I have many car events and cruises I plan to attend this year. While my car is not a high dollar collectible, not a day goes by that someone finds their pride and joy stolen. I’d like to ensure my car stays where I park it.

Does anyone in readerland have any experience with GPS trackers? Any brands that work well? More importantly, any brands to avoid? Monthly fees? Features? Any that have the ability to notify you if unauthorized movement is detected? It would be preferable to know if the car is being moved instead of trying to find it once you notice it’s missing.

It really sucks that in addition to trying to think of anything you forgot to pack, you have to worry about someone stealing your car.

I remember several cars were stolen from the Hurst Olds club national meet in Indianapolis not long ago. A buddy over the weekend told me about a race he attended where someone cut the lock off the trailer coupler, used a floor jack to raise the rear of the tow vehicle and roll it away from the trailer, then drive off with the guys trailer with the race car inside. He hadn’t heard if anything had been recovered yet.

 

I have been using "Tracki" for the past year. It's a good service with decent GPS coverage. With that being said I have cancelled my subscription and have the device and weather case (Waterproof Magnetic Box for GPS Tracker + 3500mAh battery extender) if you would be interested . PM me.
Guy

 

i have heard of people getting a cell phone and hiding it up behind the dash get the app to locate it and your set.

 

So how does a GPS tracker make it stay where you park it?

More to the point, what do you do with the info if the car is taken?

Sorry, but the most effective way to make the car stay where you park it is to immobilize it. A hidden kill switch, a fake non-conducting coil wire, or similar device is simple and extremely effective. Of course, there's always a manual trans.

 

Exactly Joe, that's why I cancelled the subscription to Tracki.

 

I had one, but never installed it. The chances of noticing that it's gone, following it, and getting the police there / your friends with a lot of rifles, by the time they've killed the battery and started chopping is small. Most of my cars sit battery disconnected anyway.

At home, out of sight, out of mind. Lock the garage up. On the road, immobilize, and don't go dumb places, or, if you do, go with people with pricier cars.

 

I have 40amp switch for this purpose, where would be best to install it?

 

Depending on car and 'type' of kill switch, a clever place to hide a kill switch is directly behind the ash tray. Slide the ash tray out of it's receptacle to reveal the switch. Not many perps are clever enough to think of looking much beyond normal places like engine bay, dash, glove box, trunk, etc. What is the 'best' place is the one you consider best.

 

Of course it would be nice to know where it went if it were stolen so that hopefully the offenders can be prosecuted, but your best protection is good insurance. In my experience, stolen recoveries are rarely something you want back. Unless you have something irreplaceable or that you place tremendous sentimental value in, just insure it and enjoy it. If I have good insurance and it's a total loss, I see that as an opportunity to upgrade or change things up a bit. But I'm not sentimental about possessions.

 

Kill switches are limited due to them always being in the wiring. If time is available, the car can be disabled, then reenabled and not have the switch there in the circuit because the car is restored to stock condition.

Also, kill switches don't stop a flatbed.

 

I'm not installing a kill switch.

 

Damn! I thought I was the only one who used this.

Remember the old joke about the two guys being chased by a bear. The first one says "we'll never outrun this bear, we're dead." The second one says "I don't have to outrun the bear, I just have to outrun you."

No system is 100% effective. The trick is to make it just difficult enough to steal your car that the thief moves on to the next car.

 

And GPS doesn't stop a flatbed either. Any thief that sophisticated knows enough to park the stolen car in an underground parking garage until the battery runs down or they can find the transmitter.

 

Good call. I burned up a harness once. I used to have one, and it's still there, just disconnected. I do acknowledge that others were considering them in this thread, so I was adding to your comment even though you're not the one thinking about adding it.

Edit: Joe, yeah, we use that on the line all the time during trials. If we're messed up, but someone else is messed up worse, they're the one getting the bear of the downtime billed to them.

My Power Tour tricks:
1. The club.
2. Column collar lock.
3. battery disconnect
4. lock hood.
5. stay in nice hotel.
6. make full use of my dad's handicap permit and park in a handicap spot that's big and nice and near the front door. (He was walking very badly then, so we needed it, too).
7. Drive a $15,000 car while associating with $50,000 cars

 

Oh, I know. We're on the same track. I tried everything for many years, and finally gave in to simply removing the battery and carrying it around with me while I went shopping.

On a more serious note, whatever method anyone employs (if you employ a method), I believe it seriously boils down to where you live (location, location, location).

 

I just received an email from T-Mobile today about this tracking device. I don't know what it costs but the fee is $5.00/month. Interesting timing.

