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Posted by: jim_hoyland Feb 28 2008, 08:41 PM

After Chris's 914 was taken, I called my Lojack rep for a service check. It still worked after being installed in 2002. The back-up battery was 76% and good for another 3 years.

The problem with the original LoJack is you have to call the police or LoJack after you realize the car is gone--a lot of valuable time can be lost.

The newer LoJack with Early Warning solves the problem. The system has a motion sensor mounted in the car. If the car moves or is started by a person without a coded key-pass the LoJack sends a signal to to your cell or email. If the user has the coded key-pass, it stays in sleep mode. TThe entire package with Early Warning costs about $1.0K

GPS units look like newer technological applications with greater potential, but monthly costs too.

Please chime in on Lojack or GPS.

Posted by: byndbad914 Feb 28 2008, 09:10 PM

so lojack is a one-time cost? (I have no idea, but given the reality as of late, I have $60K in my race car so $1K is nothing for the security at this point)...

Posted by: Dr Evil Feb 28 2008, 09:31 PM

I like the cell phone tracking idea. Simple and cheap, plus it lets you track your own car as well.

Posted by: Rand Feb 28 2008, 09:59 PM

GPS, cell phone, lojack, etc., etc., is all hoping to catch it after it's already stolen. I'd rather prevent it in the first place. The cheapest, most effective way of locking a car down is being used by the parking lot enforcers. About as much effort as "the club" and a hell of a lot more effective...





Yeah, I know, it's bulky.

Posted by: degreeoff Feb 28 2008, 10:13 PM

well my car will have a KEY a RACING BATTERY CUTOFF and a REMOVABLE STEERING WHEEL....but after Andy's deal....what can you do?

Posted by: dinomium Feb 28 2008, 10:16 PM

yeah, lojack for car, racecar and trailer. Up here two or three total total racer packages seem to go missing per year...

Posted by: Rand Feb 28 2008, 10:17 PM

Preventative vs. recovery?
GPS, Lojack, etc..... It's already too late!!!
What about that wheel lock idea I posted? A hell of a lot more effective than "the club" or such. I like the idea of stopping the bastards FIRST.
Other than that, what... insurance?

How about a law that lets us shoot the thieves!?!?
lame ass thieving bastards

Posted by: banger Feb 29 2008, 01:41 AM

This tracker looks to be pretty good. It is $279 with a starter kill option, and you dont have to pay a monthly or yearly fee. You can choose to only pay when you need to track the device. It allows you to kill the starter on the car as well, via the web.


http://www.rmtracking.com/gpsproducts/smarttrack.html

Posted by: Brando Feb 29 2008, 03:01 AM

having the battery cutoff or the steering wheel missing has no effect if the thief has a towing vehicle.

Lojack and other GPS tracking/warning systems are after-the-fact.

prevention is key. make the car un-movable.

Posted by: byndbad914 Feb 29 2008, 04:47 PM

I agree to make the car un-movable. At minimum, I am going to make it a point to put my car up on jackstands and remove the wheels. Then add lojack if they get the wheels out of the other garage (separate 1 car and 2 car setup at my house) and make it mobile and get it out of there. With slicks and seldom use in my case, I have it off the ground anyway, but leave the wheels on... until now

The wheel boot to me is somewhat questionable as a lot of cars were being stolen in the LA area a few years back by guys that would have a flatbed tow truck with a winch. They just drag the car onto the truck (no need to break in or get it out of gear, they literally drag 'em tires-a-screechin') So the boot would not only just go with it, but IMO, if I saw a car being towed with one, my first impression would be that it was being towed because it was illegally parked and booted or something as such, not that the owner put the boot there.

edit - forgot to say that if it were legally towed, I would think the cops would remove the boot... but think of the typical person... most don't think much past whether their hair is lookin' good that day.

So I would be suspect anyone seeing a car being towed with a boot would assume to call the cops cuz it had a boot. It will stop the people that need to roll it, but I remember it being on the news channels about the tow truckers just dragging Hondas on and rolling' out.

Posted by: Porcharu Feb 29 2008, 05:50 PM

They need to have a kill the thief option

Posted by: jim_hoyland Feb 29 2008, 06:59 PM

Looks interesting. Has anyone installed this unit ? Going to look into this ....

Posted by: banger Mar 1 2008, 01:48 AM

There are a number of similar tracking units. They are basically a cell phone with a gps. The website sends a text message to the phone, requesting its position, and the phone answers back with a txt message. I believe there are some that you can use with your own sim card. This way if you already have AT&T or T-mobile, you could add another line to your account, and use that for the gps tracker. Typically an additional line on a wireless acount is around $10 per month. What most of the tracking companies sell you is a prepaid sim card that is good for a year, and has a few text messages included in the price.

Posted by: Headrage Mar 1 2008, 10:52 AM

I'm gonna get a trunk monkey...

Posted by: wbergtho Mar 2 2008, 08:56 AM

I might tie a Siberian Tiger to mine...

Posted by: Vacca Rabite Mar 2 2008, 11:41 AM

I keep mine in a garage.
On jackstands.
With the wheels off.

So far, its working pretty good.

Zach

Posted by: rick 918-S Mar 2 2008, 12:06 PM

I like the link Banger posted But you could still easily get a "G" into it. Cheap if it works though.

Have you noticed that there are some 914's here with some serious money invested?

My winter security system is a big ass frozen bank of snow infront of the garage my car is stored in.

Posted by: bperry Mar 2 2008, 01:13 PM

I kind of like the Magnavolt system:
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=2055767

Here's another one but not sure there's room for it in a 914:
http://www.videosift.com/video/TV-Ad-Trunk-Monkey-versus-car-thief

--- bill

Posted by: JPB Mar 2 2008, 02:21 PM

My home insurance pays the "today" price of what ever goes missing or burns up ect. I wonder if they have that for antique cars? My insurance value is hier than what I've invested in it. If the car gets extras, I just change insurance company and insure it for even more.

Posted by: jimkelly Mar 2 2008, 02:34 PM

this is a good thread - i'd like to hear more about the below.

how big are the units - where to hide them - how long does battery last - i have at&t acct. a cel phone would have to be wired to the car battery some how to be worth anything.

jim