security measures

what do owners do to safeguaed their cars.
is there a gizmo that might attach to clutch pedal and shifter to keep it in gear. or what.

You could fabricate from the cluth pedal & brake to seat anchor add in a hidden main battery cut off switch,locking shifter, fuel pump shut off, I've seen a simple clamp the restricts the carb linkage cable movement. Then there is the car alarm that everyone ignores when going off. If they want it they will steal they will... these are just items to slow the thief down.

Bumper sticker "THIS CAR PROTECTED BY SMITH AND WESSON" and "JOIN THE NRA" or "ARMY - STRONG" Last one is free at your local Army recruiters - HOOO-AH! Friend had a white Monte Carlo SS stolen from local enclosed Metro station - recovered and lock wasn't busted - just some black rubber marks on the bumper so they must hav used tow truck. Removeable steering wheel is pretty effective too.

We have a removable steering wheel on the spyder. Simple, but reasonably effective.

I once left the spyder at the Sacramento Airport for three days on a short business trip. I removed the steering wheel, shut the fuel pump down and ran the engine until it quit (no fuel in bowls). Shut the fuel pump down and then put a dummy fuse in the fuseholder. Disconnected the CDI box. Put a bicycle cable thru the Fuchs wheel around the suspension and locked it.

If you really really wanted to, you could steal the spyder. But you were definately going to have to work very hard to accomplish the task.

angela

I have a battery disconnect that's almost impossible to reach from outside the car, a keyed ignition and an in-line power switch for the MSD components in the dash.
It's probably easier to start than a helicopter, but I'd hate to try to figure it out cold.
Also, most of my wiring and the fuse block are hidden above the sheet metal behind the dash, making it impossible to jump the car using the hotwire method.
I've heard of a transmission lock, which is probably very little more than a padlock on the shift linkage in a VW. If that's visible on top of the tunnel, it should make it at least a deterrent to honest folks.

Thanks Cory for all the top secret Hoopty "security measure" you have now shared :)

Oh yeah -- and my greatest security asset of all? It's heavily insured. If someone needs it worse than I do, Carey and the 550S are waiting in the wings.
:)

I leave several empty shell casings and a silhouette target with the eyes shot out laying on the passenger seat!

I've removed the center coil wire when I had to leave my car outside overnight.

Good idea but you can pull a plug wire stick in the coil and go on three cylinders...A cheap "green" method is stick a pebble in the coil and replace the coil wire ...Also great if you want to drive a friend nuts trying to figure why his ride won't fire:)

Alan,

That's downright evil. Also sounds effective, and simple. But here is a question: How many of these cars have been stolen, or had an attempt? Anybody know of one? And how does a kill switch work anyway? I have one, and assume that if I take that key w/ me, the car is unstartable, no matter what. Unless the would-be thief also has a key w/ him. Are the keys all the same?

I've yet to hear of a speedster being stolen, kinda hard to keep in hidden with all of our roving eyes as they stand out a bit :)
Keys, there are many variations also there are different keyed ignition switches utilized so that would also increase the variety of keys.

i was thinking more of a tow guy with a flat bed winching it on, id at least want it in reverse and him unable to shift it to neutral.

A vehicle in gear does't keep it from being winched, I have a winch on my wedge trailer and can drag a 7.5k dually with all wheels locked onto the trailer.

Alan,

You're doing repo's now? :>)

Funny ! On rare occasions I get to yank a dead one out of a barn or garage that has all wheels locked up kind fun as once a release is signed I get to drag it and Git er' done.

I can just see Alan getting home from a long day's work of hauling cars all over the Eastern Seaboard, and what does he want to watch on TV?

REPO MAN!!!!

Cory: I bet that, even before hearing about your "security measures" on the Hoopty, Alan could have hot wired it in well under a minute, and most of that time would have been getting the rear cowl to swing up......

Really....a battery right next to the ignition?? What would you need to jump that, a 12" wire with alligator clips?

I really like the idea of a fake fuse in the (electric) fuel pump circuit and draining the fuel bowls, but nothing is going to stop a halfway knowlegeable thief from bagging your ride. Anybody who's sharp and seen a VW engine could figure out how to run a wire from the charging side of the alternator (or the big wire on a generator) or even from the left tail light wire to the coil and push it to get it running and bug out (pardon the pun).

Whatever happened to those "Kryptonite Clubs" that attached between the brake or clutch pedal and the steering wheel? They still could be cut, but they were hardened and cutting would take a while unless you had a handy cut-off grinder in your pocket.

Again, to Angela's post, I rode a bike to college in Boston for 4 years and never had it stolen. Always left it chained to a utility pole and always took the front wheel with me to class. Hard for a thief to ride a bike with one wheel, and hard to drive a car with no steering wheel.

Kryptonite Clubs...a can of Freon well now it's R-34 and a hammer, they snap easily ....next?

I got to lean over the shoulder of a guy that was proficient in keying replacement coded chip keys, said parts are available over the counter at Radio Shack to duplicate his $2,400 magic box for a $45.00.

I bought my VS a month ago in Monroe, LA with 700 miles on it---the original owner had an expensive "Viper" security system installed. $1,000-$1,500 with installation (maybe less). It seems very sophisticated---when set, the closer someone gets to the car, the louder a warning beeper sounds. If the car is touched or if a hand goes into the car the alarm goes off. There is a vibrate deal in keyholder that will tell when the alarm goes off---of if just the beeper does. It will work up to 2 blocks away. Personally I would never have spent such $$ on this system but I'm glad the original owner did.

Anyone else have a Viper system?

I do try to always park where I can see it though. It limits where we can take it to dinner some but that's ok.

---Jack

wrt parking it in sight, this really has little to do w/ security. Rather, there is a great deal of fun to be had watching folks watch your car. My first ever exposure to this was during a ride in the Hoopty, where we stopped for some refreshments, and through the plate glass window of the pub watched a lady who could have been Cory's mother, and her entourage pose for pictures up against the Hoopty. They were all over that car, and looked as if they would climb inside at the next moment.

... And then you had to go and wreck my scheme with a shiny new red car. People walk right past mine now, like it was a Pinto.
Been meaning to thank you for that.

Well, that's bullfeathers, and you know it.

You beat me to it Kelly. We all remember the crowd it attracted at Carlisle. The rest of us COULD have been driving Pintos. Heck, Chuck Beck designed my car, but who's did he look over carefully? Uh huh, I KNOW dat's right!

It's funny, but it's also back to the topic at hand.
Kelly has an alarm system with a switch so well hidden that even HE, with written directions, can't find it.
We had stopped at a Sheetz petrol stop on our way up to see the lads in Chambersburg the other day, my car all primered up and knackered, and Kelly's ride gleaming under 84 coats of beautifully buffed wax with water afraid to stick to it when, all of a sudden and for no apparent reason, his alarm starts to go off.
I'm putting it together now. The installed security system has a remote fob, conveniently located in Kelly's pocket. I'll postulate that a person was approaching the sloppy jalopy with the intention of looking inside when, as a diversion, Kelly mashed the button and his car attracted the passing magpie's focus.
Hmmm. ... Very clever, my good Dr. Frazer. Very clever, indeed. ...


Lane, as for the close inspection by Doktor Beck, I think that was more of a spy mission. He was interested -- REALLY interested -- in the steering setup. The rest of it was just running water. I'm secure in my knowledge that the Hoopty corners better than the 904. (Which will be great when we square off in a drift contest; otherwise, I'm meat to him. Stupid mid-mounted 911 engines. He probably stole that idea from Angela. Heh, heh.)