Securing your ride on a road trip

[garner67]

Thieves SUCK!

As everyone says... if they're pros, and they want it... they'll get it. We just gotta do some basic things to keep the amateurs from getting it.

I have...
Hood lock
Multiple kill switches
Clutch/Brake type of club

... but I might add one of these!

[avewhtboy]

This is a problem with Motorcycles as you can imagine, and their are some expensive bikes sitting in the parking lots at biker events.

I purchased two kryptonite cable locks. I used to put these around the wheels and the frame, basically the wheels not going to roll with this on. Might be a good idea for a car as well???

I have two, one for each wheel. I would think that a couple of these would keep the car from being moved.

Really works well when you can chain the vehicle to something like a light pole or concrete post.

[garner67]

How about a wheel boot?

However, storing it in the car would be a pain, but maybe worth it on a road trip. If there isn't an easy way to break it, this would slow down a tow truck heist.

PitBull TireLock

[shizzy]

My boat, car and motorcycle never leave my sight unless they are locked securely in my garage.

[BonzoHansen]

How about a wheel boot?

However, storing it in the car would be a pain, but maybe worth it on a road trip. If there isn't an easy way to break it, this would slow down a tow truck heist.

PitBull TireLock

I posted that the last time this came up, lol.

[streetk14]

How about a wheel boot?

However, storing it in the car would be a pain, but maybe worth it on a road trip. If there isn't an easy way to break it, this would slow down a tow truck heist.

PitBull TireLock

Nice, but I think it only fits wheels up to 10 inches wide. Guess I'm not putting it around one of my 335 rear tires! Would probably even be a tight fit on my 275/35/18 front tires, but is a great idea. Much more effective theft deterrent than a club, IMO.

[joemac]

I think there are two conversations here.

One is how to DETER thieves from stealing your stuff which this thread covers pretty good. Still these methods are not foolproof. These things only work if they want to drive it off and keep it in one piece. If they have a tow truck and want to chop it your still screwed.

Second is how to RECOVER your car if it is stolen which is more important to me. When I build a car of this caliber it will absolutely have GPS tracking that way you can figure out where they went. You might get lucky and catch them before they chop it.

[Richio1]

I know I am reviving a 4 year old thread but since it is car show season and I plan on going a couple over nighters at hotels I wanted to see if anyone has any new or creative suggestions that haven't been mentioned here. With all the advancement in technology I would think some new things have hit the market.

As mentioned, hotel parking lots during a car show weekend are easy pickings for a thief. Not having an enclosed trailer has me searching for other theft prevention measures. I know I will be downloading the GPS app on my kids itouch and stashing it in the car to track it... But that is for after the fact. Detergent and theft prevention are my goal.

[R32Jordie]

[IMPALA MAN]

I do like Tonys idea of a air train horn to the alarm......as long as it's not one of those overly sensitive ones! Pull a couple wires. Removeable wheel and lock it. And the relay operated starter is the best for the semi professional thief is the bomb! Good ones guys!
Does the iPhone have an app for that if you leave the phone in the car as a tracking device?

Sometimes simpler is better and the thief doesn't expect it. My vehicle was stolen in college and the one I got to replace it, was outfitted with my new design of cheap car alarm.
1. Tap into a hot wire that is live when the vehicle is started (acc., radio, etc)
2. Wire it to a toggle switch in a hidden location of your choice (under a seat, etc.)
3. From the toggle switch run a wire to a separate horn that sounds just like the car horn in a rear quarter or some place no one would look.

Anytime you shut the car off, flip the toggle switch on. The next time the car starts, the horn will stay on until the switch is flipped. This means the thief is left with two choices (even if the car is hot wired):
1. Start the car and start looking for the switch. Find the switch...probably not. He could also cut the horn wire...however he will soon find out cutting the wire didn't kill the horn as there is another horn somewhere. at this point he will most likely give up and flee.
2. Steal the car without starting it, which could happen.

Don't get me wrong, it's probably not what you will find at Ft. Knox, however it's also under $25.

[R32Jordie]

Sometimes simpler is better and the thief doesn't expect it. My vehicle was stolen in college and the one I got to replace it, was outfitted with my new design of cheap car alarm.
1. Tap into a hot wire that is live when the vehicle is started (acc., radio, etc)
2. Wire it to a toggle switch in a hidden location of your choice (under a seat, etc.)
3. From the toggle switch run a wire to a separate horn that sounds just like the car horn in a rear quarter or some place no one would look.

