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.

Keep the fuse for the fuel pump in your pocket.

I keep mine locked in the garage on jackstands.

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.

crappy paint
crappy wheels
no radio

that should do it

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

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...

Right now my theft deterant is an old worn out D-Jet system. 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!
Mark D.

A red blinking light above the stereo.

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 !!!

The word D I E S E L written across the back of my Benz works

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.

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.

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.

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

No radio, crappy paint....

... and I take the coil wire with me.

"the Club" here.

Let's see the new car, Tony.


KT

H & K USP 40 cal.

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

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

Click to view attachmentMy license plate is a good deterrent!

can't imagine a 914 is high on theifs list of cars to steal.

I'm more worried about my civic. Crappy paint, dents and no blingy things and theifs seem to leave it alone.

Read the FAQ.

"7) Myth #3 "My car looks like asshole, has tons of rust, but it runs mid 12's. No one will steal it because no one knows."
This one is for you guys with sleepers and a TON of $$$ under the hood: Get Hood Locks and follow the tips below about alarms. You might say "expletive that its an eye sore" but if ONE shady person figures out what your running, its over. Think about it, can you tell the difference between a d15b1 or a worked b-series from laying under the car? So can they."

jackstands...

Theft deterants, what do you use?

I drive a 914.


M

Allegedly.....

For about $100 shipped, I got a Commando alarm complete with motion sensor (bump activated, not sight activated), blinking LED, remote key fob, and power door locks. The key fob and alarm have one extra button I plan to use for a remote trunk release. Installation is in progress....my theft deterrent for now is a stripped interior and 10 yr old stereo w old speakers w/o grills. Once the alarm and LED are functioning, in goes the Alpine/POLK/ and carbon fiber goodies! What am I doing on the computer, I have work to do on my 914!!

I keep my 914 behind a locked gate

944 is parked out front where police and armed security patrol regularly every evening.

I use the Club. I know a 914 shouldn't be high on a thieves list but I remember someone up north had theirs stolen a couple months ago. Nothing surprises me anymore.

I did the same thing as wertigrog....it works well. Just hide the switch under the dash where you know it is. Or.....a 30 06 does a good job as a theft deterant! Personally...I think you should be able to shoot a hole through someone's cranium if they're caught messing with your car...

Bill

I always keep the engine out of the car for months at a time. I also be sure to remove the seats, doors, wheels, wiring harness, and anyhting else from teh car when I park it.

Thieves won't touch my car, they will figure its allready in a chop shop.



Zach

Keep it parked next to a Lexus or an H3. They won't even notice the teener.

True story: I caught some idiot trying to steal my (electric) 914. He couldn't get it "started". I was so pissed at the time I couldn't laugh. But later I got a good chuckle out of it.

DOES ANYONE WANNA STEAL MY CAR? Please do because it's insured out the WAZOOOOO!!! I plan on getting another adjustment as soon as she is painted and running. PLEAS TAKE MY CAR, I WANT A 3.6 IN MY NEXT 914!


10% will go to alcoholic beverage fund and renew the underwear fund also.


Theft deterant? I plan on installing hyrolic jack permanently under the car which can be activated remotely at all four points. I bet we can have a full functioning system that is less than 50Lbs. Keeper up in the air where ever you are and it won't role away easily!

Yellow water wisdom.

A padlock and a length of chain wrapped around the clutch and brake pedals.

i take the out the coil wire.

Wayne stole mine... errrrrr, not my car, my answer.

Battery cutoff switch. no stereo, no visable bling. Get one of those fancy pants stereo's with a reomote and put the reciver in the glove box. They are about 130 bucks now.
I like the jack stand idea. but would have to put a random program in to lift the jacks at different times and slam back down. In my mind it would be a bucking 914. This should cause people to bail out of the car as they couldn't hot wire while it was bucking about. of course, you would have to claim short circut in your " tire change circut" while the cops recover the body from under your car.....hmm. ok, I need more sleep.

I put the alarm siren inside the passenger compartment and a strobe light below the gauges. Open the door and you won't want to get in. . .

Man I can just imagine the first time I fill my pants because I forgot to turn the alarm off withthe speaker in the car. Not to mention if it happend to my gilr whe would probably never recover.

Other than that, I like it

Alarm system:
Blinking LED in a very obvious spot. In a spot that you can see from your dwelling is even better (what I did w/my Jetta). That way you can quickly see if it's armed, tripped, etc. Intrusion sensor that is ADJUSTABLE...and adjust yours! Just enough so it gets triggered when someone sticks a hand inside, NOT when they are walking by! I took the time to adjust mine, everybody else can do the same. Cuts down on false alarms a lot. Siren hidden (as best you can in a 914) in the CABIN! Hard to work a car with 130+db yelling at you. One on the outside if you think you will hear it from inside your dwelling. Definitely get the flashing lights. Arm/disarm chirp is unnecessary, the headlight flashes and LED will tell you the status, no need to annoy the neighbors.

Always park under a street lamp or other well lit area. If you can put a spot light on your car, do it. I installed a dush-to-dawn, 20,000 lumins flood lamp above 12' above my driveway. If theives can reach the bulbs they will unscrew them enough to disable them but still leave them in the sockets so you have no idea they've been unscrewed. Ask me how I know...twice! Motion sensors are easily bypassed, dusk-to-dawn is the only secure method. And they need to be out of reach or WELL sealed up.

Make friends with neighbors. The more people watching your car the better

Got a kickin' stereo? ALWAYS take your faceplate with you. ALWAYS. Make it a habit. Because that one time you don't...

You don't need an uber-expensive alarm system. Many for $75 to $150 will fit your needs easily and you could install yourself in a day. To increase the range of your key fob transmitter, hold the fob under and touching your chin while pressing the arm/disarm button. Your body acts as an antenna and boosts the signal. While I was working at Columbia Sportswear (and Gert is a hoot!) I tested this in their long parking lot and EASILY doubled the distance I could activate my system. I use it in the house as well with my car parked on the street 50' away.

They don't sell them any more but they used to sell a club that worked with taser technology. 130dB siren would go off if it was disturbed then 10 seconds later it would spark with visible electricity. If you touched it you would immediately jerk your hands away. 3 nine volt batteries and pace-maker safe. I had only one guy try to hold on to it while it was active. He did for a couple seconds but it took everything he had. I still use mine