what is the best security device??

[RussellinNC]

Judge,Jury and HangMan here

It makes me madder than a Mustang boy losing to a Buick to think about all the Buicks that are getting ripped off. Im glad they make the seat covers so I wont have to worry about having to get the blood out of the cloth if I catch someone trying to rip mine off. Im gonna see what kinda traction a Drag Radial will get on their face if it ever happens!!!!! I will make the world a safer place for Buicks cause there will be one less punk left trying to steal one. Yeah...Im probably gonna make the news one day if they catch me trying to hide the body parts of the bastard but you guys will send me copies of GM High Tech in prison right? Russ

 

[PaulBZ65]

Try www.ravelco.com

Its a plug(basically a kill switch) and there are 10,000 different combinations out there...they would have to open the hood, and find 2 of the 5 wires and disconnect them, make a wrong decision and it wont start still. All the wires look the same to disguise them and they arent in the open anyways . And get a hood lock to boot so they have trouble getting under the hood. Works for me.

Combine different methods as well....the Sears DieHard security battery is a good one, I doubt many theifs carry spare batteries .

Of course if they really want it they can just tow it away or carjack ya, heh.

 

[1984grandnat]

I use a Clifford alarm with anti-carjacking. THE best system that I know of, but only as effective as the installation. With anti-carjacking enabled, the thief can't drive the car for more than a couple of blocks, even if he has the keys and alarm transmitters. Even if the thief had the time to find the alarm module, and yank it out from under the dash, the car's starter and ignition are still disabled (unlike most other alarms). The Clifford even uses a wireless immobilizer, which mounts in a seperate location (such as at the rear of the car near the fuel pump), to disable yet another part of the car. My car sits outside my house 24/7, and is in clear view of a major road. I take my car everywhere I go and have had no trouble with theft of any kind. If someone wants to try to steal my car, more power to them!

My system:
Clifford Intelliguard 7000 security system
Blackjack anti-carjacking built-in
Dual-stage shock sensor standard
Door, hood, and trunk pin switches

Special options:
Tilt sensor (to detect jacking and towing attempts)
Clifford self-powered siren (with built-in battery backup)
Glass break sensor
DEI paging system with multiple-zone alert

All said and done, this is about a $600 security system, but for a guy like me, with liability insurance only, it is a worthwhile investment. I agree with the others that have stated that you should use more than one method to retain your car, and also use a device similar to the club, theft-resistant door lock knobs, wheel locks, and a detachable-face CD player.

If anyone wants more info on security systems, feel free to email me. I install them for a living, and can answer about any questions you guys have.

 

[tom h]

"Parking Boot" deterrent ?

has anyone looked into a "parking boot" (?) as a deterrent to theft? I'm referring to the large metal guards that lock around one front wheel and tire.

Yeah, they're big & heavy and would have to be stored in the trunk, but I bet they are durable & indestructible. A parking scofflaw's response to getting a boot on their car is undoubtedly to pound it off, so I'd think the boot can withstand anything short of a gas-powered demolition saw or cutting torch.

And, I'd rather have an aftermarket wheel & tire damaged during a theft attempt than original, hard to find interior parts.

Some sort of ignition/fuel kill system would still be needed along with a boot.

I've not actually seen a boot closeup (suburban PDs don't generally use them), so I don't know if there are fitment problems with using a boot on a TurboRegal.

 

[tom h]

did a quick google search, came up with some examples of "boots" :

http://www.mitico.com/rhino_h1_.htm

http://www.palmaautoboot.com/


My biggest concern is scratching of the car wheels, some sort of cushioning device would have to get figured out. Maybe some of that "plastic dip in a can" stuff.

 

[HI85WH1]

I remember seeing those things on cars at USC, back in the 80's (I'm OLD) they were used by security for illegally parked cars, so you would have to call security, and pay the fine before they would unlock the device, it looked near impossible to remove, and it was such that you couldn't even remove the wheel(it covered the lugs too) So I guess it would work, but I sure wouldnt want that thing sliding around in my trunk, just waiting to eat the left rear quarter panel. but thats just my .02 -Rob
'

 

[tom h]

HI85WH1,

clearly some kind of padded duffle bag or gizmo would be needed to store the boot & to prevent the car's sheet metal from getting dented if the "boot" slid around.

overall not the most convenient solution, but as I read owners' tales of woe over stolen & trashed TRs, it's starting to seem acceptable to me, even in low crime areas.

You think YOU"RE old ?! Hah! ... boots had not even been invented when I was in college.

 

[HI85WH1]

Tom, is that why you are a senior member? the only reason I worry about that left rear quarter is that it is highly vulnerable, unless you fabricate some kind of inner panel, like say an amplifier rack? One of the guys from our club builds these things with storage compartments, and it works well and looks good. I think I used to see ads for these things in car and driver, or one of those mags...

 

[tom h]

Actually I'm not THAT old, although I have to maintain a sense of humor about it... I'm approaching 50! So many of the young whippersnappers on this board are are in their teens & 20s!

 

[HI85WH1]

OK heres a line I learned while racing sportbikes(crotch-rockets) "Old Age and treachery shall overcome youth and skill" I guess I am a lot closer to falling in the "geezer" age class, but with age comes experience, and faster ET's

 

[cordes]

If you where to make a bus of kill switches which controled one thing that would not let your car start. it would work great. Myself and my brother did some quick statistical crunching, and if you had to filp 5 switches one way or the other in a certian position to get it to start the odds would be about 3% tops (our math is not that great) of getting the right combination on the first try. Now the question for the electrical guys out there. How feasable would this be? Does anyone get what I am proposing. I think I explained it well enough. Boy that three weeks of statistics really paid off.

 

[RussellinNC]

A friend of mine bought a street rod one time that had a combination of switches you had to flip in a certain order or the car would not start. Someone DID TRY to steal if from his house one night but had no luck. It saved his 80000 street rod back in 1998. It in addition to other devices it will work great!!!!!
Im still offering free bullets to the punks that try to steal mine ...Russ