RatDog

Bruce - I need to call a State Farm agent to find out what's available to me here in Florida because the State Farm website says:


Is Your Car Eligible for Antique Auto Insurance Coverage?

If you're not sure, these definitions may help:

• Classic Automobile: A motor vehicle ten or more years old, which is rare or of special historical interest because of exceptionally fine workmanship or limited production. A classic motor vehicle 25 years old or older is covered as an antique.
• Antique Automobile: A motor vehicle 25 or more years old.

And here are some important conditions for classic car insurance eligibility:

• Your antique or classic car must be used on a very limited basis, such as exhibitions, club activities, and parades or similar events.
• You need to have restored, maintained, or preserved your antique or classic car.

-- Steve

alexandervdr

In my thinking there are two separate stories
First is how to make it more difficult to steal the car
Second is when it's gone in spite of the previous, finding it back.
Providing for both may be the best answer.

Installing an electric fuel shut off valve has not been mentioned yet on the 'making it difficult to steal' side, it's quite easy to install in a hidden place. It's equivalent to using an electric fuel pump as a safety device, but that one is visible (or at least the mechanical pump bypass will be), while the valve can be installed anywhere. This is a UK supplier but I am sure these are available in the US too. http://www.carbuildersolutions.com/u...shut-off-valve

DZAUTO

You know, at one time in U.S. history, it was a hanging offense to steal a person's horse.
WHAT'S HAPPENED TO OUR SOCIETY------------------it should STILL be a hanging offense!
The thieves CONTINUE to steal because they know the punishment (if they are even caught) will be either minimal or non existant!
The method of security I posted earlier was NOT intended to be humerous.
Remember DON'T TREAD ON ME? (most of you probably don't). Well, don't steal from me!

Frankie the Fink

Incarceration is a badge of honor and rite of passage for career criminals now. They get three hots and a cot and back on the street to wreak more havoc.

Don't even get me started on our revolving door justice system...

I worked with the "Victims of Violent Crime" program at the US Dept of Justice in Wash DC for a while. The stories I could tell you...

00fxd

We were just discussing this the other day. It's almost socially acceptable to steal, as drinking and driving once was. Stealing needs to become NOT socially acceptable. The costs to society are stupendous. High insurance costs, courts systems, policing. Imagine if this all was reduced substantially? Heavy, heavy penalties should be imposed so that it's just not worth it, like drinking and driving in Canada.

DZAUTO

If a thief is caught-------------------and just vanishes from the face of the earth, that would also save the tax payers.
Does ANYONE here know what occurs in an animal rendering plant? Oh ya, anyone know where Hoffa is? Of course not!

ohiovet

With the prison population getting out of control maybe it could be eased by turning the prisons into "Soylant Green" manufacturing facilities...

chris ritchie

I don't worry about theft anymore because it does no good. But I don't go to malls or parking lots in my C1. Here's three things I did to keep the amateur thief from driving my car away.

1. Cut the fuel line around the end of the passenger door and splice in a fuel shut-off petcock. Available at most hardware stores. Install with compression fittings because the fuel is not under pressure there. When you park someplace, walk around to the passenger side and open the door so it looks like you're getting something in that side of the car. Bend down and shut off the gas. When the thief drives off in your car, there will only be that gas in the carb bowl to enable the car to travel a few hundred feet. Then the car will sputter and die. Now the thief must decide if he wants to troubleshoot a stalled car in the middle of the road close to the scene of his crime.

2. Connect a black wire to the "-" terminal of the coil. It'll blend in with the existing wires. Run that wire to a ground in the trunk. Splice a switch into that line. When the switch is closed (the circuit is complete), the coil is grounded and the car will not start even if the thief hot-wires it. When the switch is open, there's no connection to ground, and the car starts as usual. Don't put the switch in the driver's compartment or hook it up to the lighter. Every thief know those tricks.

When I park my car someplace, I get out and walk to the trunk to do the switch and then the passenger car door. If I have the girlfriend with me, she loves the idea that I open the door for her. It looks like I'm getting stuff out of the trunk and the passenger compartment.

3. Green ****. Unscrew the green ****, and put it in your pocket.

Extra credit. I'm going to buy the Harbor Freight driveway alert next time I go there. That's cheap enough, and has some potential.

You should have a green **** on your battery anyway, and the fuel shut off comes in handy when working on the fuel system.

The dangers to your car are the pro with the tow truck yanking it out of the motel parking lot in 10 seconds, and the morons at car shows. There's not much you can do about them.

