RECOVERED AFTER STOLEN..HOW TO PREVENT THIS AGAIN

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5akman

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This is quick and dirty drawing.

Normal position is DPST is off. The system is not grounded. Power goes thru fuses.

To activate throw the DPST switch. This grounds the HEI and the starter circuits. Some one tries to start car, both fuses blow and both system are still connected to ground. Neither the starter or the HEI will work.

Bad guy finds switch. Tries to start car. Has no effect since they are grounded.

Bad guy has to find the fuses and have that fuse with him or must rewire around the fuses (two).

Can he put jumper wire from Battery to HEI. Yes if he has one. Can he use screwdriver to connect starter pole to 12 V pole on solenoid. Yes. Keep hood locked. But switch must be found to unground units.

Then he has to tow it away.

Stop all thefts. No. But you can tow a new car away as well with all its magic security stuff.

Working on updated version with GPS locator to improve design.


thats what I was looking for, thanks a million!
 

roundhouse

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Nothing a cheap pair of bolt cutters cant remove. That will only slow down thieves for 2 minutes. Real car thieves will find a way. Sorry to say it, but with that apparatus, your vehicle can still be stolen....with a tow dolly. If a thief wants it, they will take it. Best option is to insure the piss out of it for full replacement value plus 15%. Let the thieves take it and buy another vehicle with the funds.
Let me know what insurance company will insure it for 15% more than it’s worth

I can’t even find a company that will insure it for its appraised value and allow it to be driven daily and parked in a driveway

You can get agreed value insurance , you just have to have a locked garage to park it in and sing a form saying you won’t drive it except for parades and car shows

Mine is a daily driver and I have a person under 21 on my policy
There is NO insurance company that will write an agreed value policy on an old car in that situation
Not one

I have a hidden spring loaded switch in series with the Column ignition switch

You have to turn the key and mash the hidden button at the same time to run the starter
 

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Scotty B...no worries about offending me. I too have weapons training as well as a background in law enforcement.


I didnt mean to hijack this thread...



in regards to theft deterrents on the older squares, they are easy to break into (all vehicles have glass)....and simple to break into the column. The electronics are very basic. With late model vehicles being computer equipped, although they have safeguards in place, with the knowledge and right equipment ANY vehicle can be stolen in under a minute. X2 with the chipped key comment

The point is to make it a PITA to steal. Thieves are not going to expect a chipped key immobilizer setup in a squarebody as long as you don't flap your gums about it. These small time critters want start it quick and be on their way.
Well organized criminals could steal things like tow trucks and be off with a vehicle in a few minutes but stealing an expensive commercial vehicle, like a tow truck, adds a level of complexity to the crime that will likely allow law enforcement to catch them... If the criminal enterprise happens to own the tow truck that adds to the likelihood they will get caught. Uncle Tony ain't gonna be happy with Little Mikey for exposing his much more lucrative criminal enterprises to additional law enforcement scrutiny for the small return on low end stolen vehicles like $10,000 Chevys. Organized crime is a business. If Little Mikey doesn't want to disappear, or get gift wrapped for Johnny Law, Uncle Tony is going to want a real good ROI when Mikey kicks the hive. Old Chevy pickups ain't gonna cut it.

Motion detecters in the driveway with lights and maybe even an alarm will allow you, the owner, to make an unexpected armed appearance. Most thieves are not so bold that they will stick around when the homeowner makes an unexpected appearance.

GPS locators are not difficult to setup. Criminals aren't going to like seeing Bubba and 15 to 20 of his close friends show up to retrieve his property.

Honestly if the critters are crawling around your neighborhood boldly stealing **** it's time to think about being somewhere else. I have a carefully cultivated reputation as the batshit crazy survivalist dude, a 1200ft clear field of view all the way around the house and barns, a 1/4 mile long driveway, and the sign on the gate is not a joke. "If you can read this you're in range."
 
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Mr_Ryumaru

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GPS locators are not difficult to setup. Criminals aren't going to like seeing Bubba and 15 to 20 of his close friends show up to retrieve his property."

THIS!!! The best strategy is of course to make it so difficult they give up. Having lived in Gary, Indiana and other rough theft heavy cities, here's what I've learned. The truth of the matter is that if someone wants it bad enough, they will get it. We come up with better solutions, they come up with better pieces of shi....I mean thieves. The best most successful solution I've seen, the one that most often prevents theft is a well hidden disable switch. By disable switch I mean anything from a battery disconnect, to straight up ignition blockers. But again, no matter how hard you try, if they try just a bit harder, they win. And if all else fails, I have yet to see anyone successfully defend their vehicle from the end all of thefts: Tow the damned thing off. Of course we want to prevent it, we want to tell ourselves it won't happen. But it can happen, and the nicer your ride, the more likely it will.

