Vintage Chief

Back in the "day" (my 1st automobile = plain-jane 1967 4-4-2 I bought in 1969 - I was 16 y.o.) I installed an 8-track tape player + speakers and ruled the world listing to R.E.O. Speedwagon. The 8-track was stolen after 2 months. I installed another 8-track. It was stolen in 8 months. The third 8-track I installed was never stolen. I super-glued Wilkerson Double-Edged razor blades to the entire rear perimeter of the tape player - in full view so they were easily visible. The tape player remained in that vehicle until I sold it in 1972 - after having eaten six Beatles White Album tapes, probably same # REO tapes, and more. Knock-On-Wood, I've never had an automobile stolen. I did have an H-D Sportster stolen while in a bar stationed w/ the USAF back in 1975. I lied about having insurance on the financed Sportster - I then learned the meaning of paying for a dead horse (the hard way).

JohnnyBs68S

I've had the slim door lock caps on my Cutlass since the '80s. I added a Club when they were popular in the '90s. In the 'teens, those slim door lock caps came back to bite me when I locked my keys in the car at work, rendering the coat-hanger I kept in my office useless. I ended up buying a slim-jim to get in the car that day. I avoid having to park it somewhere that there are no cameras to catch potential thieves, and keep it parked in a locked garage at night. One of these days I'll probably add an ignition kill switch, but those are also useless if the thieves have a flatbed. Meanwhile, I'll count on my finicky carburetor choke to discourage anyone from driving off in my car.

jerry63

Now thats a keeper.

droptopron

This is an extreme example, but ages ago a friend of mine left his car at his friend's house. His car was in the driveway blocking his friend's hot rod Camaro. When they came back the GN was still there undisturbed but the Camaro was gone. Some guys came in broad daylight with a fork lift & a flat bed, picked up the Camaro & left with it. The guy was always effing around with the car so his neighbors didn't think twice about it. Moral of the story

• Professionals will get any car they want
• Don't brag about what you have to every moron you see. There is no doubt the car was targeted & they knew what they were taking

Me for security I keep my car garaged and its always blocked in by one or two cars. Other than that I'm not stupid where I take it. If it does get jacked it would suck but its insured.

jerry63

Most of your links pertain to teenagers, actually teenagers are the least of my concerns, I seriously doubt teens are looking for classics to take a joy ride in, you may be surprised about how many people can drive a stick. What I liked was the people who shared their tips to possibility slow down the thief or have them just give up, especially the empty gun holster. Thanks everyone .

Tedd Thompson

I don't know about car thief's but a locked garage isn't much of a problem for a adult black bear. My local varmint has made four attempts and been successful all four times of getting in my garage opened when locked. Lucky he likes dog food rather than the 55. ****** and grab and out of there. I could probably get it opened now my self with a dinner spoon beings all the brackets are busted or bent. That is with me all my firearms and nasty dog mostly asleep. I might have to rethink this as I wait for the garage door contractor and the snow to melt so I can get the 55 out of the way so he doesn't drop a wrench or spring on my car.... Tedd

76olds

I'm lucky, most thieves aren't after a 1976 Cutlass. Not worth the effort . If it happens to get stolen one day then so be it. Their are many others around that my insurance company will hook me up with.
I keep it insured and not worried about theft. It is what it is when and if it happens.
What pi$$es me of more is ... Kids pulling the hood ornament off, trying to get the Cragar caps off,,,, and dings in the side doors from a$$holes that just let their door swing open into my cars.

Eric

Fun71

Well it seems as long as you keep some dog food to distract him he won't drive off with your 55. Just don't leave a picnic basket in the car.

I wonder if that would work with humans? Keep some cases of beer in the garage beside the car, so if someone got in they would go for the impulse and grab the beer and run, leaving the car behind.

johnrossjdr

Just like with any theft, you are not going to stop it, ideally, just make it more appealing to steal the other guys. Similar to I don't need to be able to outrun a bear, I just need to outrun the person next to me!

Already noted items:
1. Change those door caps to something to at least make the slim jim challenging. Frankly much like a house, any window is a rock throw away from being an entry point, so don't sweat this part too much but do it, maybe the other guy down the street didn't, now he is the easier mark.

2. Kill switch to ground, get creative, maybe even have two as I do. Easy to override but it takes time to figure it out.

3. Beware of where you park, keep on driving if even slightly sketchy. If you feel it is sketchy, it is! Suppose this is common sense but we all know that isn't a good benchmark.

New items I didn't see or was too lazy to read fully and missed:
1. Grant steering wheel release, take the steering wheel with you. Now they need to have vice grips at a minimum with no steering wheel. It is so obvious it is great as a deterrent, as anyone that even takes a quick peek is like well crap, no wheel, screw this one.

