Anti Theft - The Club

Guys and Gals,

Does anyone out there use a Club on their steering wheel? I am getting my IM in about a week and was wondering what you speedster owners do when you park your car. Do you put any type of theft protection on your steering wheels or a brake/wheel combo? I really do not want to put an alarm on my speedster, but was considering a club on the wheel as a deterrent. I think putting the top up and down to secure the car might be a hassle for running around town.

I realize if someone really wants to steal something they will. I just want to deter them a little. What do you guys do or recommend.

Thanks,

Oz

Oz
The Club can be snapped after a shot of Freon and the swing of a hammer......

A steering wheel can be cut to release a Club in about 6-8 good strokes with a premium hack saw blade and a simple twist motion. (Don't ask how I might know this)

Best to use two different battery disconnects that can't be reached to jump them out...however, if someone wants to steal your speedster badly enough, it's a piece of cake to hot wire and you're off
__________________________________________________________________

Disclainmer:

To all...."If you are less than honest: don't continue to read this post:)

Older pre '67 VW's (key in the dash not on column) can be jumped in twenty seconds or less by pulling the positive spade connection off the rear tail light,looping it around and slipping it onto the spare 12v positive tab on the coil. Then , by pulling out the light switch to the park light position you now have 12v to the coil DUH ......and simple push and pop the clutch and you're off (Again - Don't ask how I might know this!

My favorite trick when parking it for an extended time is to remove the rotor from the distributor and take it with me. For shorter times, I have a disconnect between the battery and the ignition switch. I realize that neither is foolproof, but they prevent "easy" theft.

-mike

Mike; that's exactly what I do. Since taking it out is so easy; you just put the distributor cap on again and is very difficult for a casual thief to tell.

I think removing the tires, like you have done, is very effective.
-=theron

locking shifter will slow them down, fuel shut off, batt, relay or manual disconnect.
on the older models all you have to do is pull out the rotating contact behind
the "lock cylinder" and twist.
but i would feel much safer leaving this car out for a while over an acura or maxima.

All those are good ways to prevent a joy rider from taking your car, but if a pro really wants it, he'll get it. I haven't heard of too many of these being stolen. I think most of the car thefts are carjacking by city kids who need to get across town and don't want to use public transportation or semi pros who take them to a chop shop.
ed

I think something like a pedal (clutch or brake) securing device would work better than the club. Also, Smith & Wesson seems to have some nice security options too.

cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3204&item=5545377078&rd=1

cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7942282624&category=33720&sspagename=WDVW

cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=30&item=5944570458&rd=1

Justin, I understand what you mean by the S&W method, but it should be employed (deadly force) as a last resort, such as to prevent a car jacking where you and yours are at grave risk. The legal fee tally for defending yourself even for a justifiable shoot can be horrendous. It might be better to spend the money for a replacement than for enormous legal fees. JMHO
John H

John H,

Exactly! This thread has come up every so often and as long as I've been lurking here, I have never heard of either a Spyder or Speedster being stolen. One, it is so visible that someone would be spotted in a heartbeat and the second is that very few youngsters can drive a manual tranny these days. I use my battery disconnect whenever I leave it in public, more for my own peace of mind than a theft deterant! I don't think these are very high on the totum pole of stoledn cars. Just relax, that's what we carry insurance for!

Bruce

ALso too easy to follow the oil drip trail!

Guys, the Smith & Wesson options sound tempting sometimes, let me tell you. Still, though, ask Bernhard Goetz (aka "the Subway Vigilante"); he was on an interview last week on CNN (I think) and he never thought he would get 8 or 9 months in the slammer for carrying his gun illegally when he was just trying to defend himself from being mugged by 4 thugs with criminal records....I don't know but sometimes makes you wish Harry Callahan were part of the Judicial system......

Thanks Guys, I will take all under consideration. I may just go with a Club, and battery disconnect. I am just trying to slow the thief down, I know I will never be able to really stop someone who wants to take it badly enough.

Thanks, and Happy Holidays.

Oz

East Coast Bruce,

Yeah, I forgot about the tell tale oil trail.

Did you get the off line e mail on toy trains I sent you? Let me know and if you didn't, I'll resend.

