Security ideas???

Ok guys....

So I have owned my speedy now for 7 months, and have been putting in major hours and ironing out kinks and areas of neglect from the previous owner. The time has come to start addressing some kind of security measures to "lower" the possibility of theft. So far, I have a hidden kill switch under the dash that kills the fuel pump current. I plan on getting a shifter lock, and maybe even a brake line lock. I feel very insecure whenever I park my speedy and walk away from it in a public place, like anybody can steal this thing. What are some measures that you guys took to help reduce the chance of theft??

Thanks,
Mike

you could take the steering wheel and rotor with you.
that would maybe discourage a casual thief.
a professional will have it if he wants it.

In addition to your security features, I also have a manual fuel line shut-off valve inside the engine compartment. The handle is real small and well hidden low on the firewall.

I believe some here have installed Lo-Jack?

Battery shut off switch. Mine is located next to the battery in the front boot. Bright orange handled key. Pop the boot turn and remove the key and it's going nowhere unless somebody winches it onto a flatbed, which might draw some attention.

Springfield Arms V10 .45 caliber automatic and a concealed carry permit just in case you catch them in the act of stealing it. If prevention doesn't work, there is your cure.

Yes to lojack But a super mini battery with a larger Copy cat battery cover over it that looks like a ordenary battery gives you a nice place to hide a lojack or a plugged in cell phone that can track it. also

Who's gonna look inside a sealed battery?

Oh and this was my Idea i have dibs on it

Mike,

I had to leave the spyder at the Sacramento airport for two days while I flew back east for an emergency business trip. We have a removable wheel. I took it off, put it in my luggage. I ran a heavy bicycle cable through a front wheel and suspension. I left both ignition switches in the manually off position. Fuel pump in the off position, pulled the fuel pump fuse and replaced it with a dummy fuse.

But the most important thing that I did was insure the hell out of the car. No matter how careful, how thorough, if someone genuinely wants the car, they'll flatbed it out if they have to. Most people won't bother. Insurance is for the ones who will.

angela

Put a NRA sticker on your windshield, buy a cheap old gun holster and leave it empty (un-snapped) on the passenger-seat on top of some silhouette targets (with a couple of bullet holes in the head of the silhouette) and a few empty 9mm casings in plain view.

Best visual and audio security.

Cover it with drool....

Go to ebay and buy a "WASP" car alarm. It's made by Directed Electronics who also makes the mega-buck alarms thae the Lambo owners use. Simple to install, simple to operate and costs about $50.

I like mine a lot.

Wow !!Thats a big pooche. I also like DEI products i have their fleet window kits on My Elcamino. But I need a New keylees unit i fried the old one a few years back replacing a bad brake boaster.

Just one stray wire and Poof.

When VW beetles were popular and thousands of them were on the road, the most popular way of stealing the car was to take the license plate light 12 volt supply wire, attach it to the 12V positive side of the coil, turn on the parking lights and push start the car.

Larry, thanks for letting everyone know how to steal our cars.

trust me, they already know

Mustangs were equally as easy to steal, everything was pretty right there beside each other; battery, distributor, coil, starter solenoid. Run a wire from positive battery to positive coil, trip the solenoid on the fender well, and Yahtzee.

All of the folks with VWs who installed one of those helper solenoids (a Ford solenoid) on the firewall made things even easier, no push start required.

We always just used a ball of aluminum foil smashed against the back of the key switch. Squash it against it and wiggle it around until something happened. Easy Peasy.

This is the reason I don't drive a $180K Real Porsche Speedster....that and I don't have the 180K for a car right now.On our honeymoon my wife and I drove up the Hwy 1 to Carmel in my 1967 conv. Mustang, in Santa Barbara I woke up to find all 4 of my original spinner wire hubcaps stolen along with the rightside taillight lens. Form then on I vowed not to drive a rolling parts vehicle for some motherless son of a red-eyed fornicating Llama molester!

So, when is the last time anyone of us has had a Speedster or a Spyder stolen? In all the years I have owned these, worked on them, been involved, the only theft I am aware of at all were the several stolen from the Duncans, out of their shop....were those ever recovered? But my point is those on the road may get hit, may blow up the engine, may catch on fire, may run into a telephone pole, but they don't get stolen....you are worrying about the wrong thing...I'm just suggesting a Halon fire system and 4 or 5 way seat belts are a better things to consider...I'm just sayin'

Larry, I heisted the Principal's bug 7 times in my senior year ( pk. light to coil +) always parking it on the front lawn of the school while he was at lunch.
My "best" was grabbing it minutes before my graduation commencement, as we strolled down onto the football field there it was front and center at the podium...

It was a lot easier to run the number plate light wire to the coil, right there in front of you when you lifted the deck lid and a nice long wire to boot.

I'm more concerned with random vandalism than outright theft.

Damned, I thought all were members of the NRA. I prefer Jim's idea. It will work! In addition add a few .223's, 40 S&W and a small casket style box with a little blood on it.

Alan, you're lucky you didn't get suspended from H.S. for "borrowing" the Principal's VW. During the last week before graduation, I nearly got suspended because I jumped up on a table in Auto Shop to untangle an overhead air hose which was on a retractable reel. When I jumped down, I had the air hose in my hand and the Vice Principal was walking by and thought I was doing my best ever Tarzan imitation.

BTW, I had several teachers with VW's and one with a 356 who let me work on their cars in Auto shop. When I graduated from H.S. in 1965 I even had one teacher bring his car to my home for some repairs.

Insure it for more than it's worth!

Sometime in the 80s, General Motors famously included the first car alarm on Corvettes as "standard equipment". How to steal the Corvette? Get a battery operated drill motor and a very long 1/2 drill. X inches back from wheel centerline, Y inches up from ground drill a hole right thru the side of the car and the battery. Battery fluid drains out, no alarm. Everybody in Detroit seemed to know about this trick.

They now make an aftermarket stainless battery surround panel to "help" with that issue.

Thanks guys...and Angela. for your suggestions....and stories. Much appreciated.

Mike

I have a hidden power interupt inside the tunnel that cuts ALL power except radio memory and the security system . YOU can't get to any of it..

When I pull up the handbrake and spin it's combination handlelock I'd say thats got it.

The intire back half of the car is dead even the lights and alternator and much of the rear harness is inside steel conduit.

Making it a touch car to hotwire. Unless you bring your own battery. and a hacksaw. Even then they would have problems on this car. at least a hour or two..

I tried to make it tough..


If they were to try soap up the tires and load it on a rollback. they might get it.

But its so low.. something is going to hang it up and break some serious fiberglass.. It will cost time and trouble I made sure of it.

Mike -
I bought my speedy, with an alarm system already installed. Its got the key activated buttons, etc. If you open any door - - - Alarm.
If you shake the car - -Alarm
Can't start it, without using the button on the keypad. Someone is
always touching it, when I park it, so I don't even use the damn thing anymore. Its there - - - but not used too much. I end up setting off the alarm more than anyone.
Simi Mike

If you want to install a battery switch but don't want to lose radio settings, etc., you can install a small fuse between terminals on the switch. It will pass enough current to keep the radio happy but will blow if someone is up to no good.

I think I got mine from Speedway Motors.

Some years ago i encountered a high-end Cobra replica sitting open and unattended at the Palm Springs Vintage Races. I stuck my head into the open cockpit for a better view and was greeted by an assertive male voice,

"Hello, this car is protected by a Viper car alarm. You have five seconds to stand back or an alarm will be set off".

I don't know if the alarm would be fully effective theft deterent (i assume it had other lockout features), but I thought it was pretty cool for an open car at a public event.