security systems for my classic

[abqmoparbill]

I would appreciate any information about anti-theft/vandalism systems for classic cars.  I am aware of the coil wire kill switch and the Club steering wheel device.  I am interested in more advanced systems such as the Compustar product line.  Are these systems worth the cost? Are they effective? What are their shortcomings?  Thanks in advance for any inputs.

[70 sublime]

Just get good car insurance and hope for the best ?

If someone wants to steal your car after they unhooked the battery a roll up truck would just pull up and drag it on and be gone

[426HemiChick]

Good Morning,               09 July 2021

A .357 mag might help . . . . as long as it's you that has it.

Don't leave your pride and joy outside unattended, store it in a secure place where you have complete control.

Isn't it wonderful what one has to do to protect what is rightfully theirs; doesn't seem to be getting any better either, more to the contrary.

Just thought of something, we used to have a farm and used an electric fence charger to keep the cows off the streets and out of the bars. We happened to find it during our relocation. Think we'll find a way to hook it up to the cars. It throws an arc about two inches long.

Remember the first time it was energized, got the cows to come close enough to the fence to draw an arc. Happened at night, the first cow that got hit lit up like a Christmas tree. No longer had trouble keeping them off the streets.  Keeping them out of the bars was a bit more difficult.

Good luck, hope you find something that does the job without breaking the bank.

Best Always

426 Hemi Chicks

[armor64]

I have a hidden cellphone with gps tracking app on it, wired into a usb charger hidden against the quarter panel in the trunk. if they dc the battery, the phone still has a few days of charge on standby, so hopefully, it can be used to locate it if it gets taken. Plus a lime green land yacht hopefully gets noticed somewhere... I just wish the flamethrowers under the rockers was legal (there as a video of thailand? where they would roast someone trying to get in the drivers seat)

[Mike DC]

If a real professional thief makes it a mission to get your car, it's gone.  You can put all kinds of alarms & kill switches on it and it won't matter.  The thief will just tow it away with a flatbed wrecker.  A container truck can block the GPS.  There are plenty of overseas buyers which makes the VIN info irrelevant. 


Anti-theft systems are about stopping amateur and medium-serious thieves. 

A tilt sensor can give you a few minutes of warning to do something if somebody tows it away on a flatbed (but what are you gonna do?  Shoot somebody?).  GPS doesn't hurt either.   

Alarms . . . I hate the goddamn things.  The ratio of false alarms to real ones is about 1000:1 and nobody pays any attention to them.

A kill switch isn't bad, but it was more useful back when thieves all knew how to work on cars.  Nowadays fewer people fall into the category of knowing enough to try to steal it, but not enough to bypass a kill switch.

Steering wheel clubs can be frozen with compressed air and busted off by hand.  Or just cut through the steering wheel with handsaw.     

[ph23vo]

use a marine fuel line solenoid switch... they use em on rv's also.. shuts off the fuel before the pump.. car runs for 30 seconds or so 

[Nacho-RT74]

isolate the ECU module from ground and get it grounded via a hidden relay with a remote control unit ?

I don't think any thief will think on an ECU ground failure ( many of us never think on that either ), and will keep checking just for positive sources such as the coil and ECU itself

[b5blue]

I use these, https://www.emergingent.com/duramax/ and still have shaker alarm

[Alaskan_TA]

Go to Youtube and search 'trunk monkey'.

Highly recommended. 

[Mopar Nut]

Mine is a Smith & Wesson, cause anybody with a car hauler, has your car.

[OzCharger69]

I have a GPS system in mine. Every time it leaves a a 200m radius from the barn, I get an alarm on my phone. It has a battery back up and is very well hidden. At any point in time I can check the phone to know where the car sits.

[426HemiChick]

Hi Folks,               15 October 2021

We've thought about this problem and have come up with a multifaceted solution.

First, have a very safe and secure place at home to store your precious vehicles.

If you do drive your pride and joy and have to park it, park where there is a serious obstacle on the right side and in front of it. Park straight in as close as possible to the obstacle on the right side, turn the wheel to the left and lock it. If someone tries to pull it out, it will jam on the right side. This should slow the thieves down about 30 seconds, enough time to grab your .357 and start shooting.

Own an ugly beat up piece of crap that no one would want but is mechanically perfect and reliable; use it as your daily driver.

If none of the above works, lease a daily driver and let the leasing company worry about someone stealing it.

Best Always

426 Hemi Chicks

[Back N Black]

How about a line lock? It will definitely make it difficult to move.

[426HemiChick]

How about a line lock? It will definitely make it difficult to move.

Hi Back N Black,           16 October 2021

That'll work. Just make sure it requires energy to lock AND unlock. That way if the battery is disconnected it will remain locked.

Don't we all just love thieves and prosecutor's that refuse to prosecute?

Best Always

426 Hemi Chicks