WC Bruce

I had a car once that had an ignition kill switch on it. It was wired to the coil and if you tried to start the car without the switch it would just crank and crank and crank.

But Bruces east and west, I don't have an oil trail, really! What's a poor fellow to do?

John,

When you bring it to Knotts I'll bring my trusty ice pick and put a hole in your oil filter. Then you'll be a member of the oil gushers club!

Merry Christmas to all and let the sun shine on your highways!

WC Bruce

Fastest "Anti -Go " device ..in a pinch you can pull the coil wire from the cap drop in a pebble and reinstall the coil wire.

Has anyone in this group ever had a Speedster stolen?

gps tracking devices, are they any good? I belive they are not,
What do you think guys?

Johnny2bolts,

That's what happens when you build a Subytub, no oil drips!

West Coast Bruce,

I didn't receive your email. And I've been remiss, started one to you a few days ago and never finished it, will try to send it tonight.

Two good anti-theft devices: a fuel cut-off switch (if you have an electric fuel pump, and a Gene Berg shifer with a lock-in-reverse. When ever I parked my (now long gone) 84IM I put on my 'club', switched off the fuel and locked the shifter in reverese. I lost count the number of times I drove off without switching the electric fuel pump back on.....after three or four blocks....sputter, sputter.
Ron

West Coast,

I received your email.

Ron, have you got your car running yet, or are you still using the "no driveshaft" anti-theft device?

Ron

Frequently use a Club just to keep the young joyriding punks away. It's only a visual deterent. Locked one on my wife's Mustang one day, only to discover she had changed key rings and forgot - guess what! it took the AAA Locksmith about 20 seconds with a hardened bit and a battery operated drill motor to cleanly remove the vaunted Club. He even knew the exact size drill the key shaft required.
Just visual.

The best security device is to get yourself "The Trunk Monkey" (not related to Theron's Beef Monkey!):

www.hotrodsandclassics.com/FunnyVideos/openingtrunkmonkey5.htm

www.hotrodsandclassics.com/FunnyVideos/openingtrunkmonkey.htm

Sign me up for a trunk monkey security system. Very effective and disposes of the body. No, messy court case or vehicle retrieval problems.

Funny stuff!

Man, that trunk monkey is the sh*t!!!....

Oz,

A battery disconnect and a brake mounted club should do the trick! Much harder to cut the steel vs steering wheel.

A large EMPTY S & W holster in plain view should also do the trick! Keep them guessing...

Best of Luck - M

Thanks Mel.

I should be getting my IM in the next two days. Its on the transport and should be here anyday. I wanted to just get something that may slow down a would be joy rider. I think a club and the battery cutoff should do the trick.

Thanks,

Oz

long time listener, first time poster hoping he won't get his butt kicked :)

Abregov;
your car already comes with a battery kill switch, unless you want to add a second one???
Also the brake pedal club is a nice idea, but make shure you hit metal for both ends of it, but better on the clutch pedal :)

Also think of getting something like flashing LED that you can hide under the dash VIA a small mount, better for night time but if mounted above the handbrake handle.. you'll be able to still see it :)..
something like:
cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=14934&item=5740038547
they are bright, and can be pretty effective and you don't need an alarm for it to work just constant power, switchpower and ground :)

thanks for your time :)

I'm also a newbie. About a week ago I asked if anyone in this group has ever had a Speedster stolen. No one answered so, let me rephrase: has anyone here ever heard of a Speedster being stolen. It just doesn't seem like the kind of car that thieves would target - even for a "joyride" - too easy to spot.

Kevin and Felix: Welcome Newbies!

Have no fear - I think the "Butt Kickin'" days may be over on here (at least I hope!)

I think the idea of a prominent blinking LED somewhere in the cockpit that goes out with the ignition "on" would be sweet - and probably a good deterrent,too. The only people I would worry about taking my car would be joy-riders who would abandon it after a few minutes (like the garage attendants in "Ferris Beuler's Day Off"). Just the same, I have a difficult-to-overcome kill switch, which includes the infamous left rear tail light (thanks to Alan Merklin's suggestion), as well as my fuel pump and the entire engine bay (yes, the alternator feed, too). The blinking LED is simple, cheap and an easy install - that may be next.

