I know that if someone wants your car, you can't stop them unless you are sitting there guarding her with a shotgun in hand.

But I was just wondering what you guys do to increase security for your beloved cars.

I know we can do hidden fuel pump cuts for newer cars with electronic fuel pumps. But what about cars with manual fuel pumps?

Alarm systems are kinda useless. Steering wheel locks? Pedal locks?

Any suggestions?

I removed the locks, and the top. I also added an electrical cutoff thats very obvious. I figure if someone really wants the car, they will take it even if its got an alarm, is locked with the top on it. It really doesn't matter. That said, I never keep anything of worth in the car, and obviously don't bother to lock it.

I rarely lock my Alfa either. If someone wants the stereo in it, they can have it. It will cost less to replace the stereo than it will to replace a window they break.

Will

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1969 Datsun 2000 (track car, driven daily)
1959 Alfa Romeo 101.02 Sprint (big project)
1969 Alfa Romeo 105.51 GTV (R.I.P)
'87 BMW M3

My car still has the auto selector switch in the centre console from when it was converted to manual, I just use that as a killswitch

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'81 Scorpion- Daily thrasher/track project. 4G52, 4.6:1 rear end, suspension work etc.
'00 Magna- 6G74, 5spd. Sensible, reliable daily, gets along pretty well though.
'79 Suzuki GS550- 580cc overbore, rejetted carbs.

just hope they are smart enough to try the door first.

I have kill swtiches alarms, removable steering wheel.
but still a flat deck could come load it up and know one would stop them.

pete

I plan to make a hidden switch for the starter relay.

And maybe a diy level alarm, if the car is moved or touched roughly, the alarm is triggered.

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Carina TA12, Starlet EP70(sold) and EP71, Mitsubishi Lancer CS9W

Right now, nosey neighbors work very well. I also keep it looking like a piece of crap, that helps Eventual plans are for a large garage to store both toys and the wife's car. At that point, kill switches and fuel cut-offs will also play into it. Besides, who would want a junky old toyota station wagon

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1976 RA29 project car, now a driver!!!!!
1985 MX72 soon to be...
1985 Celica GT, driving the wheels off
1991 MX83 soon to be 7MGTE

Couple of other things you can do with old cars are to remove the distributor rotor and remove the wire from the coil to the distributor (sometimes it's just spade terminals on both ends anyway). Just make sure you don't lose them!

Or alternatively, you can also have dummy-wires. Say you have a random wire coming out of the loom, it's taped into the loom and everything, but isn't connected to anything. Plug that into say the coil, and tuck the real coil wire out of sight (or plug it into a relay or something nearby that's also a decoy). On a visual inspection, everything will look copecetic but it won't start.

It won't stop anyone really determined to get your car, but it will probably foil the opportunistic thief that isn't familiar with old cars

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I figure few people know how to drive a stick, so that limits the amount of car thieves able to steal a car. You could have an alarm system that disconnects your starter if it gets broken into. My brothers supra has that, not sure how it works, anyone care to fill me in?

viper alarm + quick release with hub lock

if someone really wants it, they will find a way to take it. i find keeping the car in the garage with a big dog helps too

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'71 S30 - '90 S13x2 - '01 Grocery Getter AKA IS300 - '02 954RR

I live in Japan. Neko.

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The Black Cat - S800M Coupe.

A friend in Japan once described it to me like this: "Nobody will steal your moped from the train station....unless the yakuza comes, but then everyone's moped will be stolen."

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at least its equal opportunity

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'71 S30 - '90 S13x2 - '01 Grocery Getter AKA IS300 - '02 954RR

None of mine run. Best security ever.

Actually, I lie. Some do but there's no batteries in any of them and they're all stashed on a farm that's so far out of the way that no-one would ever find it.

It's always been my understanding that few thieves will consider an old car a good target for a boost. I just can't imagine a pair of car thieves walking down the street, stopping at an old Japanese car, and saying to each other "Damn, a first year RX7 LS with stock wheels - looks mint! - these are way undervalued, and one of the few great sports cars of their era." So the two things you've got going for you is that your car is old, AND Japanese. ;^)

As you've said, those who want it will just flatbed it away, and at that point, you just file an insurance claim and take the money as compensation.

I'm personally more concerned with random acts of vandalism, which may leave you with a broken car that you can't get replacement parts for.

Removable steering wheel, Disconnect battery terminal, Pop out knife in seat, Deafening siren in headrest, electroshock door handles oh and so low that it cant be pulled onto a towtruck.

Oh and perspex windows so they bust up there hands or hit themselves in the head with there hammer.

I had a friend with a '90 Miata and lived in urban Chicago. He never locked the car but always put a 'the club' on the steering wheel (this was mid-'90s). Sometimes he would find homeless people sleeping in it, but nothing bad ever happened....until one time a thief cut the top to get into the unlocked car, used a prybar to open the unlocked glovebox and the unlocked center consol. And used that prybar to unsuccessfully remove the factory radio.
Nothing was stolen from the car since he always kept it empty, but the repair bill was several thousand dollars.

Not all thieves are good thieves....actually most aren't.

clever, long term thing to do.

of course, one could haul it off pretending to be a tow company.

if thereis a chnce to take and someone wants.. they will get even if it is a short time (law will catch up)

the other night I put fuel in the car while running, walked away from it for the store... a subaru 20 years newer than mine shows up, lady points the key at it to get the blinking lights and little horn to verify an alarm.

both old and new at the same place.

I still can't even do airbags with a comfortable thought...the alarm stuff is just as anti-faithed as the police shooting for wrong reasons.

I walk down the middle of it.

I like the perspex window idea

but i guess a switch to cut off the starter relais will do just fine for any opportunist, if you have an immaculately restored car and somebody wants to steal it they will steal it, no matter what.

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Japanseklassiekers!

1970 C30 Laurel
1972 240Z
1973 610 Wagon
1977 260Z
1995 Micra
1999 200SX

My security

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thank u guys.Costa mesa toyota dealer