Anytime you shut the car off, flip the toggle switch on. The next time the car starts, the horn will stay on until the switch is flipped. This means the thief is left with two choices (even if the car is hot wired):
1. Start the car and start looking for the switch. Find the switch...probably not. He could also cut the horn wire...however he will soon find out cutting the wire didn't kill the horn as there is another horn somewhere. at this point he will most likely give up and flee.
2. Steal the car without starting it, which could happen.

Don't get me wrong, it's probably not what you will find at Ft. Knox, however it's also under $25.

All kidding aside. My friend wired the fuel pump to the rear defrost switch (didnt use the defrost ever) in his car. Everything looked factory, you just had to hit the switch before starting it. But Impala man said, there is still the possibility of stealing the car without starting it, in which case you should install a GPS system hidden somewhere (behing interior panels) so the vehicle can be tracked and located from a computer if the unthinkable happens.

[shizzy]

If the car is up on a trailer, don't forget about disabling / securing the tow vehicle.

[minendrews68]

I believe if I was really worried, I would sleep in the car, armed of course...

[71RS/SS396]

I just make sure there's enough insurance on it to replace it and don't worry about it.

[zombiekiller]

this is how:


yes that is seriously my dog.

in all seriousness, i have some hidden switches to disable various functions, an alarm with a two way remote (and a remote backup battery), and a hidden line lock.

GPS trackers are fine and dandy, until your car gets tossed in a container.

I end up paying more to stay in nicer hotels. the funny part is, 9 out of 10 times, at those nicer hotels, the valets "get it" when i tell them that i dont let anyone else drive the car and I need to park it. They also would usually have a muscle car parked near the door instead of a porsche or escalade.

[bret]

I've been driving "unusual" cars all over the country since 1978...and actually had one stolen in 2005 in Georgia. Other than that experience, I've never experienced as much as a door ding. The red 67 Camaro that got gone in Georgia was the work of professionals...they would have gotten that car if I'd have been sleeping in the back seat.

My precautions are simple:

1. Insure the car for stated value. Grundy, Hagerty, and several others do this cheap.
2. A car cover not only discourages vandals and keeps hail damage to a minimum, the extra layer of disguise can make theives move on to a more convenient target.

I am not a fan of car alarms at all, nor will I allow the criminals to "win" by imposing layers of inconvenience on my part. At the end of the day...its just a car, and it exists solely for my enjoyment. I refuse to live in fear of it disappearing. If it does disappear, the insurance money will fund building or buying a better one!

[vette427-sbc]

I just installed a simple Viper alarm in my car with the smart start system. Works like a normal alarm with the door triggers, glass break, tilt and shock sensors, but instead of relying on being able to hear the alarm go off when someone tries to take it, it sends a signal to my phone. Unlimited range, GPS tracking and you can pull status updates from it whenever you want. I think its pretty "steal proof" but like its been said before, if someone wants it, and they know what they are doing, they will get it. As for the GPS, you have at least a minute or two to get a location on the car before it gets into a container, so the GPS is still somewhat worth it IMO

[Richio1]

Thanks for the input guys. I agree with most points... I just wouldn't let my big ass dog sleep in my car -LOL.

Living in the Bay Area the Port of Oakland is about 30 minutes from anywhere. Its one of the busiest ports in the country. Just like in the movies, the thieves could hit the hotels around Pleasanton during a big GoodGuys show, grab a few cars and have them in containers before you can get the cops to respond.

Brett you are right. As long as its insured, you're good. My car isn't a super rare model but it is insured through Hagerty for a stated value which would get most of my money back. I just dont want to have gone through 3.5 years of ups & downs building "MY" car the way I want it just to have some jack@$$ rip it off. I am a big fan of keeping what's mine and protecting it.

The GoodGuys events are the biggest shows by far out here in the Bay Area. I haven't read or heard of any issues in the past ... but its better to be safe than sorry.

[mikedc]

I've always thought a tilt sensor (that notifies you remotely) is very a good idea.


The pros with flatbeds are the ones you really cannot stop with anything. You can have locked wheels, removed steering wheel, kill switches . . . and a real pro will just drag the tires up onto a flatbed and haul it off anyway. A tilt sensor should warn you about this.

I would not expect there to be much chance of false alarms with one of those things, just disable it when you are driving the car yourself. I would expect that you'd also get the warning from a tilt sensor a few precious seconds earlier than the GPS indication of the car having been moved.

[RIF RAF]

I'm not sure how difficult it would be but what about installing 1 or 2 small cameras...like a high res cell phone camera that take video 24/7 when you turn them on and have remote link through wifi (most hotels have that) to an online data base for you're viewing and storage...that way if the car does get stolen...you have video evidence of the theif. Or get lucky and catch them in the process.