Locks are for keeping honest people from disturbing your stuff.
Once the criminals are in the truck the damage has been done.
They will twist off the key tumbler ears and jimmy it with a screwdriver.

If you install a simple ignition ground with a key fob it will likely a stop joyrider, but lots of thieves around here just come with a wheel lift or flatbed and scoop the car up.

Having a GPS system in the vehicle is more effective than Lojack now.
It would allow tracking in real time and likely land those miscreants in jail.
I don't know why cellular providers don't offer support for GPRS/GPS devices as part of your regular data package.
(yes, there's an app for that)

 

It's a good thing my truck has crappy paint and is just an old work truck, it doesn't look very likely for some crook to break in to a $900 truck haha.

 

Design Tech used to build some real nice remote start, door lock/unlock, trunk or liftgate lock/unlock and alarm systems. When the alarm was triggered the starter circuit was disabled. Viper makes one also. I have a Ford dealer installed one I took off my grandson's 97 Taurus because I couldn't get the information on it.

Gary, according to Matt the ignition switch and wiring on our trucks won't handle the current draw of the solenoid on a PMGR starter. You would need some type of starter relay, our 90 Lincoln Town Car was one of the first if not the first car with a PMGR starter. It had a Bosch relay in the circuit to control the solenoid.

As far as security, anything that will turn on flashing lights, blow the horn, activate a siren or similar if the vehicle is tampered with will get rid of the non-professional thief. Locking a glove box, that worked fairly well in the days of steel dashboards. Mine, I can prevent a casual thief from taking the truck by removing two relays from my underhood power distribution center, ECM power and Fuel Pump. Unfortunately, the later style power window and lock panels put the lock switch almost directly under the wing vent, a "real" secure location.

 

Remember to design it such that a person can still get into it operate things when the battery is dead.

 

The hidden switch idea works until either someone finds it or bypasses it. Without a security system screaming to wake the neighbors the bad guys have all day to find it. And, like they did on PastorTom's, without a hood lock they have all day to use available wire to bypass it since everything they need is handy under the hood. Also, a hidden switch requires doing something every time you park the truck, which both may not happen 'cause you feel comfortable there and gives away the location of the switch to an observer. PastorTom was probably comfortable with his truck in his church's parking lot. And, leaning over to flip a switch in the glove compartment and then locking it each time you stop is a dead giveaway.

I'm looking for something that is natural and easy so it'll happen, and I'm already programmed to lock our other cars with the key fob when I walk away from there so lean to that approach. And I want something that will be so obnoxious that everyone in the area will know the bad guys are trying to steal the truck. Let's face it, these trucks are simple and can be started and driven off pretty easily w/o a key, so it isn't wise to give them time to do that.

As for a sign advertising that there is ammo on board, I don't think that is wise. Great! A truck that's easy to steal and free ammo to boot!

 

I'm not sure if this will work or not but how about a second ignition key switch that is used as a kill switch of sorts (I've been thinking about this out for a little while). Just put it where no one will think to put one. I know you have at least one you can use for this purpose.

 

Gary,
I would just get a remote alarm system with starter disable and multiple solenoid channels.
Then find some way to use one of the actuators to latch the hood in addition to the normal hood latch.

 

Ford did have a computerized anti-theft system that was dealer installed inside these trucks. I'll do some research on it. If I remember right, they were pretty basic, key activated and designed to attract attention, and not much else.

 

If someone would run a hot wire from the battery to the coil, couldn't they get it to run? Wouldn't you need to shut-off something coming from the DSII module?

The fuel shut-off is a good option, if they start the vehicle they think they are good to go until they start going down the road and it dies..

You could always put a cheap Android based phone (w/ GPS) in the vehicle to track it, but the cost of an extra bill may not be worth it to you. That being said, somebody probably offers a similar service for less.

 

Just put a NC switch in the green wire between DSII module and tach terminal of the horseshoe connector of the coil.
No signal, no spark when activated.

 

Every security system is breachable. This needs to be looked at from two angles - prevention and recovery.

What car thieves want is a speedy exit without a lot of attention drawn to them. They may jimmy a hood and door and simply start the vehicle and drive away or they may tow the vehicle. Thieves that are going to tow a vehicle will likely not even activate most prevention devices. Prevention here includes proper planning like backing into parking spots or parking with your wheels turned to prevent easy towing. You want them to have to access the cab and thus trigger some of your prevention devices such as an alarm.