But a GPS tracker is SO DAMNED EASY. It's cheaper than most legit theft prevention devices, and while it does not deter or prevent theft, it does almost guarantee that you will get it back. I highly recommend getting one that is powered via live wire, but also has an internal battery that keeps it power should it be disconnected. I have a few friends running these, and three of them had their trucks/corvette stolen. All three had them back within 24 hours. The way they work is you usually text the number, and it pings back with exact coordinates of the vehicles location. Take that to the police, and wam bam thank you mam you get your truck back and they get charged for being the scum of the earth.
 

Kelly Mac

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Hey guys,
Great story...
Friday night I watch my truck drive off with its new owner ....against my will because I was sleeping and I heard my truck fire up as it was being stolen. less than 24 hours later I'm picking my truck up in front of the dude's house with my trailer still attached.

Thank you to Craigslist and the C10 club for spotting it. I'm really glad to have it back

Here's the whole reason for my post
I had a steering wheel Club, a brake pedal Club, the stock steering wheel lock was in good working order. No broken glass they did not damage the door locks but they did break the steering column and cut the clubs off.
My thought is there must be an updated or more theft proof version of our steering columns in the aftermarket.
Aside from all the secret disabler things that we should be doing that we probably shouldn't mention here I'd like to know what you guys recommend specifically for the steering column. I'd like to get something that maybe would be extremely difficult to steal or break. I thought of even backdating the steering column putting the switches on the dash.
Thanks guys and gals I look forward to your responses
 

Kelly Mac

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I have a hidden foot switch on the starter circuit, also another hidden switch in series with it for when im out of town. Also try and make a hood lock, so they cant pop the hood and wire it that way. Most thieves of this truck are young thugs, they wont spend time trying start it other than the column method. Glad you found your truck.
 

73c20jim

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Although you won't get your truck back, C4 under the seat will give the most satisfaction. Just kidding. Maybe.....
 

Mr_Ryumaru

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Although you won't get your truck back, C4 under the seat will give the most satisfaction. Just kidding. Maybe.....

Orrrrrrrr, airbag in the seat cushion. If not disarmed before ignition, boom. Shouldn't be lethal, but if it is, that's not your fault :D
 

CSFJ

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Orrrrrrrr, airbag in the seat cushion. If not disarmed before ignition, boom. Shouldn't be lethal, but if it is, that's not your fault :D
Pretty sure being only a half a dozen inches from the roof will not only be lethal, but do a great deal of damage to said roof. It's not cheap to have those panels replaced. If you google airbag videos, there's a good one where some Russians get someone to sit on some tires in a shop (where the bag was hidden) I'm pretty sure he bounced off the ceiling from the force with which he re-entered the veiwing frame.
 

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A quick deterrent I used to use in my old mustang street/race car was to not only have hidden switches for the ignition and fuel pump, but I would also grab a couple fuses from the fuse box and close it back up pretty. Put the fuses in my pocket. Now if said shitbag finds the switches...still no workie... hopefully still sitting there when I come outside with shottie
 

turbomatt

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A quick deterrent I used to use in my old mustang street/race car was to not only have hidden switches for the ignition and fuel pump, but I would also grab a couple fuses from the fuse box and close it back up pretty. Put the fuses in my pocket. Now if said shitbag finds the switches...still no workie... hopefully still sitting there when I come outside with shottie
Ps. Another good one if you're old school is a fake coil wire... who's gonna pop the hood and figure that out..
 

Mr_Ryumaru

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Pretty sure being only a half a dozen inches from the roof will not only be lethal, but do a great deal of damage to said roof. It's not cheap to have those panels replaced. If you google airbag videos, there's a good one where some Russians get someone to sit on some tires in a shop (where the bag was hidden) I'm pretty sure he bounced off the ceiling from the force with which he re-entered the veiwing frame.
Those were fullsize airbags. You can find much smaller ones out of things like side pillars and such. Regardless, that was a reply to someone suggesting c4. Take your pick between the two. Also was a joke bud lol
 

73c20jim

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My idea will ground both starter and ignition.
 

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Some of these ideas would be great for a bait car

But not so useful for a daily driver

You gonna open the hood and pull the fuses out EVERY time you get out of the car ?
 

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