How to secure a prized vehicle?

ford lover · 23-10-2010, 01:52 PM

Hi everyone I have a xb coupe and I am parranoid it will be taken if i dont find a way to secure it has anyone got any fail safe ideas I was thinking of getting a wheel clamp and an extra lock for the garage door that fits into the floor. Anyone got any better idears thanks.

JC807 · 23-10-2010, 01:54 PM

how often do you drive it?

ford lover · 23-10-2010, 01:55 PM

not very often but I have some neighbours that look a bit shifty its better to be safe than sorry

nstg8a · 23-10-2010, 01:56 PM

i know a guy that has steel bollards sunken into his garage floor, car cant be moved without removing the bollards first. nothings failsafe, but anything that makes it harder is good.

deesun · 23-10-2010, 02:10 PM

Those ones they use in private car parks would be ok and not too fiddley if taking the car in and out. Bolt in to concrete floor and the triangular section hinges up and down and is locked in position.

82XD393.3v · 23-10-2010, 02:14 PM

could also make a anchor point and chain the diff to it

T3man · 23-10-2010, 02:19 PM

Unfortunately there is no failsafe way. You can do lots of things to lessen the chances of losing it (or recovering it) depending how much you are willing to spend.

I've seen cars chained to concrete floors, bollards bolted down around the vehicle, and even so there are plenty of accounts of keen theives still working around these types of physical objects. I think in generally car theives are able to manage these things because they understand brute force - an oxy set, electric jack hammer, and angle grinder is pretty much all they need.

Personally I would do other things that are clever and which they can't quickly overcome. I like things like multiple ignition cutouts. Also a switch that looks like it could be a simple ignition cut-out, but in fact operates a very loud horn inside the vehicle and which then is on a timer; so even if they switch it back off it will keep going for a minute or so, and then it resets and continues it's cycle of on and off at intervals until it is disengaged by another "very hidden" switch. Loud noise is very disconcerting and hard for anyone to deal with.

Sure they can hot wire any car given time, but car thieves will maybe come prepared for a simple pick-up and once confronted with a problem that isn't readily overcome will just move on.

Vehicle trackers are another option - these are completely covert and totally unbeknown to the thief. It will notify you as soon as the vehicle is compromised and will send messages of the vehicles location via a built-in GPS. Even if it goes underground you will still have a record of it's last position that was visible to the sky.

ELGT4me · 23-10-2010, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 82XD393.3v

could also make a anchor point and chain the diff to it

Bollards & chain the axle down. "Warning trespassers will be shot" sign on your garage door as well.

WMD351 · 23-10-2010, 02:22 PM

Make good friends with your neighbours (maybe not the shifty ones)
Get a missus who stays home all day
Get a scary dog
Security alarm on the shed with back to base monitoring
Don't show the car off

flappist · 23-10-2010, 02:48 PM

Insure it and take the rotor cap out.

That will stop amateurs although NOTHING will stop professionals.

It is an XB not Ferrari.

Although it may be worth a lot to you, it is not worth a huge amount in the real world as parts and the market is very small and very closed for "rebirths" of this style so most professional thieves would just ignore it.

JC807 · 23-10-2010, 02:53 PM

i like the siren idea, if you've ever accidently set off a home alarm you know how bloody loud noises make you run.

its a shame though but if they seriously want it they will arrive with a tow truck and some big dudes.

Bobman · 23-10-2010, 02:57 PM

Blocking the car's exit would make it harder to steal. Lots of garage stuff in front of it or another car.

Jim Goose · 23-10-2010, 03:39 PM

If your not home a lot, the cheapest way is to just make it difficult for a thief.
Remove the battery completely, rotor from the dizzy and even take the lead off from the dizzy to the coil.

The harder you make it for them, the more inclined they are to give up.

Lots of people have their cars stolen soon after attending carshows in particular.

jlef5 · 23-10-2010, 05:17 PM

I always like the idea of removing the rotor from dizzy, hide a switch somewhere completely hidden and strange that will kill ignition (right up under dash, in boot even), remove fuses, don't advertise that you have it as much as possible. My cousin used to have an xd drag/street car in sydney he used to remove a few of the spark plugs, leads and the rotor from dizzy. He came out one night to find some ***** with bonnet up he had actually brought leads and was trying to start it, foud out the same bloke tried to take it a few weeks before.

nstg8a · 23-10-2010, 05:23 PM

going by some news reports a lot of 'classic' cars arent even started when theyre stolen, just pushed down the road to a waiting tilt tray or car trailer.
all the kill switches in the world wont help if they dont care about it starting.

needs to be a combination of everything i think. electronic means to stop it starting, physical ways of stopping it moving, shed security to stop them getting to the car in the first place etc etc

atec77 · 23-10-2010, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ford lover

Hi everyone I have a xb coupe and I am parranoid it will be taken if i dont find a way to secure it has anyone got any fail safe ideas I was thinking of getting a wheel clamp and an extra lock for the garage door that fits into the floor. Anyone got any better idears thanks.

well you have to determine how hard you want to make it . physical things like a soundly secured shed and driveway bollards , a decent alarm in the car , motion detecting cctv (my field) ignition kills and a wheel securing system .When it all comes down to it if there is no one home and they are a determined theif it's still marked , although the cctv will email you so there is a chance to save it , for all that under 5k , now how long until l appreciation covers that ?

