Hi everyone.
Just curious to see if anyone has a good way to lock the engine lid on a VMC speedster. There's the engine lid release cable/knob that's by the driver's side door, but it doesn't lock in anyway to prevent it from being pulled by someone trying to get access to the engine bay.
Is there a locking cable release knob out there?
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I did this simple universal $7 key lock , looks like it belongs there . 
The Porsche 914 (912/911 too) had a keyed locking Frunk cable mechanism that probably could be adapted. $95 on ebay used.
An easier way would be to adapt an electric solenoid from a door lock kit. There are after-market kits available.
Or, I guess, unscrew the knob?
Thanks Alan, that really looks good. Was it difficult to install and does it fully latch the hood down tight if the cable release was pulled?
I deleted the cable, easy to install I did fabricate a longer piece the rotates to capture the slot I made under the deck lid.
My '65 VW convertible had a locking knob for the frunk. I wonder if it would be possible to adapt that.
The engine lid cable it a pull type, so we'd have to find a way to prevent the knob from being pulled. I think a twist type would easier to lock down with a key.
I don't know why you really need to lock the engine compartment. It's not like anything in there is really "wanted" by people of today.
If it's for theft, if they want your car they're gonna take it in 60 seconds.
Unless you keep it in a locked garage like most of us.
It's a replica. Relax.
I can recall two different times carbs have been clipped from a Speedster, one time it was on a car carrier.
@Alan Merklin posted:I can recall two different times carbs have been clipped from a Speedster, one time it was on a car carrier.
Not in 100 years, would I consider carbs that work on nothing but a car that nobody has and hasn't been made in 50 years to be a theft risk.
You do you. I'm with Danny.
@Stan Galat posted:Not in 100 years, would I consider carbs that work on nothing but a car that nobody has and hasn't been made in 50 years to be a theft risk.
You do you. I'm with Danny.
It's not events made up out of thin air, Tom Bucannon had it happen and another VW guy I know.....
Unfortunately, these days people will steal anything they can get their hands on, and try to flog it somewhere to someone.
There are a lot of desperate people out there, so if you feel the need for more security on your car, go right ahead.
Quite a few Hot Rods are running 4 Webers. Hot Rod Lee, in my town, is running 4 Italian Webers in his 32 Highboy. There are enough of them out there that one of the ladies at "Riley's Rebuilds" is now rebuilding them.
They have the same problems with Asian knock-offs as we do. Here's a thread on Knock-offs on the Hokey-Assed Message Board:
Even if 50 pair of carburetors have been stolen over the years the chance of it happening are infinitesimal in comparison to the pain it'll be to install engine cover locks and etc.
Just a sticker is required in FL as over 2 MILLION residents have concealed weapons permits. An ounce (or 230 grams) of protection can be a great deterrent. I still avoid South FL though!
@Robert M posted:Even if 50 pair of carburetors have been stolen over the years the chance of it happening are infinitesimal in comparison to the pain it'll be to install engine cover locks and etc.
@Alan Merklin - in no way did I want to infer you were making anything up. My point was the same as Robert's. It's possible that I'll step into the street and get run over by a bus as well, but I'll still go out today.
@WOLFGANG posted:I still avoid South FL though!
And it's a good thing you do! I live in South FL and I know how to snatch a set of carbs in nothing flat. 
Come to think of it, this could be a retirement opportunity for me. Our 'home' is only 4 properties north of Porsche Design tower. The oligarchs who pay gazillions for the status of a "Porsche" apartment could surely be enticed to part with a few rubles for authentic Porsche carbs for tabletop decorations. Don't ya think?
I installed wheel locks on my Corrado a long, long time ago. When the key broke because some azz-hat at a tire shop used the IMPACT GUN ON THE KEY, it was a ROYAL PAIN to get the locks off without a key. The key(squiggly circle-like thing) snapped off as I attempted to do a winter snow tire swap. I used to always have dedicated rims and snow tires.
After that, I decided that if thieves want the wheels, they can have them. That's what insurance is for.
One of the first things I did when I bought the Cayman was to buy 4 regular lug bolts and REMOVE the stupid locks.
Your mileage may vary. I'm just gonna keep driving fast and taking chances.
@DannyP posted:Your mileage may vary. I'm just gonna keep driving fast and taking chances.
*clutches his pearls* Hooning on the public roadway!?! Perish the thought... *faints in a heap*
What about the ability to hot wire the car by hooking the license plate light wire to the solenoid and then pushing starting it? That should be another reason to lock the engine lid down if it's that easy.
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Prices seem to be plummeting on these carbs, anyway, making the impetus to knick them less.
You can now get an Asian repop for under 80 bucks (no, really, you can — here's the link).
Of course, those aren't gen-u-whine EMPI branded repops, but they sure look the same, and I'll bet they get exactly the same pre-sale cleaning, calibration, and inspection as real EMPI's.
The ones I found on Amazon are branded 'GXYWADY', which itself inspires confidence.