2. Few GPS based systems, but they are pricey and typically have monthly fees associated with them, but sure would be nice. I am just going with the old lowjack, it is only $600, might get a break on your insurance also. Nice thing is, it is a one time fee. If money is no object the monthly services are way cooler and may also have other cool things you want, like seeing where your kid really took the car for example.

3. not for everyone but I have found that most police departments have some sort of donation you can make to some officers association, where you give them money and they give you a sticker. Now officially that sticker doesn't do anything BUT, the local thieves now have one more reason to move on to the next car, even the bravest think twice about stealing from a potential cop. (the number one use is getting you out of a ticket. I have yet to do this with the cutlass but a few imports back it really seemed to cut down on my tickets. All may be BS though, but mentioning in case you have something like that in your area.

4. Home camera recording systems. They are relatively cheap these days, like a 4 camera system that records on a 1 TB drive is roughly $200. Again, doesn't save your car, but is one more reason for them to go to the next guys house instead. Make sure you get one you can access from a mobile app.

5. shitty cell phone - get one of those crappy ancient phones and hard wire it to always be charging in some out of the way place. Plenty of free tracking apps. Method is slightly cheaper than the gps monthy services, this is what I would have told a bigger spender a few years back until the gps units became cheaper. Just mentioning in case intrigues someone who has like a galaxy 6 laying around or some older smartphone that is fairly useless for anything else.

Ideas that don't work:
1. gun holster/bullets - may actually be a factor to increase your risk, a car is cool but a car and a gun is even better! Yes, I know, smart thief would move on, so this is counter to my drumbeat above, BUT now you are giving incentive oddly enough for some to want to break in even more. Similar to making nice stereo and speakers visible or just having mega subwoofers thumping in the trunk that rattle your car and annoy the crap out of your neihborhood, people note it when they see you cruzing around including thieves.

2. More of just advertising/dumb. Some cars seem to load up on all the parts in the car stickers. You may be that guy, you got free hooker header stickers, a Edelbrock sticker, maybe a holley and some subwoofer company plastered on the car. You are not NASCAR material, take them off, all some see is dollar signs that are easy to strip and sell.

2. the club or the brake/gas pedal equivalents, they are never put on properly, they just aren't, and can be kicked out of the way or just saw them out, especially at the steering wheel for a club, takes 1 minute.

johnrossjdr

Oh and one more that is a converted from column shifter to floor shifter only, that actually catches me occasionally on my own damn car! Spin that column shifter around to anything but Park, the ignition switch will not engage because old linkage is telling it that it is not in park! If they are hot wiring, wont matter but if they are trying to manipulate the actual ignition switch to start the car (aka screw driver method), will probably throw them for a loop since not common in any modern car to switch from column shift to floor shifter on an automatic. Sometimes when hustling in and out of m,y cart I do this on accident, so even with the key I am dumbfounded for a few seconds as to why wont it start!?!

joe_padavano

A slim jim doesn't touch the lock *****. It slips between the glass and the OUTER window sweep and pushes on the linkage inside the door directly. You can cut the inside lock **** completely off and I can still unlock the door in under 30 seconds. Once automakers figured this out, they added plates inside the door to block the slim jim, but any GM car through the mid-70s does not have that feature.

When I was going to college in Cambridge, MA, I had my 67 Cutlass winter beater stolen from the school parking lot. I was forced to drive my 68 442 instead. I had previously installed a four spoke wheel on that car, so when I parked it, I just popped the horn button, removed the six screws, and took the wheel with me. After a little practice, I could take the wheel off or on in 90 sec or less, and only had a short toot of the horn when I snapped the cap back on.

And all the thief has to do is park the car in an underground garage until he can find and disable the GPS.

And to all the macho types who think they are going to stop a thief with their gun, good luck with that. Even you you spend your entire life in the car holding your gun, just shoot a thief and see who goes to jail.

joe_padavano

What's an "automatic"?

Seriously, all this does is use the NSS as a kill switch, and if you simply hot wire the purple wire under the hood it bypasses this. Frankly, you're more at risk from the fact that you can now start the car in any gear. Be sure the NSS and backup lights work properly and just install a separate hidden kill switch.

Chugger

My car was in the process of being flat decked. Truck backing up - deck tilting down in motion. Luckily my friend wasn't home and I was walking back to my car. I was gone less than 5 minutes. Passenger thief saw me and yelled **** !!
Before I could run to the cab of the truck they were in motion and rolling away. No plate. Shiny New GMC with "Low Buck Towing" on doors made with pink hockey tape. Now I park with my wheels hard turned so it won't drag straight and it never leaves my sight for more than a moment. I miss the old days when these we're just old cars bought cheap.

Fun71

Straying from the topic here, but apparently you didn't do the conversion correctly and neglected to use the existing backdrive linkage.

