A few good ways to protect your older vehicles that did not come equipped with modern anti-thief systems.
1. Baby monitor
• It may sound like a silly idea, but putting a wireless video baby monitor on your dash or in your garage might be one of the greatest ideas ever. These video monitors are inexpensive they come with night vision and audio, and the best part is they are completely portable unlike a security camera. Battery “charge-packs” are available for anyone wanting to put the monitor remotely within the car, and the sight of a baby monitor both is cause for alarm and confusion for most thieves. Just be sure to turn the volume up on the receiver end so you can hear the sound of a window getting smashed-in.
• It may sound like a silly idea, but putting a wireless video baby monitor on your dash or in your garage might be one of the greatest ideas ever. These video monitors are inexpensive they come with night vision and audio, and the best part is they are completely portable unlike a security camera. Battery “charge-packs” are available for anyone wanting to put the monitor remotely within the car, and the sight of a baby monitor both is cause for alarm and confusion for most thieves. Just be sure to turn the volume up on the receiver end so you can hear the sound of a window getting smashed-in.
2. Quick Release Steering Wheel
• It may seem like a gimmicky mod from the Fast & Furious franchise, but without a steering wheel a car becomes pretty tough to steal. A quality quick-release steering hub is a great way to make any thief think twice before smashing that window, and many models offer a unique locking ring that keeps thieves from slapping on just any aftermarket steering wheel and driving off. Just be careful not to accidentally detach the steering wheel while flying down the interstate.
• It may seem like a gimmicky mod from the Fast & Furious franchise, but without a steering wheel a car becomes pretty tough to steal. A quality quick-release steering hub is a great way to make any thief think twice before smashing that window, and many models offer a unique locking ring that keeps thieves from slapping on just any aftermarket steering wheel and driving off. Just be careful not to accidentally detach the steering wheel while flying down the interstate.
3. Pulling the Plug
• For those of us who are on a budget, and don’t want our precious classic stolen, a quick tug on a spark plug wire is often all that is needed. This cheat is great for those of us who park in urban areas, where thieves don’t have the luxury of having the time to peer under the hood to see what is the matter. No spark on a cylinder means the car will refuse to start, thus deterring any thief wanting to hotwire an older vehicle. I personally will take an entire spark plug wire with me sometimes, thus guaranteeing that thieves can’t just pop the hood and snap the tube back into place before driving off. Fair warning, though: Modern cars usually have coil plugs, and that means breaking out the tool kit, which is neither convenient nor enjoyable. So look toward other cheats on this list if you have coils on your car.
• For those of us who are on a budget, and don’t want our precious classic stolen, a quick tug on a spark plug wire is often all that is needed. This cheat is great for those of us who park in urban areas, where thieves don’t have the luxury of having the time to peer under the hood to see what is the matter. No spark on a cylinder means the car will refuse to start, thus deterring any thief wanting to hotwire an older vehicle. I personally will take an entire spark plug wire with me sometimes, thus guaranteeing that thieves can’t just pop the hood and snap the tube back into place before driving off. Fair warning, though: Modern cars usually have coil plugs, and that means breaking out the tool kit, which is neither convenient nor enjoyable. So look toward other cheats on this list if you have coils on your car.
4. Kill Switch
• For those of us with some electrical wiring skills (or a friend who does) successfully installing a set of hidden kill switches is a fantastic option for anyone wanting to add an extra 007 level of security to their car. This mod will keep the thieves guessing because it is hidden from sight, and if there is more than one kill switch hidden in the car the thieves are going to be pulling their hair out trying to figure out why the car won’t start. Hooking the kill switch system up to a sequential pattern is also a great idea because if someone doesn’t know which order to flick switches the entire vehicle will lock up on the carjacker, thus rendering the vehicle useless.
• For those of us with some electrical wiring skills (or a friend who does) successfully installing a set of hidden kill switches is a fantastic option for anyone wanting to add an extra 007 level of security to their car. This mod will keep the thieves guessing because it is hidden from sight, and if there is more than one kill switch hidden in the car the thieves are going to be pulling their hair out trying to figure out why the car won’t start. Hooking the kill switch system up to a sequential pattern is also a great idea because if someone doesn’t know which order to flick switches the entire vehicle will lock up on the carjacker, thus rendering the vehicle useless.
5. Personal Boot
• This may sound preposterous, but throwing a boot on your car is a great way to keep thieves from considering it, and it carries the added perk of warding off meter maids since the sight of a boot on a car typically means someone is far beyond ticketing. Just buy a boot like this one by Denver Wheel Boot Locks, toss it in the trunk of your car, and when parking in a shady neighborhood just slap it on the car, lock it up, and go about your business.
• This may sound preposterous, but throwing a boot on your car is a great way to keep thieves from considering it, and it carries the added perk of warding off meter maids since the sight of a boot on a car typically means someone is far beyond ticketing. Just buy a boot like this one by Denver Wheel Boot Locks, toss it in the trunk of your car, and when parking in a shady neighborhood just slap it on the car, lock it up, and go about your business.
6. Location
• If parking in a well-lit parking space is safe, then parking in a locked garage is even safer. Want to make things really tough for thieves? Get a friend or family member to block you in, this way there is nowhere for the car to go even if it gets hotwired. When parking on a street, I suggest snuggling up close to a lamp post or a barrier with the wheels facing the curb, thus making it quite difficult for a thief to push the car once they realize it won’t start.
• If parking in a well-lit parking space is safe, then parking in a locked garage is even safer. Want to make things really tough for thieves? Get a friend or family member to block you in, this way there is nowhere for the car to go even if it gets hotwired. When parking on a street, I suggest snuggling up close to a lamp post or a barrier with the wheels facing the curb, thus making it quite difficult for a thief to push the car once they realize it won’t start.