Car and Street Rod Alarm Systems - Guard Duty

Imagine this: You're on the way to a rod run with a bunch of friends and you stop along the way for breakfast. You find the ideal combination--a restaurant the little woman approves of with a gas station next door to make your life easy. Sufficiently stuffed, you take one last glance at the cute waitress who served you, pay the check, then wander outside the eatery to stand in the sun with your buddies. There's just enough time to scratch, belch, and tell the raunchiest joke you know before the women appear from the restroom and it's time to head down the road. About this time you say to your friends, "Life is good." But that all changes when you turn toward your street rod and see nothing but asphalt.

After your pals swear on their lives they're not playing a trick on you, the police are summoned. Upon their arrival, the attendant at the neighboring gas station tells them he saw the now-missing rod pull out of the driveway 20 minutes ago but didn't think anything of it, and since he was paying more attention to the car than driver, he can't offer any sort of a description of the culprit. Now reality hits hard--your pride and joy is long gone. Although no one thinks this sort of thing will happen to him or her, it is indeed a real possibility. In fact our scenario wasn't imaginary, it took place exactly as described a few years ago and the car was never found.

REDUCING YOUR RISK
Thieves are opportunistic and will often select a car to steal based on vulnerability; the easier it is to take, the more likely it is to be taken. To reduce your risk, here are a few commonsense tips:

Never leave your keys in the car; we know that sounds obvious, but a surprising number of people do it.

Don't leave spare keys in the car. Professional thieves are good at guessing hiding spots, so keep that extra in your wallet.

Always lock your car (this is where roadster owners groan) and if you have any sort of security device, use it every time you leave the car.

Don't leave anything inside the car in plain view. It's not unusual for a thief to do thousands of dollars in damages for something worth a few bucks.

If you're out of town on a rod run and staying in a motel, avoid parking in the same place repeatedly. Thieves will stake out parking lots.

Don't give a thief a place to hide. Always park your car in an open area so it's visible to others. At night, make sure to find a spot that's illuminated.If your street rod is for sale, don't discuss its security system with anyone until they hand over the money; they may be more interested in stealing it than buying it.

Here's something experts disagree on. Some advise putting a sticker on the car advertising the fact it has an alarm. Others say professional thieves know which wires to cut on every brand of alarm out there so telling them the type your car has actually helps a crook prepare to circumvent it. You decide on this one.

Remember, loose lips sink ships. In other words, don't show off your security system--the fewer people who know how it works the better.

SECURITY DEVICES
Time is a thief's enemy; consequently, the longer it takes to steal your street rod the more likely the perpetrator will be interrupted, or hopefully caught. So, while the following suggestions certainly won't make your car impossible to steal, they will make it more difficult and time consuming, which may be the difference between keeping your car and losing it.

Disabling the engine
The time-honored method of starting a car when stealing it is "hot-wiring" the ignition. The engine will start by using a jumper wire under the hood to supply the ignition with power and energizing the starter by shorting across the solenoid's terminals with a screwdriver. A similar procedure can be used on the ignition switch inside the car.

Ironically, modern locking steering columns actually make the process easier. The column is simply "popped" or broken, and then a screwdriver or a pair of pliers can be used to pull the rod that activates the ignition switch at the bottom of the column. Our point is, a good thief can get your rod running in a matter of seconds. On the other hand, if the engine won't start, the thief probably won't take the time to troubleshoot.

Since a car that won't run is harder to steal, here are a few tips to keep it from running when you don't want it to:

Take some parts with you
This sounds hokey, but it's effective. On many engines it's easy to remove the coil wire, or pop the distributor cap and remove the rotor. If you're going to leave your car for an extended period and you have no other theft deterrent, take one or both with you. It's unlikely a thief will carry spare parts.

Hidden switches
Install a hidden ignition cutoff switch. We once bought a car and one day it wouldn't start. After some troubleshooting we found the previous owner had put a headlight dimmer switch in the primary wire between the coil and distributor. It was hidden under the carpet and we had no idea it was there for three months until we hit it accidentally. After the switch was discovered, it became a habit to hit the button and kill the ignition when getting out of the car and tapping it once more when we returned to allow the ignition to function.

A hidden switch can also be used on electric fuel pumps. If a thief does get your car started, it will only run until the carburetor goes dry. In the case of a fuel-injected car, it won't start.

Install a master kill switch. There are a variety of these; some are the simple lever type, and others have removable keys. There are also electrically operated designs that can be operated by remote control. When installing any master switch, it should be mounted so the terminals can't be easily jumped.A variation of the kill switch is an anti-theft relay. These require some electrical device to be turned on before the engine will start.

Interrupters
Like a kill switch, interrupters keep the car from starting by opening one or more of the electrical circuits the engine requires to run such as the ignition, electric fuel pump, etc.

Fuel line locks
These valves come in mechanical and electric configurations. A simple manual shutoff valve accessible in the trunk or some other hidden location can be an effective theft deterrent.

DISABLING THE VEHICLE
Brake line locks
Locking the brakes certainly make it difficult for anyone to move your car. Brake locks come in mechanical and electronic designs, generally the brakes are applied, and then a switch or a lever is operated and the brakes are locked. Although an electric brake lock could prevent theft, they are intended to be used for short durations only (they'll drain the battery). And don't even think of using electric drag racing style line locks for security; they're not designed for continuous duty and are likely to overheat.

While a mechanical brake lock could stop a thief (no pun intended), the manufacturer we talked to asked us not to mention their name or show product due to liability concerns. However, we can tell you such valves are often found on equipment like forklifts and can be purchased at industrial supply outlets.

Removable steering wheels/locks
Taking the steering wheel when you leave will probably make a thief think twice about taking your car. On the other hand, the common bars that lock onto the steering wheel will only discourage amateur boosters.

Wheel locks
There are a number of wheel locks on the market. The industrial strength varieties that some police departments use on illegally parked cars are effective but not too practical for frequent use. One rodder we know simply slips a bicycle cable lock through the slots in his rods wheels. His thought is it would take an inordinate amount of time to take off all four locks and leaving them on would make for a bumpy, and noisy, ride.

Tire deflators
These simply let the air out the tires so the thief has one or more flats to deal with. They lock on the valve stems and are activated when the wheel revolves, allowing the tire to go flat in one to four minutes

Hand brake/transmission locks
Widely used on imports, these are usually in the form of replacement handles with locks to immobilize the shifter or parking brake. They may be difficult to find for street rod applications, but many of them are easy to break off or remove anyway.

CAR ALARMS
Most alarms have some sort of noisemaking device like a siren or horn. The problem is just about everyone ignores those, so you may want to consider a more sophisticated design that has a key fob that vibrates, blinks, or somehow indicates to you directly that your car is being messed with.The installers we spoke to also suggested that the following features be part of the package:

Circuitry that disables the engine when the alarm is set.

A sensing device is available that senses the sound of breaking glass.

Motion sensing devices. These sense any activity around the car, however they can activated by vibrations of passing vehicles.

Switch lock. A visible switch is an indication that the car is alarmed and may deter a thief (but how many street rodders want to install something that obtrusive?)

Additional switches on the trunk and hood that activate the alarm.

RECOVERY SYSTEMS
These are activated when a vehicle is stolen. Once activated the device emits a signal, which is monitored by law enforcement officials and tells them the location of the vehicle.

How secure can you be?
Let's face it, if a thief wants something bad enough, including your street rod, chances are he or she will find a way to steal it. What we've tried to do here is provide a list of strategies to help you hold on to what is rightfully yours. Try one or a bunch of them, but whatever you do, don't take security for granted or someone may take what you have.