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@DannyP posted:After that, I decided that if thieves want the wheels, they can have them. That's what insurance is for.
One of the first things I did when I bought the Cayman was to buy 4 regular lug bolts and REMOVE the stupid locks.
To the point - I agree with the highlighted sentiment. As we've detailed at length many, many times, if a thief wants your car, he's pretty much going to take it. You can slow him down with a club on the steering wheel or some sort of cable/chain arrangement in the wheels, but at the end of the day - if he wants it, he can take it.
One can either obsess about this, and never leave the car unattended, or just use it. I'd prefer to enjoy the thing.
PS: Wheel locks are of the devil. Nobody ever has the key, and when they do - it breaks.
Been a while since I've posted, but given how comical this thread is, I can't help it...
I don't have the data, but would assume that 99.9% of the desperate people or thieves out there these days don't even know what a carburetor is. Stealing the entire car is faster and requires fewer tools, so putting a lock on the engine bay feels like a wasteful insurance policy.
I'd put more focus on kill switches and other measures to make it harder to steal the whole thing, or just don't park it in shady areas for long periods of time.
...but hey, I probably just welcomed some bad karma and my carbs will get jacked this Spring!
@Sacto Mitch posted:.
Prices seem to be plummeting on these carbs, anyway, making the impetus to knick them less.
You can now get an Asian repop for under 80 bucks (no, really, you can — here's the link).
Of course, those aren't gen-u-whine EMPI branded repops, but they sure look the same, and I'll bet they get exactly the same pre-sale cleaning, calibration, and inspection as real EMPI's.
The one's I found on Amazon are branded 'GXYWADY', which itself inspires confidence.
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There are also copies of the Solex 40p11 carbs that were stock on 356 and 912 motors.
@pkdfw posted:What about the ability to hot wire the car by hooking the license plate light wire to the solenoid and then pushing starting it? That should be another reason to lock the engine lid down if it's that easy.
The number of Speedsters stolen, at least on this web group, has been almost zero. It might even be zero but I've only been here for eight years. Hard to steal a car when anyone within eye shot of it is looking at it. Even you will be looking at it while you sip your latte and eat biscotti after you've been out driving it.
My car had two stages. The first was when I was in it driving it. And the second was when I had already driven it and I was having a meal with the guys that went driving with me and we could see the cars from where we were seated.
I too was concerned when I bought my car and everyone told me the same thing we're telling you now. I put an alarm in mine with a kill switch. I eventually removed the alarm because I didn't need it. An ignition kill switch would be a better modification that anything else.
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Thinking this over some, it's probably about a hundred times more likely that your latch will fail, locking you out of the engine bay, than it is someone will try to force their way in.
So, it would then be more helpful to make it easier to get in than harder. If you must be monkeying with something, try adding a second, hidden cable release in the wheel well for when the main cable snaps.
I've been thinking about doing this for about a decade now and will get right to it, probably about a week after my cable fails.
Another way to look at this is to appreciate that more complicated systems fail more often than simple systems, so the least invasive approach, like maybe just having a beer, could be the best way to go.
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Broadening the discussion, what type of car alarms do you guys use on your speedsters?
@RS-60 mark posted:And it's a good thing you do! I live in South FL and I know how to snatch a set of carbs in nothing flat.
Come to think of it, this could be a retirement opportunity for me. Our 'home' is only 4 properties north of Porsche Design tower. The oligarchs who pay gazillions for the status of a "Porsche" apartment could surely be enticed to part with a few rubles for authentic Porsche carbs for tabletop decorations. Don't ya think?
Is there a replica Porsche Design Tower?
Might be a less expensive place to live.
@pkdfw posted:Broadening the discussion, what type of car alarms do you guys use on your speedsters?
I used a Viper alarm that had a proximity sensor inside the car so if someone were to reach in to the interior it would go off. After having had that system installed I would not do that again. A basic alarm that goes off if the doors, front or rear trunk are opened, or if there is an attempt to tow it away would be fine. Probably 99% of the alarms sold today have ignition disablers as a feature.
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The problem of which car alarm to choose poses unique questions for these cars.
An appropriate defense must be targeted at the low intelligence of anyone who would decide to steal a car that draws so much attention to itself and would be so difficult to resell quietly or part out.
A passive approach might be best. First, it would probably be difficult for our thief to leave the scene of the crime without getting drawn into conversations by potential witnesses both there and at every subsequent stoplight. And then there are the teenage girls hanging out of passing cars, gathering photographic evidence of the perpetrator at the wheel and posting the evidence to Instagram and TikTok.
And there's the issue of activating an electrical alarm that draws down the battery on a car that tends to sit for long periods unused, further depleting what was likely a low charge to begin with.
Under the circumstances, the best alarm may be some tin cans tied to the rear axles that would clatter as the car is driven, something a slow-witted thief is not likely to notice or disarm.
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@Sacto Mitch posted:.