I have never heard of a Speedster replica stolen, at least on this forum. Many of these cars are one-offs, like mine, and are SO conspicuous in their individuality, how could anyone ever drive one in public and NOT get noticed?? The biggest fear, I believe, is leaving it somewhere with the top down and a partial tonneau cover. You never feel as though anything left in the car is safe unless it's covered up or in the trunk or something - I guess that's human nature and the times.
I'm now living in a place where there are some 20,000 US Marines, either active or retired, and I'm told the crime rate here is very low (Wonder why? Maybe 'cause all those guys and gals are allowed to keep their 45's??), but I'm sure I would feel differently in other parts of the country.

The hardest part is investing, maybe, years in building your baby and then never feeling that's it's safe when parked ANYWHERE. It's a harsh world out there!!

Gordon
One of the "Speedstah Guys" in Beaufort

Kevin and Felix, welcome.

Kevin great idea about the blinking lite. I like it, I will check it out.

I am really not worried about someone stealing the car, as much as someone looking at it and deciding they may want to jump in and sit in it, when it is unattended and if bold enough taking it for a spin around the block.

Just trying to put some visual road blocks in place, so someone may think twice.

Thanks,

Oz

In addition to the above anti-theft items, I used a good quality Car Alarm with all the modes, including "reach in" and a pager.

My experience with problems owning a Speedster came from onlookers, people actually sitting in the car, items ripped that were laying in door pockets, Tweeks valve stem caps stolen, a shift knob, a script stolen,..... until I installed a perimeter, reach in, etc alarm. That was the fix for the rip offs I experienced. I never lost another item, knob, cap, script, etc again, and I did not walk up to find people leaning in, or in the one case, actually sitting in it posing for a picture.... the alarm was worth every penny & will go in my IM.

My 1.5 Cents.
Jim

Jim,

What brand alarm with reach-in did you have on your old VS? This really sounds like what I want, something to prevent small theft of items in the car while the top is down and people getting close enough to scratch the car. I realize you are never going to stop someone from taking it if they really want to.

Thanks,

Oz

Jim ....what a great "Cheby truck !" Does it have those neat rear cab wrap a round windows?

Oz,

I love your Speedy, and am ready for details!!!!!!!

My alarm is old tech by now... I pulled it after some fuse block crud from those cheap fuse blocks on the older VS's (I hope Kirk corrected the glitch). I replaced the blocks but did not wire in the alarm. I was waiting until I was sure that my fuse block worries were over.

But, it is a Cobra unit with reach in, proximity alerts and resets, touch alert, and a full blown wail with more than a nudge or a reach in. Two remotes with chirp/buzz pagers. It also has a 9V backup and auto reset...... most of the time I used the reach in. But also the proximity sensitivity was cranked up when I would park it in a more open space.

I plan on installing it, or a new unit, in the IM for sure.

Jim

Alan, it has those Deluxe Corner windows... all new glass all 5 windows and windshield. Everything on this baby is plated, coated, new bolts, screws, rebuilt, you name it.

For an Old Speed Retro lover the Stovebolt 6 is a gas! I bead blasted an old Fenton 2 x 1 Set Up, along with a set of Fenton Headers that are 3-1, 3-1 Duals, some trick Jimmy parts, custom cam, full oiling set up, Mallory Dual Point, yada. The Carbs are covered by one long single custom filter, made for the old 2x1 set ups, but opened for the 2x2s I have on it (adaptors). Pulled all the enclosed drive and set up a nice 12 Bolt rear on Mono-leaf rears with air bags to adjust ride height. The front is dropped now with a Stang II set up. Wheels now are widened original look in body matched paint. Wheels from Stocktons with original caps. Big Radiator, all of the good stuff, done right!

Outwardly and in the interior this is a bone stock retro 54. I did add an Old Air set up that comes through the original dash grills, and radio/amp hidden behind the seat. Every thing, and I mean, every thing is done. My brother in law and I spent a good part of the early 90s on this baby. I learned paint and body doing it (that's his biz). Too bad I am not allowed to do it after the transplant.

Anyway, this is a sweet truck... my dogs love it too. I always take them to Sonic in it.