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When I have the car out it never leaves my sight, I always put on "the club" and it has a LoJack System.

 

Y'know, when mine was only an ocassional-driver, I worried non-stop too. But when I brought it back into daily duty, all that stopped. I might feel differently if I lived in Chicago! But around here (Round Rock is just north of Austin), I don't even bother to roll up my windows in a parking lot. I'm a bit more cautious when I have a meeting downtown Austin; but I still only roll 'em up and lock the doors.

I'm somehow put at ease when I take it in for its annual state inspection... The kids at the Jiffy Lube don't know to look for the dimmer switch on the floor or the ignition on the dash!

 

Pulling the coil-to-distributor wire is pretty effective - this will be my "anti-theft" system when mine is back on the road.

 

For `67/68s this hood lock work great .Plus if you get one of whisperers lockable auto shifter handles at http://www.vintage-automotive.com a thief will have to tow your car away.

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You know, I don't do much of anything. This may sound bad, but I figure it's insured and it's actually worth less than my other late model cars. If I'm parking it somewhere where I can't see it, I will sometimes pull the ignition coil out, but that's about it. My car isn't as nice as many here, and I don't yet have a lot of my own work into it, so I don't probably feel the emotional attachment that many do. I'm sure I will if I ever get a chance to do what I want with it, and then I'll likely take more actions to secure it.

 

The kids at the Jiffy Lube don't know to look for the dimmer switch on the floor or the ignition on the dash!

They do NOW! ::

Pulling the coil-to-distributor wire is pretty effective

Except that's it's easy to spot, and "the bad guys" won't mind stealing a plug wire to replace it, and running on 7 cylinders. ::

You gotta think like the bad guys. A simple 36" piece of wire and a screwdriver would steal 90% of the cars out there. Starter & ignition cutouts don't work when that happens...

The best "insurance" is good insurance. You won't stop a pro (esp with a rollback), but there are a LOT of little tricks that can be done to slow an amateur:
Fuel cutouts are a good thing.
Hood locks are great.
Battery & cutoff in trunk work pretty well.
Take the dizzy rotor out is harder to spot - most won't bother trying to diagnose THAT.

I don't want to go into too many specifics - this IS a public place afterall, but a bunch of little things can be done without spending much $$$. Just think along the lines of slowing someone (with a wire & a screwdriver) down.

This post DOES bring up a good point, with the 40th show coming up. Lots of people have been posting iteneraries, including group dinners (with location), and even what hotels they are staying at. Hope the "wrong people" don't read some of that. ::

 

I'm with Jim.

I don't do anything. In fact, I leave my doors unlocked so if someone wanted in they don't break the glass or the top. There isn't anything in there but a $50 stereo...valuables get locked in the trunk when I leave the car. If I'm going to the mall or something, I either pull the coil wire, or remove the rotor. Since I have a non standard dizzy, it would be difficult to figure out the replacement from Autozone if you didn't know what it was.

I'm going to wire a disable switch from my MSD one day...just gotta figure out how to wire it to where I want to wire it.

Slade

 

I have a T-lock handle from Vintage Automotive, a hidden kill switch for my electric fuel pump, and replacement coverage insurance. It gets parked inside the garage at night and I try to park where I can see it during the day.

The biggest thing is the insurance. I was 90% finished rebuilding a '66 coupe about 12 years ago, when it was stolen out of my driveway. I only had liability insurance, so never got a dime out of it, nor did I ever see or hear of the car again.

 

As you say a professional will get it but for the others.....

I use Jess's quick and easy hood lock.
I also have the floor bar lock that locks the brake or clutch pedal.
And finally I have a Sears Diehard computer chip battery. This was offered three years ago and has a chip that has multi-thousand codes with a garage type key fob clicker. Changes codes on every click. The click or beep arms the battery which then allows 3 starting attempts allowing power for 5 seconds then cuts off the power. If you don't get the hint that it wasn't dis-armed on the 4th attempt to start it will completely shut off all power to the car. Of course a trailer or tow truck would get the car and even a jump start might do it but with the time needed and with Jess's hood lock I think it's relatively safe.
Unfortunately due to the stupidity of the public hitting the clicker while driving, Sears thought it best to recall the batteries and no longer offer them. I didn't give mine back. I like it.

As for driving yours in Downtown Chi-town...what are you nuts????? Don't do it. I grew up in Chicago and worked Downtown for years and I think there are too many unsavory characters there. Even if your car isn't stolen it most probably will be vandalized.

