Anti-Theft ?

[nevada]

Ok, so once my truck is all painted, mechanically right, I will still have one problem.

I will be worried to leave overnight in a parking lot when staying at a hotel, or parked on the street, hell, even going to warlmart.

The doors are so easy to slim jim and the dash ignition to reach under and hot wire.

What do folks on this site do to protect their investment??

[In The Ten Ring]

This is a topic that comes up from time to time.

1). Don't drive your truck. Leave it garaged and let it be "used" online in pictures.

2). Get a big friend by the name of "Bubba" and pay him to sit in your truck. Pay him a bounty for every theft he stops and a bonus for every face he caves in or heart/lung/liver complex he penetrates with lead and copper.

3). Get a big dog that loves to bite. Leave it in the truck.

4). Battery disconnect. Apparently easy to do and very effective.

5). Fuel cut off valve. Easier to do if you left your fuel tank behind the seat.

6). Brake jack. Available online and makes the foot brake impossible to use.

7). Lojack/other tracking devices. Apparently a great idea and would go well under the seat.

8). Three speed on column. Few have ever seen one and most people cannot drive a manual anymore anyway. Not foolproof, a member had his 3OTT stolen last year.

9). Removing the shifter lever and taking it with you.

10). Chaining your rear axle to things.

[demian5]

I have been mulling this over myself.

1. Get some kind of lock for your hood. On any old vehicle, if they can reach the motor, they can start it with a couple extra loose wires. Think about the remove hood release for the latch or a chain.
2. If they can get in the truck, they can start it be accessing the wires under the column with a couple extra loose wires. They also have the ability to open your hood once they get in your vehicle if it has a remote release (hence the lock recommendation).
3. Splice your kill stuff into your LOCKED engine compartment.

Make it simple for you but something that will never bee seen as a security system. Like a relay where you have to push in the lighter for the ignition circuit to work. Or some kind of inconspicuous switch that activates a relay that allows current to the starter or coil.

I remember putting relays into the power window circuit so the car wouldn't crank unless you were pressing the passenger rear window switch in the down position (rolling down the window, but also energizing the relay).

[cleszkie]

I keep the brain for my MSD Atomic EFI in my glove box. I simply unplug it and take it with me. This won't prevent someone from towing my Blazer away, but they will never drive off with it.

[weq92f]

Originally Posted by cleszkie

I keep the brain for my MSD Atomic EFI in my glove box. I simply unplug it and take it with me.

In general, tbi/efi systems do have an advantage in this arena. More options for disabling ignition/start of motor. Even a real smart thief likely couldn't start mine when I've "enabled" my counter-measures ( MSD Atomic as well ).

Walking away with the Atomic unit in hand, well, that is a good idea.

-klb

[JustToxic]

One option you have is switching it to a smart key set up. Which means you remove the ignition key and carry a key fob like most modern cars, and use a push button to start the vehicle. Digital Guard Dawg is a company that makes a good universal one to wire into your system. Here is a link http://www.digitalguarddawg.com/auto...e/pbs-i#videos

[67/Heaven]

Install a 12v dc pulse on pulse off latching relay, that way once the relay is activated it will not require constant power as this can lead to failure. Install it under your hood to your HEI distributor hot wire. Control the pulse on or off with a 12v wireless remote. All easily found on ebay for about under 30 bones. Make sure your hood is secured with a lock of some type of whatever you choose. The "on" on your remote will latch the relay to close and supply your HEI (or starter solenoid control wire if you don't have an HEI) and the off as you lock your truck will open the circuit. This is slightly different than a kill switch wired into an alarm as I found out that simply removing the connector will allow the vehicle to start. In essence this is a wireless kill switch with no need to hide it as you will be carrying the remote with your keys. If they can not open the hood you should be okay. Anything can be stolen, all you can really do is slow them down or discourage them.

[burnin oil]

Originally Posted by 67/Heaven

Anything can be stolen, all you can really do is slow them down or discourage them.

I got a chuckle out of this. When I lived in SOCAL my roommate had an old Toyota pickup. The motor let go and we were putting a new timing chain and a 20R head on to fix it. Thieves tried to steal it 3 separate times. Ironically the battery was in the passenger floor board and all the motor parts were laying in the bed the entire time!

Different apartment I got deployed and had someone try to steal my firebird. Tore the door open with a can opener trying to access the linkage rod and left a foot long hole in the door. They didn't get into the car because they kept yanking on the rod. I got move and pushed on the linkage and the door instantly unlocked. I assume the same idiot stole the cassette deck out of my truck but left the disc player under the seat (yes this was awhile ago).

[In The Ten Ring]

Originally Posted by burnin oil

I got a chuckle out of this. When I lived in SOCAL my roommate had an old Toyota pickup. The motor let go and we were putting a new timing chain and a 20R head on to fix it. Thieves tried to steal it 3 separate times. Ironically the battery was in the passenger floor board and all the motor parts were laying in the bed the entire time!

