a tow truck, (LoJack?) but I'm thinking about ways to prevent it being lifted from a hotel parking lot, that kind of thing. I'm thinking a steering column lock/shield (so they can't turn the steering wheel making it harder to put on a tow truck) and disabling the fuel pump should be enough to stop the average joyrider/thief.

I'd love to hear some other reasonable ideas though. It doesn't have power locks, and I don't really want to add them, so I'm always going on the assumption of 'empty everything visible from the interior' as a break-in prevention method. It's pretty easy to slim-jim these doors open, so don't give them a reason to.

Maybe I should get my own parking boot!

Where have all the lightweights gone? > deekster_caddy 04/10/2015 at 12:08

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This.

MonkeePuzzle > deekster_caddy 04/10/2015 at 12:09

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remove a vital component for engine running. I take my ECU in such situations, probably a little trickier with a '73 Buick

bob and john > deekster_caddy 04/10/2015 at 12:09

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hidden kill switch

jariten1781 > deekster_caddy 04/10/2015 at 12:12

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Fuel petcock, easy peasy.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > MonkeePuzzle 04/10/2015 at 12:13

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Nah. Pop distributor cap, take rotor. A well-respected classic solution.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > MonkeePuzzle 04/10/2015 at 12:13

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Not many people carry around spare distributor caps though!

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > deekster_caddy 04/10/2015 at 12:15

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I typically have a good luck doing that unnoticed policy about the Montego.

Loud as hell exhaust helps because I assure you I'd hear it leaving.

I'm not sure what engine you put into it, but if you're at a hotel or something, pop the distributor cap and bring it inside with you. I assume the engine is old enough for one of those.

Or even just take the main power supply wire that leads to the distributor, they pop right off.

GhostZ > deekster_caddy 04/10/2015 at 12:15

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Maybe install a toggle on the fuel pump (a la racecar) and hide it somewhere that a theft wouldn't find?

I think a steering rack lockout would be ideal though.

When it comes to thieves, they'd sooner break open your hood and cut the engine out by the mounts and hoist it out than deal with a locked steering rack and unfathomably inept fuel pump.

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > deekster_caddy 04/10/2015 at 12:17

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Remove the spark plugs. I did that on my MK2 GTI 16V back in the days.. It takes two minutes, and it's worth it.

Sam > deekster_caddy 04/10/2015 at 12:18

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The easiest way is to pull the fuse for the fuel pump, or possibly unplug the ignition.

Party-vi > deekster_caddy 04/10/2015 at 12:18

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You need one of these. Hide it under the dash for an ignition/power disconnect.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > deekster_caddy 04/10/2015 at 12:19

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Hire Mr. T to watch it. He pities the fool that tries to take your car!

deekster_caddy > MonkeePuzzle 04/10/2015 at 12:25

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I could actually do this... it's now fuel injected! But I think the rotor or FP cutoff are both good tried and true solutions.

deekster_caddy > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 04/10/2015 at 12:27

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Yeah, could definitely take the coil wire or rotor. Hidden kill switch is easy too. I was just wondering if there were any new ideas out there for theft prevention!

deekster_caddy > GhostZ 04/10/2015 at 12:29

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It's a big engine block, they would definitely need a hoist to take it. I suppose it could be done quickly with a good torch and a tow truck wrecker hoist. I try to not park it in places where that would go unnoticed though!

I'd like a good steering column lock type of thing. Maybe I'll have to build one!

deekster_caddy > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh 04/10/2015 at 12:30

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Maybe I'll just take the coil wire. Not a two minute job on this car! Although you will know if your plugs are dirty!

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > deekster_caddy 04/10/2015 at 12:32

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Same result though.. worth it if you park somewhere you feels is not all that safe.

crowmolly > deekster_caddy 04/10/2015 at 12:32

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1.) Does it have a hood lock? A lot of older cars don't. Get one. Even if it's a chain and a padlock.

2.) Kill switches don't defeat anyone but kids most of the time. If you want to do something with fuel, put a keyed fuel shutoff valve near the tank. They will get the car going and driving on the fuel left in the bowls and lines, but after that it dies.

3.) GPS based car alarm. You don't have to even start a car to steal it.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > deekster_caddy 04/10/2015 at 12:34

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Aside from the good suggestions already given, if you're parking it somewhere for a while, you could do something like this:

Or take a page out of the movie Robocop:

Tohru > deekster_caddy 04/10/2015 at 12:38

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http://www.amazon.com/Club-491-Tire-…

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > deekster_caddy 04/10/2015 at 12:39

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Oh and here's another idea:

But only do this if it isn't hot outside.

TJDMAX > deekster_caddy 04/10/2015 at 12:55

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Bolt it to the ground. This is a somewhat serious comment and only plausible if talking about securing it at your home or permanent residence.

There was a post a long time ago on Reddit in the motorcycle section where a retired motorcycle thief talked about the best ways to prevent a motorcycle from being stolen. Basically, any caliper lock, or security system, or loud exhaust, or handlebar lock could be thwarted by a decent thief. The guy said that the best solution was to chain the bike through its frame (not just a wheel that can easily be removed) and to a hook that was cemented into the ground. Preventing a group of thieves from showing up and just picking up the motorcycle and putting it in a van.

Obviously a car is a little different but the principle still remains. Any good thief who is determined / skilled enough will get around locks, boots, fuses, etc. Its much less suspicious to see a guy working under the hood of his car than it would be to see someone cutting a chain that was secured under the car and cemented into the ground.