GPS Tracker Device to Find Your Bike, or Luggage | T-Mobile

 

These devices keep honest people honest. If someone wants your car bad enough it won't stop them. Like said above, insure it and don't worry about it, collect a payout. There is nothing worse than retrieving part of your car after it's been stolen.

 

I guess I should revise my statement, I’d prefer to know where it is if it ends up someplace other than where I left it.

I take precautions whenever I park it. I’m obviously VERY selective of where I leave it, I’m well aware of all the easy theft-deterrent ideas (as is anyone who even thinks of stealing cars). I also take steps that for obvious reasons I’m not going into.

I have worked entirely too long and too hard building what I have. Not trying to sound like a badass, but if my car comes up missing, and I know damn well were it is without a shadow of a doubt, one way or the other the cops will be involved.

A manual trans would most likely prevent someone from driving it away, but nothing to prevent it from being hauled off.

I have considered a cheap cell phone hidden somewhere in the car. I kinda like the idea, even if battery cables are cut the battery inside the phone would keep it going for several days, plenty of time to find it.

 

I am using this system

 

laughter is good medicine, check out his reading selection

 

I have a 73 Omega. I am aware that this car could be stolen from a parking lot in after of minutes. Does anybody us a tracking device for their Olds? Looking for something affordable but worth having. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

 

I'm tuned in but have no suggestions.
I have an apple tracking device but i'm not sure theyre worth whilke.

 

The police here just started handing out those little trackers exactly for car theft, or so they say, anyway
https://www.fox5dc.com/news/montgome...-residents.amp

 

Interesting. I wonder if any of our members have first hand experience, or use one.

 

I wonder how helpful the police will be when I comes time to track or recover the car. I have heard too many stories of police treating car theft with a “meh, big deal” attitude.

 

I find it hilarious that the same people who put their thumb in front of the license plate in any picture they take also want an Apple AirTag on their car.

Trackers have the same problem as alarms. The thief only needs to park the car in a well-shielded garage or warehouse until they find the battery or it runs down. You don't need to make your car theft-proof (and you can't), you just need to make it harder to steal than the next one. Hidden kill switches, fake vacuum hose "coil wires", and a manual trans go a long way towards encouraging the thief to move on to the next mark. At the end of the day, these crane trucks still exist if a thief really wants your car.

 

Wonder how much he eats? That's funny.
Thanks for posting.

 

Just insure it for more than it's worth, then leave the key in it!...Tedd

 

I agree.

FWIW, Oldsguy had a 77 Cutlass that was stolen by the KCMO PD years ago. At least it was stolen by some dishonest folks that worked for the police. Here's the first thread I could find where I mentioned it.

https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...da-civic-4746/

BTW, I merged the threads.

 

The distributor in my car connects to my cell phone over bluetooth. It has a lock function that immobilizes the ignition until you unlock it with the same phone. It is paired to the phone with a 4 digit pin number. The only work around is to replace the distributor with a standard HEI unit. As has been said, if the thieves really want it they will find a way. Your only hope is slowing them down where they risk exposure.

 

do you have a link to this distributor?

 

Just throwing some info out there - I think disabling the ignition is a much better option than disabling the starter. Most folks (thieves as well as everyone else with an alarm system) are familiar with starter interrupts, so turning the key and nothing happens is a sure indication of a starter interrupt. But an ignition interrupt on an old carbureted engine can seem exactly like, well, an old carbureted engine that just doesn't want to start. I think many of us have experienced that on cars that DIDN"T have a kill switch and we know how frustrating it can be.

 

Had to laugh. Way back in the day we used to occasionally pull the “vac hose coil wire” gag on friends. Worked every time until we took pity on them.

Im all in on the trunk monkey.

​​​​​​….

 

How does a manual transmission deter thieves?

 

Kids/Thieves today don't know how to drive a manual transmission.

 

I don't do too much other than the basics on car security. At home, it's in a garage and hidden. At work, I put it next to the catalytic converter theft security watch guy. I go to good car shows with lots of people. I would only go to a hotel with lots of folks, preferably with security.

I'm worried these days about carjackings. Urban denizens will swarm someone at a gas station and mug him for his phone, wallet, and car. A large pistol is the best tool here, and it's legal since your life was in danger.

 

Not to pop your bubble, but they have been reported with pistols too. I'm betting if they have one, you'll see their pistol before you can get your pistol out.

 

Then you can hand them your wallet as well. Lol

 

look up Progression ignition

 

The trick is to have it already out.