Ok guys and gals, I am looking for a few ideas on keeping my car all to myself. I need some ideas on hidden kill switches, so show me your creativity. I have used toggle switches in the past but too easy to find/bypass. Thinking about using a reed switch?
I have a circuit breaker on my ignition, so if someone tries starting it it'll just turn over and never fire. I thought about getting a shutoff valve to go in my fuel line. You could get a switch that goes behind your dash that's operated by a magnet that you put on the outside of the dash. You could really hide that. Maybe have the magnet be a cigarette lighter.
dont matter what you do if some one wants it its gone. try lowjack at least you can find it it one peace hopefully
I think you have to decide who you want to keep from stealing it, and that is going to determine the most cost-effective approach. For example, if you're just looking to keep the "opportunistic" thieves/kids, then anything you can do to delay/stimie them is going to be a help. Kill switches, fuel cutoffs, etc. I like the idea of running through an unused, but stock-looking switch - hide it in plain sight. Make sure that the wiring isn't obvious though or it won't take much to hotwire around it. OTOH, for some of these opportunity thieves, something obvious (like a stout steering wheel lock) that makes it apparent that stealing your car will take more time than the one next to it, has its advantages. If you're going to try to stop the professional thieves, assuming you have something worth stealing, you have to take stronger measures and hide them well. Then you're left to the real dedicated people, or the local law enforcement should you park somewhere you aren't supposed to. They're going to try to tow your vehicle and you have to weigh whether measures designed to make that more difficult (such as locking up the wheels somehow) are going to backfire by them damaging your car in the attempt. Also keep in mind, with respect to thieves, that stealing the car may not be the objective. How many parts can they unbolt off it in a few minutes? Old speed parts, wheels and tires, heck old body parts, come right off with a few tools and are virtually untraceable. And if gas prices go up, your gas will be a target. Along the same lines is the possibility of vandalism - sugar or rocks in the tank, trashing the interior, etc. Just some thoughts...
I,m going to rig my e brake that two holes line up when engaged and I can padlock it with the brakes on.
Iv'e used a dimmer switch hidden in plain site.It never got stolen but i don't know if anyone ever tried.
hidden GPS tracker. There are several on the market now. You can track the car from your computer. Also, if it is moved, the company will send you a text alert on your cell. Pretty awesome.
I've heard of using a line lock. Flip the switch on as you leave but don't push the brake pedal. If they get your car started or even try to push it off it'll work just fine till they step on the brake. Now it's stuck out on a street or the nearest stopsign drawing attention, they will probably leave it and run rather then sit in middle of the street trying to figure it out.
Go to your cell phone provider, and ask about the cheapest plan they have. You really have to ask for it, because they wont advertise it, and the goomba behind the counter probably wont even know about it. Mine is Nextel, and I have the $10 a month plan that gives me 30 minutes of airtime, along with unlimited walkie-talkie and GPS. At any rate, get a used phone to activate on the account, or the cheapest handset they offer. Swing by the local Autozone and get an acessory "cigarette lighter" 12V power outlet for $5, and wire it into the fuse box. Plug the phones car-charger into the 12V outlet, and plug the phone into the charger. Now, tuck/hide the whole works up under the dash... Just leave it there. You now have GPS tracking on your car for about 1/4 the price of a lowjack unit, and about 1/2 the monthly charge of a lowjack... What's more, if you want to track where your car is, you dont have to get the approval of anyone [lowjack] to see it. Couple other benefits... You always have an emergency phone in your car, and it's always fully charged. Depending on the phone model, you can set it up to auto-answer and automatically be on speaker phone... So if you have any need to "spy on" your signifigant other, or your 17 year old daughter, you can do so.
Reed switch is an exellent idea! only you would know where to place the magnet to complete the circuit to start the car!!!
That's the best idea I've heard in quite some time! Definitely on my to-do list for mine...when I get to that point
How do you get a remote phone (locked in the stolen car) to remotely give you it's current GPS location (or equivalent from cell phone towers)?
All modern cell-phones have GPS built into them. With Nextel [Sprint], you "turn GPS tracking" on on the handset, and then you go to the nextel [sprint] GPS tracking web page, and enter the phone number of the phone you wish to GPS track. It imposes a "dot" on a map, and shows it's location in real time. I would show you mine, but you have to be logged in with a password.
my buddy has this system where you have to move the little switch on the dome light. its split into the ignition
On my OT Camaro, I have a Hydraulic Brake Lock. It looks like a line lock, but it is activated with a key. You install it between the brake master cylinder and the proportioning valve. I have it mounted in my dash for easy access. When you park the car somewhere, you turn this key and press on the brake pedal one time and it locks all four wheels. I just tried a search but did not find a website, but I bought it from Summit 15 years ago, and I believe that the company was out of Florida. Brian
The Jalopy Journal