Different apartment I got deployed and had someone try to steal my firebird. Tore the door open with a can opener trying to access the linkage rod and left a foot long hole in the door. They didn't get into the car because they kept yanking on the rod. I got move and pushed on the linkage and the door instantly unlocked. I assume the same idiot stole the cassette deck out of my truck but left the disc player under the seat (yes this was awhile ago).

I'm sorry your property was damaged. My whole state has seen a vast increase in theft and it's a very sad thing.

[Mike harris]

Disconnect the battery and install one of these. They'll lift the hood and BOOM!! even if it misses them there's a pretty good chance they'll run away haha

[El Dorado Jim]

hidden kill switch under dash,for HEI wire.....chain locking the hood down............also there is the "trunk monkey" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JV-XEiUOjYE

[hamjet]

Drive a truck like mine and you don't worry about someone stealing it..LOL

[DBK81]

I've yet to see a vehicle get stolen with a quick detach steering wheel that isn't there. Driving with a set of vice grips on a steering colum takes allot of balls and allot of skill my guess that the potential thief will be lacking one of if not both of those things.

[67/Heaven]

This will pretty much do what I described above, but it does it by disconnecting the battery. It could be wired to the starter to avoid losing radio presets and keyless or alarm functions as well as other options.

https://www.amazon.com/WirthCo-20395...5CZWCZG8M0JVBS

[el_fantasma]

Originally Posted by 67/Heaven

This will pretty much do what I described above, but it does it by disconnecting the battery. It could be wired to the starter to avoid losing radio presets and keyless or alarm functions as well as other options.

https://www.amazon.com/WirthCo-20395...5CZWCZG8M0JVBS

I bought one of these a month ago and it works great. It also saves you if you leave the headlights on. I'm going to try a move mine to where it is hidden instead of sitting on top of the battery

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

If leaving outside overnight, even before restoration I'd disconnect the battery, lock the steering wheel and doors, and flip the kill switch. Still no guarantee, but it would be almost fun watching someone try to theft the truck.

If you have an HEI then a kill switch is easy. Mine was just a 12 AWG wire from the switch to the smaller connector point at the distributor, which is the receptacle closest the firewall.

[Coley]

Some great ideas here.
I don't live (currently) in a high theft area for vehicles but I would put myself in a thiefs shoes for a minute and then solve it from there.
Any thief wants a quick, quiet, clean get-away...with absolutely no attention drawn to them.
So in my books any of the above measures for preventing the start electrically is a good idea...then anything that allows the truck to move, at most, 50ft or 3-4 secs before an absolute stall or freeze is a good idea. If the vehicle stalls in the street...that guy will run....at least that is my thought.
Again...no one is going to start troubleshooting an immediately stolen vehicle in the middle of the street...they will bolt. They might troubleshoot it while its still quietly parked tho'....because nothing is obvious there.
My two bits.
Coley

[truckster]

I love the trunk monkey. Unfortunately, our trucks don't have trunks...

I plan to use a relay for the 12v to my HEI and use a hidden cutoff switch to the relay. It might be something hiding in plain sight, like needing to push in the cigarette lighter before the truck will start.

[El Dorado Jim]

Originally Posted by truckster

I love the trunk monkey. Unfortunately, our trucks don't have trunks...

I plan to use a relay for the 12v to my HEI and use a hidden cutoff switch to the relay. It might be something hiding in plain sight, like needing to push in the cigarette lighter before the truck will start.

get a tonneau cover for the monkey he will love all the room in the bed! or a camper shell

[James the III]

The kill switch you'll have to have a novel idea, as the basic ones, They will know as soon as it won't start to look for.. I.E. the cig lighter, the turn on the parking lights.etc.
Ever see any vehicle start and run/move with a completely closed choke, ? me either..
Greatest thing about the new vehicle drive by wire, is you can put a throttle body in line of the air feed on a closed air cleaner.. and have it shut.. so the engine is getting almost zero air.. , and a simple relay, will open it for normal use..
Again, ever see a vehicle run and move with a completely closed choke?
Can even make this a manual, with a cable and a vent knob in the cab.. ( the ls one and others fit nicely in the round end of a closed air cleaner,that used a hose to the nose of the vehicle, not the ones that have the horn looking end.. ) paint it black.. and it can be manual cable opp.. or electric..

[Will Rotten]

Nobody is stealing mine easily... But the could rob parts under the hood.

[HO455]

This has interested me, but I'm not yet at that point in the project.

http://nohotwire.com/product/about-ravelco/

[James the III]

Originally Posted by HO455

This has interested me, but I'm not yet at that point in the project.

http://nohotwire.com/product/about-ravelco/

make your own.. a ubs outlet, and cable end "key"
or a mini headphone jack..

in the 80's when 3rd gen t/a's were very high theft..
mine was you had to push the speedo, "trip" counter reset button and turn key..

My s-10 you had to turn on the radio.. that was wired unswitched power.. and the power antenna trigger lead powered a relay.. and it start.. radio off. no start..

My chevelle, you had to close the ash tray..