Weezer

The opportunistic a-hole towing company that ONLY towed cars w/out parking stickers for the particular lots where they were in when I was in college resulted in me doing the hard wheel turn park for years. I'm still pissed at those losers. And, I have always done the hard turn when parking my Starfire. Might not be much of a deterrent, but anything and everything to make it just a bit more difficult, might result in them being caught in the act or discouraged altogether.

johnrossjdr

Wish this wasn't true but Joe is very much so right, unless you are in a few select states, you will be going to jail in that scenario, even if they are caught red handed, you just cant shoot em.

johnrossjdr

JDR reply: Not following. If it is not in Park, the ignition switch doesn't close, so no start by key or any method used to defeat at the ignition switch. So doesn't open me up to having the car start in any gear. Understood on the hot wire deal, believe I mentioned that. All good with the infamous kill switch but the premise that they are somehow in a special class is idealistic, they are a few wire traces away from being discovered/defeated to and you know that.

Feeling feisty today, no disrespect Joe, you have always been a great resource on here, just take it as fun banter here please

johnrossjdr

I didn't do it, so I cant comment. All I know is someone converted mine, and if you spin that column dial, you cant start it with a key at the ignition. I do have backup lights and it wont start outside of being in Park on the floor shifter as well, so I am not too worried. Happy to hear what should be done or if you can point me to a link that covers the "correct" way I can see if I am about to die due to something with the conversion!

I will further admit that while sitting in a parking lot after I must have bumped it when I first got the car, I found the reason for my no start on this very site! I was a very happy, albeit humbled, dude that day when it started right up after the thread saved the day for me.

joe_padavano

My point was that if you don't have the backdrive linkage connected, which is necessary for this to work (and full disclosure: I did exactly this with one of my cars that had the backdrive linkage removed for headers), then when you DO turn the collar back to the PARK position so you CAN start it, it allows the car to be started in any gear. With the NSS not in PARK or NEUTRAL position, all it does is open the purple wire from the ignition switch to the starter. You've disabled the NSS safety feature just to add a kill switch to the purple start wire.

mrolds69

Honestly? My cars are all over insured, if they steal them it's cool. I just don't want to see them again or get them back stripped or crashed. I worry more about somebody plucking the cap off my 69 442 sport steering wheel at a show or a cruise. Or stealing the Star Wars air cleaner and hold down nut off my 67 GS400. Or stealing the right outside rear view mirror off my 70 GS 455. That's the stuff I have nightmares about. All 3 are non repro'ed, very HTF parts to replace. All 3 would make the car(s) look goofy in a short time.

Olds64

^ THIS ^

Hopefully nobody has to go through having their classic stolen.

Battenrunner

I am wondering about security with our car as well..... I think I could make it pretty tough with the aftermarket ignition and fuel injection, but , it seems like the easiest way would be to take the coil wire with me in my pocket if we leave the car, but that is also not convenient every time we walk away.

I may have to figure out an innovative way to do something electronic as a security measure, but we will always have stated value coverage on the car that values it at about my best guess as to what it would take to replace it.

Vintage Chief

Back in the day....we'd REMOVE THE COIL WIRE and carry it in our pockets.

joe_padavano

Back in the day, when cars actually had separate coils, thieves carried a coil wire. This is why waaaay back at the beginning of this thread I suggested replacing the coil wire with a piece of vacuum tubing with correct ends. FYI, if the coil wire is missing, you can use one plug wire for the coil and the car will run well enough on seven to get away with it.

Vintage Chief

...only commenting on what we used to do. And, honestly....back in the day (60s)....we didn't worry much then as we do today regarding our vehicles; since, in the 60s our 1960 vehicles weren't considered classics. Yet, removing our coil wires made us feel 'secure' while we were at a live rock concert (in particular). Of course, we didn't have these fancy new devices they call alarms.

Vintage Chief

And, I agree w/ you. Today the best deterrent would be a manual transmission. Of course, back in the day, if you owned an ATM, you'd be considered a

joe_padavano

Actually, we did, and they're still worthless. Show of hands. Anyone here EVER call the police when you heard a car alarm going off?

Didn't think so.

Olds64

The alarm on my Kia is a PITA. It always goes off when the key fob is accidentally activated in my pocket. I think all the comments folks made on this thread point to one thing. Locks, alarms, faux coil wires, hidden switches, etc. all work together to keep honest people honest. If a professional thief really wants to steal a car all of that is old hat to them. Now I think I am going to watch Gone in 60 Seconds (HB Haliki version of coirse)!

droptopron

When I was still a little kid riding a bike around a guy in the neighborhood had the talking car alarm that would tell you to step away from the vehicle. We'd set it off on purpose.

mrolds69

That's funny! I still have one of those in my 442. "Get away from the car!" ha ha

allyolds68

I still do this all the time. My wife and kids think I'm crazy

aqua67w30

A lesson I learned. Insure it as high as you can. If a thief really wants your car he'll get it.

btw

Good advice.