Battery cut off -not for theft but for safety?

There is almost no chance a fire will start in your car when it's parked in your garage, unless it's right after a vigorous drive.  If you're going to get an engine fire will will be while you're driving it.

When I originally owned my IM I installed a switch for the fuel pump.  When I parked the car I switched off the pump, so if someone nicked it they wouldn't get very far.  On more than one occasion I forgot to flick the switch on start-up and ran out of gas in four or five blocks.  Let me tell you, it's no fun fumbling for the hidden (under the dash) fuel pump switch while driving down the road in heavy traffic.

As a side note, when I bought my IM back from the lady I sold it to, after the big engine fire, I noticed that the ignition key was still in the 'on' position.  That's probably why the car burned for so long.  Even though the engine had stalled the fuel pump was still humming away, feeding the fire with fresh fuel.

Thanks Ron! Good info.

It's funny because you look at all this while you're building and worry about all that time and money lost because of something stupid. My dad always drilled it through my thick skull to shut the fuel off on equipment and run them dry. Naturally it took years for this to sink in but now I do it religiously. Now things start easily when you want them to etc. etc. The old man was right -who'd have thought? So soon old so late smart.

As is I've beefed up electrical per the advice on this board and will install an electric fuel pump with indicator light.

I think its a good idea - there was a red TX car on SAMBA that had a fire that started under the dash and it was totaled.  There are battery terminals with the cut off right there and Harbor Freight has cheap keyed cut-off.  Seen SCCA racers with the red plastic key on center tunnel to cut of electric (and electric fuel pump) in case of shunt while racing.