Under the circumstances, the best alarm may be some tin cans tied to the rear axles that would clatter as the car is driven, something a slow-witted thief is not likely to notice or disarm.
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Are you suggesting the dim-witted thief should get married, then steal a tin-can-and-string-equipped Speedster?
@pkdfw
All of these solutions are very high tech, compared to the technical vintage of the car itself, i.e. 1950’s technology. And all of them just make life more difficult for the owner, not the guy trying to steal your car (and in the 20 years that I’ve been on this forum, two cars were stolen from a lot at Vintage Speedsters and none from a private owner - None.)
First of all, how many Porsche 356 or replicas are there in your locale? If one was stolen, how long would it go un-noticed? Like a couple of hours? I’m in central Massachusetts. There are four 356s in my town and we all know each other and all of the local cops know our cars, too. One of our cars goes missing and everyone’s gonna know.
But all that’s beside the point. You really want to prevent your car from being stolen? Easy-Peasy……. Open the engine cover, pop off the distributor cap, remove the rotor, put it in your pocket, replace the cap, close the cover. That all takes less than a minute and that car ain’t going no where until you replace the rotor.
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Danny, I'm not suggesting that anyone with a Speedster get married.
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Yeah….
You want to just “live together” ?
That’s just fine, too.
@Panhandle Bob posted:Is there a replica Porsche Design Tower?
Might be a less expensive place to live.
4 properties north.
Surprisingly, I don't see a lot of Porsches pulling into Porsche Design Tower. Mostly Rolls, Bentleys, Ferraris and Lamborghinis. I did see a Pagani Huayra unloaded the other day. Don't get to see many of those. Probably a showpiece for the apartment's en suite glass walled show garage.
The same developer is getting close to ground breaking for the Bentley Tower two properties south. Same kind of thing, the elevator takes you and your car up to your en suite garage.
Simple things: Quick disconnect steering hub - main disconnect - ignition cut off - pull rotor - coil wire - fuel shut off - unhook the S hook from accelerator cable from the pedal - pedal lock - Club - Doberman & or Rottweiler - Tracker . For laughs in HS, we would pull a coil wire, put a elongated pebble in the dizzy and plug the coil wire back in ~
My best guess it that the speedsters heisted out of the Vintage Speedster building etc. were quickly put into a Port trailer / container and when far away.
Back in High School I had a very nice VW bug with all the EMPI extras installed. I had it broken into a few times and had my stereo taken. I had an engine cover lock for one reason. A short jumper wire from the generator to the coil, a push, pop the clutch and they were off with my car. I later installed a gear shift lock and eventually a club was added to the steering wheel. It was all a pain to deal with, but it never got stolen. Alarms don't work in most cases because most people pay no attention to them thinking someone pushed the wrong button again on their key fob. Today I have a motion sensor/ tracking device installed that sends me a text message if it goes off. And if it moves even a foot it will message me and start tracking on my phone. It is hard wired into the car, but has an internal battery that will hold a charge for 3 days if the battery is cut off. It is connected to a group of satellite that work 24/7. It is hidden in the cars interior and you wouldn't know it was there. If my car goes missing I know right where to show the police where it is.
@RS-60 mark posted:Surprisingly, I don't see a lot of Porsches pulling into Porsche Design Tower. Mostly Rolls, Bentleys, Ferraris and Lamborghinis. I did see a Pagani Huayra unloaded the other day. Don't get to see many of those. Probably a showpiece for the apartment's en suite glass walled show garage.
NO WAY!
I've got the SAME EXACT THING in my neighborhood! The garages in this town - you should see them!
2, sometimes 3 doors on 'em. One idiot on my street even put a 2-post lift in his*, to work on a Shriner clown-car (of all things).
As for the Huayra's and whatnot - I can't back a dump trailer into the shop drive without 2 or 3 exotics** impatiently waiting in the street, bronzed guys who look like Mitch Toll scowling while the Barbie doll in the left seat applies makeup. Sometimes, I take another bite at backing in, just to make 'em wait. Stick it to the man, ya' know?
Some guys even have GMC DENALIS!
* Oh wait... that was me
** Exotic pickup trucks: Rivians, Ram Laramies and the like
@pkdfw posted:Broadening the discussion, what type of car alarms do you guys use on your speedsters?
Just don't make it inviting.
Pull into the move theater (restaurant, shopping center, etc.). Park under a parking lot light away from everybody trying to keep from walking an extra 15 ft to the door. Snuggle up next to the pole as far as possible from the line. Put up the top. Put in the side curtains. Turn off the battery disconnect, and take out the ignition key. Lock it if the car is so enabled.
Go do your thing. When you get back, your car will be there, probably with a hand-written offer to buy it under the wiper blade, along with the business car of the VP of Marketing for some company you are only vaguely aware of.
Put the top down, take out the side curtains, turn on the battery disconnect, start the car.
Drive where ever you're going next.