Not sure how serious you want to get, or how frequently you drive this car, but a solid mount like that would be hidden and sneaky. Even if someone was able to get in your car and start it chances are they wouldn't notice it was chained down and they would be in a serious pickle if they tried to drive off. This also protects it from the random tow truck coming to pick it up...

deekster_caddy > crowmolly 04/10/2015 at 13:02

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It's the tow-truck driveaway model that scares me most. I'm leaning towards a GPS based device of some sort. Doesn't even need to be an alarm, just needs to be present on the car!

deekster_caddy > TJDMAX 04/10/2015 at 13:05

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Great idea. I park it in a garage at home, but I could totally see me chaining it to a tree in a hotel parking lot (a big tree). Would have to be one helluva chain but still... interesting thought!

deekster_caddy > Tohru 04/10/2015 at 13:05

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Wow, who knew!

deekster_caddy > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly 04/10/2015 at 13:06

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Love my dog, but I think I'll leave him home to protect the house!

MonkeePuzzle > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 04/10/2015 at 13:08

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damned nuns!

crowmolly > deekster_caddy 04/10/2015 at 13:08

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I was working on a program for a while that would use a GPS sensor and would call/text you if the car moved more than 10 feet from its current location. Never finished it though.

Sethersm > deekster_caddy 04/10/2015 at 13:15

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We're talking about this car right?

In no way do I mean to insult you or your car by saying this, but why exactly do you feel it would be a target? I get it, it's your baby, and frankly I wouldn't mind driving it, but to the average thief it appears to be an old, worn out Buick. In that video alone I spy 4 cars which are probably more desirable targets.

Anyway... Don't drive it like you stole it when arriving at a hotel or wherever it is you're going to park. You want to roll up to the hotel without showing off. Don't draw attention to it, just roll in gently and quietly and park.

As for fancy locks or pulling the coil wire and whatnot... those draw attention. Someone sees you going through the trouble to boot it or open the hood and pull the coil wire, that right there screams "there's something about this car that makes that effort worth it." So, whatever you do, make it quick and easy to do without being visibly different from just shutting off the car and getting out. A kill switch that is easily accessible, but not easily found unless you know about it is good. Something like a push on/push off switch hidden under some upholstery or a kill switch wired to some usually present switch. For instance, I knew one guy that wired his to the headlight switch. You had to turn the lights on to start it.

TJDMAX > deekster_caddy 04/10/2015 at 13:26

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It wouldn't have to be massive. Just something that couldn't be broken by the car driving away. If you were a thief and you had to cut a chain to get a car there aren't very inconspicuous or quick, or quiet ways to do that. I would just get a decent chain and a nice lock that is know to be difficult to pick and be confident.

I'm not a theif...but if i saw a car that was chained to something...i would think twice before stealing it. Risk would outweigh the reward.

deekster_caddy > Sethersm 04/10/2015 at 14:15

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Not insulted at all. It's not pretty now (and may never be to some), but it's also not finished yet, it will be receiving a new coat of paint in the not too distant future after which it will look more like a 'restored' vehicle and hopefully be a little more desirable! That and if I am going to a large car show or meet, every car there becomes a potential target (no matter how unusual or 'undesirable') if it's an easy steal.

I get what you are saying about the 'opening the hood when parking' drawing attention too. I'd like it to be something quick and easy. The car is meant to be a sleeper and not draw much attention on it's own, but if somebody is casing a show/race looking for an easy target, then it's just that... an easy target. Cars have most definitely been stolen from hotel parking lots at national meets before.

Yeah, I'm looking for ideas about kill switches, trackers, etc. Just wondering what the 'norm' is these days. I want to keep it simple, so others can use it, but well hidden and easy to activate/deactivate. The 'lights on to start' is a pretty good idea. Could have a simple relay for the starter circuit that triggers when the lights are on, very easy to do.

deekster_caddy > TJDMAX 04/10/2015 at 14:17

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I wouldn't think it would take much more than simple bolt cutters to undo a chain though. I would expect any car thief to have easy access to bolt cutters (remove trailer padlocks, etc)

TJDMAX > deekster_caddy 04/10/2015 at 14:26

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I mean....I wouldn't get some wimpy chain...but it wouldn't have to be cargo ship anchor sized either. Bolt cutters could chomp through eventually but a pair big enough to get through a nice reasonable size chain would be very suspicious looking and still they would only nibble away.

Eventually...if someone wants your car...they'll get it if they are determined enough. All you can really do is slow them down and hope someone spots them in the act.

BigBlock440 > deekster_caddy 04/10/2015 at 14:53

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Not necessarily prevention, but I've heard of someone keeping a cheap cell phone (one of the pay-as-you-go types) hidden somewhere in the vehicle, wired in so it could stay plugged into the charger and on 24/7. They planned to use the GPS to track it down if the car was ever stolen.

Sethersm > deekster_caddy 04/10/2015 at 14:57

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My friend had his wired to a relay to cut power from the coil. The result was that if anyone tried to start it without the lights on, it would turn over, just wouldn't start. His theory was that if someone tried to hot wire it and the starter didn't turn, they'd get suspicious and start looking for the kill switch. If it turns, just doesn't start, they'd decide it is either hard to start or something is wrong mechanically and give up. Or, if they don't give up and keep trying to start it, draw attention by cranking away on it.

Another option, might be to leave a smart phone with a tracking app installed turned on and hidden inside the car somewhere (in with the spare in the trunk?). That way, if it does get stolen you have some means of finding it.

deekster_caddy > BigBlock440 04/10/2015 at 15:02

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Hmm, very interesting idea!

wiffleballtony > deekster_caddy 04/10/2015 at 15:26

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Trunk monkey?

deekster_caddy > wiffleballtony 04/10/2015 at 16:20

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Everybody needs a trunk monkey!