Theft deterants, what do you use? Options

[scrz914]

I just bought a '73 914 but will have to park it outside our complex on the street. Of course, now I'm paranoid about it getting stolen.
What anti-theft devices do people use? The Club? Ignition cutoff, fuel cutoff? What's easy and effective.

I'm so stoked I got a 2.0 after so many near misses.

[highways]

Keep the fuse for the fuel pump in your pocket.

[Lou W]

I keep mine locked in the garage on jackstands. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[SGB]

I usually leave my cars unlooked, but I don't live in a really urban environment. My theory is "have a crappy stereo and no valuables" and they will pick a different victim (I hope). For actual car theft, a hidden cut-off swich would be good, but you gotta think of some place different to hide it than the dash. Overnight, I think I would take my coil wire.

[KaptKaos]

crappy paint
crappy wheels
no radio

that should do it

[elwood-914]

Steering wheel lock. When I go into a store I pop out the fuel pump relay and put it in my pocket.

[lapuwali]

That's pretty much my strategy. Bad paint, no radio, little incentive. The snatch and grab types are going to be after the radio. The joyriders will choose something "cooler", and the pro thieves will know full well there's no money to be made stealing a 914 for parts.

The 912 guys all got paranoid when I suggested a member's map like we have (which they have now, anyway), as they saw it as a perfect way for someone to know exactly which garage to break into to get their "valuable" cars. These guys have an inflated opinion of what's valuable to a thief, and simply don't understand what a thief is after. They want quick money. A radio is quick money. A Honda is quick money (in parts). A 912 or 914 is NOT quick money. The parts will have to be flogged on Ebay to a very tiny audience (well under 100,000). Honda parts have an audience of millions.

The joyrider types will abandon the car either instantly or a block away when they keep engaging reverse or second instead of first...

[BMXerror]

Right now my theft deterant is an old worn out D-Jet system. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/chairfall.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif) BTW anyone got any carbs? Anyways, I'm thinking of going to an electronics store and getting an infared key fob to engage a relay that cuts the fuel pump power and the coil. That way it's not a switch that they can see you throw when you get out. It would be hidden inside the engine compartment and activated remotely. It's also a two prong system, so they'd get too tired/nervous to actually finish the job. Also I may have it shock them if they fiddle with it while it's engaged! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/finger.gif)
Mark D.

[Toast]

A red blinking light above the stereo.

[David_S]

Prolly gonna get in trouble for this .....but this has worked really good for a few other things !!! Living outside of the city limits, and there used to be a couple that would come into the area and have their fun after midnight. Some of the neighbors were starting to become concerned, and I told them that if they heard a gunshot in the middle of the night not to worry about it! Must be something about hearing a gunshot really close to you, when you are somewhere that you aren't supposed to be, that will scare the shit out of ya !!!

[Dr Evil]

The word D I E S E L written across the back of my Benz works (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I like the club. Its visible and a PITA for the prize that they would get. My Cherokee was stolen from infront of my house by some ahole looking for a ride somewhere who just happend to rip my dash apart getting at my $100 stereo....from which he removed the face and left it in the seat. You never know with crooks, but even a stoopid crook will not deal with a club for a car they do not apreciate.

There have been a few 914s taken reacently in the CA area IIRC. So, you also need to figure out how to keep someone in the know from taking your car. Take the fuel realy. Easy and small. Blinking light keeps the radio installed perhaps as well.

[wertygrog]

i rigged up a quick kill switch which grounds the tach cable when armed...this prevents the plugs from sparking! There is an article on PP about this, seems quite effective. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Unclerichy]

I use a Club. Put it on the back side of the steering wheel and turn the lock towards the dash. Makes it harder for the theif to use a slide hammer to pull the lock. Too much trouble for 'em.

[John G]

Anyone actually use alarm systems?

I was thinking of installing the the kind meant for convertables... motion sensor will detect a hand coming in if the top is off and warn away, and backup siren will go off if the power is cut.

Nobody? Is this a waste of cash?

I'm wanting to put in a nice sound system in my teener, but I don't want to tempt fate either.

John

[LowGT]

No radio, crappy paint....

... and I take the coil wire with me. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Trekkor]

"the Club" here.

Let's see the new car, Tony.


KT

[So.Cal.914]

H & K USP 40 cal.

[Brett W]

We all need to be concerned with security. Here is the link to the Honda Civic security FAQ. Disregard the immature children and there is some great info.

http://www.honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1554546

[jhadler]

Hard to imagine a 914 appealing to high end car thieves, nor can I imagine a 914 appealing to a joy rider.

Anyway, I think pulling the fuel pump relay is a great way to keep the thief from taking the car. They'll get in, maybe even get it started (if there's any residual fuel pressure), and it'll die. They'll just give up...

For someone who _really_ wants to boost a 914, anything short of a locked garage door will probably not deter them.

I like a blinking red light as a deterent for theft. Just the light, don't need the annoying squaking alarm, it'll just piss off your neighbors when the kid next door comes home late and bumps the car...

When I used to own my VW GTi (#1 radio theft car at the time), I had two radios stolen before I came across a great (and cheap) deterent. I took an old tape cassette, pulled out a handfull or two of tape, bunched it up, and stuck the cassette halfway in the deck. Car was never broken into again...

A firearm is a pretty effective theft deterent, but you've got to be present and awake to use it. Kind of defeats the pupose of being able to leave the car and do something else...like sleep...

-Josh2

[szuccaro]

My license plate is a good deterrent!