Frankie the Fink

All of which is great until you can't get your car to start.

Now, in addition to the usual villains, you have to worry about troubleshooting all the anti-theft do-dads you stuck in different places on the car...

mrg

Interesting. .. Below from the Harbor Freight website - Customer Review


4 of 4 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Car alarm

By john

from indiana

Pros

Easy To Use

Cons

Best Uses

Comments about Bunker Hill Security Wireless Driveway Alert System:

This driveway alarm also works as a car alarm, put it on your floorboard in the and receiver in the car or house.
Works as mail delivery alarm as well

Was this a gift?:
No

Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Was this review helpful? Yes / No

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Comment on this review [Click here to write a comment and share this review with your friends on Facebook. Your comment and this review will show up in your Facebook News Feed.]

mrg

How about removing the hood release bracket and cable that runs through the firewall. In its place a short piece of hard wire would reconnect onto the under hood release, then protrude enough so into the cabin so it could be engaged by pliers or a locking vise grip to act as a temporary quasi hood release.

Or, maybe set up the replacement hard wire in such a way so it stays completely inside the engine bay with a U-shaped bend on the head end of the wire. Then poke a similar U-shaped 'fish wire' through the firewall hole to engage its counterpart for hood release. .. Just a thought . . .

00fxd

This is the by far the real concern nowadays. The occasion where a thief hot wires the car and takes of for a joy ride are not a big concern. Anyone can devise somekinda tricky no start, ignition defeat of some kind, and the great advise of having good ins coverage have both been rehashed to death for decades. Naturally good insurance. We get it. Personally I would prefer not having my vacation ruined. The example of the board member this year of having the joy riders steal his car out of a motel parking lot with him finding it later is terribly unfortunate but less likely nowadays it seems because we tend to stay pretty close. The real issue that needs to be discussed is the newest technology like gps stuff or wireless tampering notification before the pro's have the thing on a rollback tow truck and in a chop shop or on a boat to china.

Frankie the Fink

How many more times do I have to tell folks that the "pros" have access to technology to jam GPS trackers, cell phones, wireless, and, even LoJak....cheap too: http://www.jammerfromchina.com/categ...%7DXM_Jammers/

Carry good insurance and be vigilant - your best defenses.
If you want to get into an "arms race" of course - then go for it...

00fxd

You don't have to tell anyone more than once. Whats your point?
The ongoing discussion is ADVANCES in technology and ideas that have occurred since the first time you filled us all in. For one, SonnyAK's new idea with a new [to me anyway] product had merit. RatDogs gadgetshack deal was interesting new input as well. La Rossa's dual brake lock was a deterrent that appealed to me as well -there's always the Mico lock that I have been threatening to get for years. If your happy with your green **** and insurance great - you don't hafta keep tellin' us about it - we heard all that 30 years ago, grade one stuff ...

Frankie the Fink

Not everybody is on every thread pal. That's my point.

And the "ADVANCES" in technology more than likely operate over the same frequencies the jammers already cover since there are only so many allocated for public use.

And, for that matter, this topic has been covered here before to the 5th decimal place. I just don't want somebody getting a whiz-bang wireless new thingee and think their cars are safe from pros.

Oh - and I don't have any green *****.

wmf62

i have a ****...

Bill

00fxd

But it sounds like you are assuming that every has heard your point before buddy. Because "you have to keep telling us".
The topic of Insurance has also "been covered here before to the 5th decimal place". So instead of going over the same old advise again, I hope that you'll agree that those of us that are interested in being apprised of any new technology, that even you can't anticipate, can post their suggestions here. I can't think of a better place to discuss this topic for our needs. If you see suggested here any new "whiz-bang wireless new thingee" that you happen to know isn't a good suggestion for any reason you should post the reason why. But my insurance is up to date. And has been for 30 years thanks. And sure as f won't be too much consolation if I come out of a restaurant after a nice meal with my wife on a beautiful evening and my f'n car is gone no matter how vigilant 'cuz the pro's got it.

Frankie the Fink

Well I hope NObody has the misfortune to have their classic Corvette stolen.

I'm looking in to a remote control quad-copter with cameras on it to hover over my cars when I'm not near them. I may go for the optional mini-gun upgrade to even further deter theft.

ohiovet

Frankie,
While in Kissimmee I went into a store in Old Town that had a pretty cool drone with a remote camera which transmits to a computer or cell phone. Less the $200.00.
Could be your "new" car security device........

00fxd

Let us know how your "whiz-bang wireless new thingee" works out for you ....