 

I have a really good insurance policy and I always pay my premium on time.

John Harvey

 

I pull the rotor. If you're smart enough to figure out it won't start because the rotor is gone, and smart enough to bring one with you or go to O'Reilly and get a replacement and can do that in the time I'm gone, then insurance kicks in.

 

I got an alarm from PepBoys for about $40 and it took about 15 minutes to install. It works by the power drain on the battery when the doors open or by car motion. It's sensitivity can be adjusted 9 or 10 ways. Of course it has a remote to turn it on/off/program. I keep the doors unlocked becuz, if someone really wants to take the car, they'll take it, alarm or not.

 

http://www.boomspeed.com/jafar278/reptilerecovery.JPG

 

Right now I just pray that nothing happens to my car. I think I am going to buy one of those T-Lock handles though. They look nice and should do the trick as far as not letting the car go into gear. They make a lock for the old TBirds like this and I always thought that was a good idea!

 

I opted for an alarm from crutchfield complete with the motion detector and some hidden pins for the hook and trunk. If someone wants an older car its pretty easy but maybe it'll give a rookie a scare. I wouldn't put one on it again though since it took forever to hook up and get working how I wanted it. Since I can't use the hood lock on a 66 I thought about locking hood pins but not sure I'll go through the trouble. I have my insurance automatically deducted from my bank account so I am always paid up.

 

Stripped out the interior, suspension, drivetrain, wiring, sheet metal and parked it on jackstands in a locked garage with a security system and cctv cameras!!

 

Making the hood lock for 65/66s is no problem .
Using the same kind of lock --and a piece of 1 1/2"X1 1/2" angle --and using one of the bolts in the latch area .Only problem is is that the key has to be attached to something to go thru the grill to the lock .
The whole idea is to keep the safety latch from moving .

 

This post DOES bring up a good point, with the 40th show coming up. Lots of people have been posting iteneraries, including group dinners (with location), and even what hotels they are staying at. Hope the "wrong people" don't read some of that. ::

Hey Cloney, that's a very good point and people need to 'listen up'. I've always thought about that when someone comes on with "I'll be staying at 'so-and-so' hotel on 'these' days with my original 36 mile Boss429. Oh, look for my red trailer with the Magnum wheels and the TX plates" etc etc........ We should not be paranoid but at the same time don't be naive. Keep your specifics to PM's and emails.

 

See far right sig pick.

Cant steel what you cant steer. Unless of course they've got a towtruck

 

I was thinking about one of those wheels but what do you do with it when you go somewhere..like a store? Put it in the trunk? If I were a thief that's the first place I'd look for it.

 

I'm probably repeating what others have said but I do 4 or 5 things:

1. Always put the club on

2. Disconnect battery with one of those thumb wheel dials on the negative terminal

3. I have a hidden kill switch that I always turn off when I leave the car

4. A full value replacement insurance policy for every dollar I have invested

5. Try never to leave it parked where I can't see it, for more than about 15 minutes or so.

 

When I used to drive GT with a T, I just lock the doors. It's only a car. Now, if I ever finish my I6 '65 coupe, I might engineer some anti-jimmy devices in the doors and eliminate the wing windows. May also use an alternate starting switch system.

My garage shelf, if I ever get it running, probably won't have door glass or the vent window frames even. I guess I'll have to get creative with the underdash wiring security and chain the hood shut. Oh, I plan on installing a small belly pan in the area between radiator support and engine oil pan.

My humble ideas,

Dean T

 

I have that same wheel removal system. And I do lock it in the trunk sometimes, other times I take it with me. Depends on where I am and how long I'll be gone etc.

That cover plate is locked on there too. So not only do they have to get the wheel, they have to get the mechanism unlocked to get the cover off, and then put the wheel into place.

It isn't stopping somebody with a flatbed, but opportunist punks will think twice.

 

There are some great ideas out there. I have hidden kill switches; I'm not big on alarms as nobody pays any attention to them anyway. I do have a club and have used it but not for a few years. Lo-Jack is an excellent product and I am considering using that just for recovery. The hood lock is a great feature as an S-neck-snorkel-air cleaner assembly for a big block is approaching a thousand bucks now and can be had in about thirteen seconds. Nice original hubcaps can be plucked in a heartbeat. I'm just to the point with my specialty cars that I don't ever let them out of my sight; at restaurants I have to sit by a window with an eagle-eye and plan only day trips unless I'm assured of locked garage space. It's just getting too hard and expensive to replace some of those parts to be lax on security.