In a message dated 98-11-16 10:45:14 EST, Philip.Ryan@mail.esb.ie writes:
> I was wondering what some of you had done to prevent your classic
> cars from being stolen. I'm thinking of putting in bonnet locks to my
> Spitfire along with an immobilizer switch mounted in the firewall,
> accessible in the cubby hole on the drivers side, but with the workings on
> the engine bay side. Anyone have other suggestions?
Phil,
I've done a few things to mine.
a) I have a commercial alarm unit, remote controlled, with a starter interlock
b) I replaced the mechanical fuel pump with an electric, so I could tie it in
to the alarm. The alarm unit cuts off the fuel pump as well as the starter.
c) I have a hidden switch behind the panel in the trunk to cut off the fuel
pump, in addition to the alarm cutoff. I use this when I am parking overnight
in a Motel, or any other place where I'm going to be for an extended period of
time, just in case the thieves defeat the alarm. I have to reach into the
cutout for the trunk hinge to get to the switch. I also have a "dummy" switch
in plain view in the same general area as the real switch, in case a thief
sees me reach in to turn off the pump.
d) I have a pager tied to the alarm, so that if the siren wires are cut, I
still get a beep.
e) In addition to the normal door switches, I also have switches for the
trunk, the hood, and the glove box, plus a shock sensor.
f) I have hidden cutout switches for the siren and the shock sensor. Why?
Well, firstly, for some strange reason, lots of folks think it is perfectly OK
to walk up to a classic car and open the door to look inside. I've even had
people sit in my car! If I'm parked at a restaurent, or someplace similar, I
can let the pager notify me to go investigate without driving every one else
nuts with the siren. Secondly, I have a roll bar, and the first thing most
anyone does when looking at the car is to grab the roll bar and give it a
shake. This will set off the alarm if I don't have the shock sensor dis-abled.
Thirdly, on a real windy day, the shake from the wind will sometimes set of
the shock sensor. If I'm parked short term, I just cut out the sensor. If I'm
parked in a Motel on a windy night, I'll cut out the siren, but leave the
shock sensor on. I rely on the pager for warning, and I can live with any
false alarms from the wind, but not bother my neighbors.
For a long time, I just removed the distributor rotor, but I got tired of the
inconvenience and the dirty hands every time I did this. My set-up is probably
overkill, but I enjoyed designing it. Besides, anything worth doing is worth
overdoing, isn't it? (if my car is stolen after revealing all this, at least I
can give the police a list of about 700 suspects!)
I don't lock the doors, and don't recommend putting locks on your bonnet
latches. I would prefer that someone open the door and set off the alarm,
rather than cutting the top and then setting off the alarm. Same for your
bonnet latches. If they are locked, the thief might try to pry them open,
doing a lot of damage in the process. Let them open the hood, and rely on the
alarm to scare them away, and/or prevent the theft of your car
.
Dan Masters,
Alcoa, TN
'71 TR6---------3000mile/year driver, fully restored
'71 TR6---------undergoing full restoration and Ford 5.0 V8 insertion - see:
http://www.sky.net/~boballen/mg/Masters/index.html
'74 MGBGT---3000mile/year driver, original condition - slated for a V8 soon
'68 MGBGT---organ donor for the '74
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