All these weird anti-theft suggestions and products

Aren't going to keep someone with a wrecker from taking your car.

Locking the steering, locking the drive shaft, turning the wheels hard one direction or another, only slow people with wreckers down (if that).

One person suggested at events, organize, get the cars together in one location and have people pull shifts (we called it firewatch in the Marine Corps) and its a great idea. Pick a nice lit up area to keep the cars and other pilferable items secure over night.

Make the person(s) watching over the cars visible as a deterrence to theft instead of hiding the person watching over the cars in hope of catching someone in the act. Confrontation can turn out bad and unfortunately it isn't always the bad guys that get hurt. Having more than one person pulling watch together adds security and also makes time on watch go by quicker.

Sadly it's a fact of life that you have to be proactive to protect your stuff anymore.

Ken

 

Or you could chain it to a pole.

You can't watch 'em all the time and just because you are paranoid doesn't mean that they aren't out to get ya. Maybe just not living in fear is also a good option.

Make it make lots of noise if someone tries to drag it off. Then don't ignore the noise?

 

have to agree, i can remember leaving keys in the '40 at rod runs, and always hearing about so and so's car being stolen, (late '70's early'80's) keep a eye peeled on your rod. RD

 

When I had my old Galaxie convertible on the road for a long trip, I would sleep in it. The only time it was unattended was going to the bathroom or to shower (usually in daylight by then).

 

I never seem to let my cars out of my sight.

 

Hey Pork n Beaner you stole my signature ..... I guess that's a compliment.

I like the chaining to the poll idea also, I can also see some one throwing an anchor with heavy chain out of their trunk. I also like the GPS services offered by some of the dedicated suppliers. But, I think the best in the world is somebody standing watch, but we don't always travel in groups and I seldom do.

 

Somebody posted this on another thread - this is a cellular alarm system. Maybe worth checking out....

www.tattletalealarm.com

 

Your signature is, "Wanted on Stude Starlight Coupe '53 up door glass (cheap). "

There are a lot of ways to track your car these days. I don't see the point but I never own show cars either. I look at it this way if they steal my car they got my car but if I have to run around worrying that someone is going to steal my car then they have stolen something from me and they never even lifted a finger.

That is not to say that one shouldn't be mindful but worrying about it isn't going to keep it safe. Standing watch sounds good in principal but in practice you had better be ready to go toe to toe. If its a tow guy he has friends in the dept and you are from out of town. I'm just sayin'.

 

pork n beans.

The point is being proactive and not reactive. Call it fear, call it paranoia.

In the sticky on the last car stolen, two posters don't seemed shocked at all that the theft occurred in Haltom City. I grew up in N Tx and I can't remember when that city had a good reputation. Maybe back in the 50's? I dunno. It seems things haven't changed since I moved away 10 years ago.

I'd much rather ask where's a good place to stay the night and park my rod, than wake up finding it was gone and have to react to it being stolen. Grandma used to say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Granted, there's only so much a person can do, because a thief will figure out how to get your stuff no matter what, but why make it easy? I'd rather slow them down to increase their chance of being caught.

In the short time I've been here on HAMB, I get the feeling most guys and gals here would gladly help another HAMBER out with a parking spot in their shop, than to see someone get their rod stolen.

My overall point was think. Paddle locking your rotors, steering linkage whatever, is only so good. Park the car where it be in the light at night and / or where there is camera coverage. Ask the hotel if they have security that works the parking lot when you make reservations. Some do, some don't. There are some easy things to do to reduce the chance of being a victim.

 

You could always hire a big ol' burly no neck guard to watch over your ride while at car shows...

 

That's actually not a bad idea. We did a car club meet at a local hotel and hired some off duty cops to watch the parking lot at night. Paid them cash and everyone was happy.

 

What if your car sits so low you can't get it on a trailer

 

Have you ever gone into or past a biker bar? There is always someone standing watch outside .
Traveling to new towns has the potential to unknowingly put you & your car in harms way.

If a professional thief decides he wants your vehicle nothings gonna stop it. That's his job to watch and wait till it's ready to take. If they are looking for 33 ford Specifically, they are gonna grab the easiest one.

 

pork n beaner I have often thought about how effective it would be to get a huge chain and chain it to a pole or someone elses car. I find it funny when someone comments about carrying a gun when somesomes car gets stolen what good is that going to do if you ain't there to see it happen. I have a cell phone but I can't use it to call the fuzz till I know its gone or see it happening. Just saying

 

Once again ....MY $.02.......PIT BULL WITH AIDES.

 

Thats funny I don't care who you are

 

I'm suprized no one is using the "Denver Boot" type of device.

Or a "Claw"



If it doesn't roll, even with a tow truck it will be much harder to steal it

 

^ They can just jack it up and onto a dolly and roll it.

 

So where does one buy a "Denver Boot" ... or what is the real name of them if that is not it?


As for "chaining ones vehicle to something stationary" ... I read about that in a magazine years ago. The comment went something like "and he always chained his car to a lamp post with a huge chain and monster lock, sure it looked funny but his car was ALWAYS there in the morning".


Sure, someone "can" still steal a car with a Denver Boot on it BUT it will be harder to steal and just might be enough deterent for the "scum" to move on. Very visible too, I like that.

 

or hire the guy that is mean enough to give the pit bull aids...

 

Nobody's stealing ANYTHING that they can't see. Throw a tattered, cheap-looking car cover over it when you are parked somewhere, and NOBODY will bother with it as it will not draw attention....

 

^ that's how my dart was stolen. under a ratty car cover.

pretty sure i was followed home. car was taken about 10am on a Saturday, when plenty of other people were around. that ratty cover isn't always on the car... thieves are on the lookout for stuff they want.

luckily the car was recovered about 2 blocks away... pesky faulty ignition was on my side that day.

 

Well...... if you were followed home it stands to reason they SAW it before you threw the ratty cover over it, doesn't it?

 

MAYBE he drove it with the cover on it...

 

hahahaa

 

When my nephew was about 3 , he used to hide under a blanket and claim that I couldn't see him either. Lol

 

Im still in the market for an F-16 fighter jet ejection seat..anyone out there got a line on one?

No, im filling the roof.....why you ask?

 

And your nephew hasn't been stolen yet either, has he?

 

Everyone agrees that vehicle theft, along with all forms of crime is completely out of control. Here on the HAMB threads come and go like clockwork on the subject. The threads always go from the high tech gadgetry, to badassery, to gun show to pet show and then fall into the archives. And the crime numbers just keep steadily increasing.

I think that it's time that we all stop focusing on theft deterrents and start working on the cause of the problem, and the problem has basically propagated from auto theft being a relatively low risk/high profit venture.

I can hear it now...."Low risk??, they'll throw yer ass in jail!!!". Will they? Do they? The sad fact is, the criminals responsible for all of the vehicle theft and burglary alerts posted here may very likely have been arrested before on the same or similar charges, and served no time.

We have people responsible for our tax money that claim that it takes more money to incarcerate someone than many families of 4 can live with on the outside. We have slave labor in China do work for us, but we blow a union wage just to keep someone locked up. So, now we basically let them go......until they finally do something really heinous. And now, we have literally millions of people on the street that really should be in jail......working in a factory at sub-minimum wage......to pay restitution.

It's time we wised up folks.

 

Buy ejection seats here

http://www.martin-baker.co.uk/products/Ejection-Seats.aspx

Just a warning though they cost a few bucks