FERG_51 · 23-10-2010, 05:38 PM

If you could lock the brakes on some how that would make it hard to push away. I havent worked out how to do it yet, or maybe a tail shaft lock. Of course it would be a pain to get off when you wanted to go for a drive.

GT-E · 23-10-2010, 05:51 PM

Turn the steering full lock and a crooklock on the wheel.
Dynabolt in the garage floor and chain around the lower control arms and diff
rotor out of dizz
Some cheap ways to keep it semi safe

FPV+fteT3 · 23-10-2010, 06:48 PM

In the garage on stands with the wheels removed and stored elsewhere now move that.

svo supporter · 23-10-2010, 06:59 PM

If it's a lockup garage, an alarm system to the door/s are a brilliant idea.

A good cheap "anti" theft devise for the car, is an electric fuel pump with a cut off switch/es well hidden. One of my cars has this exact thing. 2 cut off switches for the fuel pump, with a fuseable link well hidden in the line. If there's no fuel there's no bang.

Also the padlock round the car is another good idea, along with the wheels removed and stored elsewhere preferable inside the house if possible.

**ebxr8240** · 23-10-2010, 07:54 PM

Other than snake..
I have an old MSD CDI under seat and if not turned off can be quite a shocking experience..

pottery beige · 23-10-2010, 08:00 PM

rocking chair.. shotgun.......

Paxton · 23-10-2010, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ebxr8240

Other than snake..
I have an old MSD CDI under seat and if not turned off can be quite a shocking experience..

I should try this on the outside of my car to deal with the Cat problem I have.

My Neighbour had an XW-GT Replica stolen out of his garage. They had to move his Sprint and his WRX to get to it, but they got it. The thing was never seen again.

**ebxr8240** · 23-10-2010, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paxton

I should try this on the outside of my car to deal with the Cat problem I have.

My Neighbour had an XW-GT Replica stolen out of his garage. They had to move his Sprint and his WRX to get to it, but they got it. The thing was never seen again.

Same with an XD351 years ago.. It will NEVER happen again.. I have so many
things to ambush its not funny..
Security & camera's are cheap these days...

Yellow_Festiva · 23-10-2010, 08:22 PM

All the above are good ideas.

Keep detailed pictures of your vehicle handy, perhaps focusing on specific / unique things that single your car out such as extra plates welded in for strength or custom suspension /drive line / interior hardware.

How bout setting up a simple spy cam recorder that is motion activated? Jaycar used to sell such a device that worked with an SD card and was very simple but effective.

Hide it in a box of whatever one has on a shelf and see how well it works and adjust accordingly.

You would assume that if all the physical barriers mentioned above are in place any thieves would have to be fooling in and around your car for several minutes allowing for some good snaps.

I have also seen 2x 120ish DB tweeter siren things hidden behind a dash that would make the interior of the car unbearable should they go off.

Paxton · 23-10-2010, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ebxr8240

Same with an XD351 years ago.. It will NEVER happen again.. I have so many
things to ambush its not funny..
Security & camera's are cheap these days...

This was probably fifteen years ago, in an apartment's garage, so security wasn't top notch to start with, but technology has come a bloody long way since then. I don't even know if the thing had an immobilizer. It definitely didn't have seatbelts. This same poor bastard went on to be killed by a drunk driver on the Heathcote Road, in nothing but an XA GT. That was a beautiful car.

BlueyXR6 · 23-10-2010, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ford lover

not very often but I have some neighbours that look a bit shifty its better to be safe than sorry

Simple, just move house!!!

Smoke Pursuit · 23-10-2010, 09:03 PM

Tilt trays, dont forget most pro's run around with tilt trays these days, so cut offs etc wont save you there and they dont care what they damage to get the car away!

fmc351 · 23-10-2010, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pottery beige

rocking chair.. shotgun.......

Ha, I was going to say a big dog ...named Browning and his mate SSG.

Do a search of the forums for 'bollard', I recall a thread from maybe 2yrs ago with lots of pics of bollards in garages. Some pro fitted and likely $$$$, others home made yet looked very effective.

Edit: http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthr...hlight=bollard

Crazy Dazz · 23-10-2010, 09:24 PM

I knew a guy who was restoring an X series Coupe (think it was an XB, but can’t be sure.) They’d bought a house that had a huge workshop/ shed built behind the carport, but with only a standard door. He knew this was going to be a LONG project, so he removed some sheets from the wall, drove the car in, and rebuilt the wall behind. Then for years he worked on this car, hidden away. He was a pretty handy guy, and did all the spray-painting and bodywork himself, but he outlaid a small fortune on the engine and gearbox. Anyway, 4~5 years later, car was 90% assembled and running, when thieves came, removed the same wall, hauled it onto a trailer and drove away.

I would recommend two approaches: Firstly the best alarm system you can afford on the car itself. Then an alarm on your garage, combined with one of those locks that clamps the roller door to the concrete.