Posted by Sam Mangano (IP: 209.71.88.125) on November 10, 2000 at 11:13:42:
In Reply to: Theft prevention posted by Paulie on November 10, 2000 at 09:59:51:
I've been dealing with theft prevention for years. Probably one of your best defenses is the one you already have, a kill switch, although you might consider wiring it somewhere inside the car so you won't have to worry about a hood lock. Plus it's more convienient that way. You might consider a button that is pressed at the same time as you turn the ignition key - actually some Mavericks have a small loop of wire and a plug in the ignition system that makes this very easy to install - just cut the loop and put a switch in between it. It's simple, cheap and it works.
The fancy alarm systems are cool, but actually are not very effective and end up costing a lot of money. Really they just make a lot of noise and are mostly ignored by passers by. Most insurance companies offer a discount in premiums if you have a passive security system installed, however it's been my experience that these 25-plus year-old cars are not terribly expensive to insure in the first place making any small discount negligible.
If a thief wants your car bad enough, he'll usually succeed in getting it. Some things you can do to reduce the risk:
1. ALWAYS lock your car. This seems silly but you'd be surprised at the number of folks who have their car boosted because they left it unlocked. A crook will look for an easy target first.
2. Park in a well lit area at night. Darkness is a crook's friend because it gives him more time to work undetected.
3. Keep you car's interior free of stuff that might attract attention - like briefcases, portable stereo equiment, CD cases, etc. All this puts up a red flag to the crook and says "Look! I have valuables! Pick me!". Use the trunk, that's what it's for.
Bottom line: The longer it takes the crook to do his thing, the more likely he will be to move on to something else.
: That post about the stolen grabber and the fact that we've had cars nicked from our parking lot as of late has me wondering.
: Alice will be garaged at least through News years but after that I really can't afford the 85$ a month.
: I had a battery "kill switch" and I still have my 'club' (Amazingly it didn't end up in Terry's forehead!) but I'm concerened.
: Anyone use "hood locks"? if so, where and how much? I know JC whitney sells them..
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: What other methods?