I feel that some effort should be made to harden the vehicle to prevent access. The in cab hood release is fine as long as it can't be jimmied from outside. Give me 5 seconds with a Fox body mustang and I can open the hood from outside. A simple sheet metal plate fixes that.

I like the fuel system changes because it turns vandalism into grand theft auto. If a thief breaks into your truck with the intent of steeling and does damage but does not move it - that's only vandalism. However, since most of our trucks are carbureted a fuel shutoff will allow him to drive a short distance. This can be done with an extra fuel tank selector valve on a relay. In it's normal unpowered state it should not be connected to a tank. When you activate the relay with a small hidden switch it would power the valve to the secondary position and connect the fuel system.

All car thieves that have been interviewed said that simple but obscure devices are the best. They have a mental clock ticking in their head and if they can't figure out what you did to stop the vehicle they're going to leave. You still end up with damage but you still have your truck. Additionally if the truck stalls due to a fuel cutoff they're not likely to stick around very long to figure out why because they're going to be making one hell of a scene.

Additionally you could perform temporary physical prevention tactics for times when you will not be able to watch and the vehicle might be vulnerable such as when you're away on vacation. It's not very difficult to sink and eyelet into concrete to facilitate a chain and lock that would physically lock the vehicle to wherever it is. Alternatively you could remove a drive shaft. This would prevent casual thieves but not those that would tow your truck.

Recovery is simple in the event of a fuel cutoff as the vehicle will be within a few hundred feet of where you left it. For more professional thieves you'll need some kind of tracking system. I'm not a fan of Lojack for a variety of reasons but mainly because they won't allow self install. My issue with that is you have an installer that now has intimate knowledge of your security system and what potentially valuable items your truck has. There have been cases of stereo installers later robbing their clients of the systems they just installed.

That leaves GPS based systems. I researched them a few years ago, I'll have to look for my notes. The part that bothered me was they all required a monthly plan to work and you have to weigh the cost vs the reward. It may be more beneficial and cost effective to simply do your best with prevention and accept that there are some cases where your best efforts aren't good enough.

Lastly, etching the vin number into various parts including the windows is a deterrent to the chop-shop thieves because it makes the parts less desirable because they're easier to trace.

 

And since the 3 way fuel selector valve defaults to the rear tank when off, it sounds like a great option really.

 

GPS systems have come a LONG way lately.
There are tracking systems now that don't require a monthly subscription fee.
Batteries last for 6 months, or they can be wired into the truck.
Actually, embedding the antenna into the dash (beneath the Coverlay) would be an ideal solution!

 

If you could make the bench seat tilt forward like the bronco bucket seats did, you could lock the seat in the "up" position.

They could not sit or tamper with the column.

I have seen jeep people do this. It is pretty smart in my opinion.

Really, you could just fold the back of the seat forward and lock it in place.

 

Well, for a thread that didn't take off too quickly initially, this one has come alive. I come back from church and lunch and find lots of good comments. And, many of you are thinking kinda like I am - scary, huh?

The Viper 350 Plus is only $51.47 from Amazon, inc shipping. And, it gives all the inputs and outputs I would need. However, I doubt it is the one that I'd buy since it takes pushing two buttons to silently arm/disarm, and I don't like the obnoxious chirps. So, I'll be looking for one that lets you program it for silent mode one time. And, this one has the valet switch and the status LED integrated into a module, which I don't like either as I doubt I'll want them to be in the same place - although I'm sure I could separate them. Anyway, the point is that name brand alarms exist for about $50 to do what I want to do. Add onto that an electric hood lock, a few relays, and a pin switch and it can be done for about $100.

For that money the system would:

• Use the door pin switches to detect door opening
• Have a hood pin switch to detect hood opening
• Be tied into the door locks to lock/unlock them via the fob
• Have a hood lock that would be locked when the system is armed
• Have a shock sensor to detect movement of the vehicle or sharp blows like breaking the window.
• Control the tank selector valve to ensure the truck can't be driven away
• Have a loud siren that would call attention to the goings on if any of the sensors are tripped
• Have a starter cutout such that the starter wouldn't run even if they get the wire on the ignition switch jumpered.

Yes, it could be gotten around given enough time. But, it would be hard to get around it if the time were limited, as it would be with the siren going off and the headlights flashing. (The headlight wiring harness and relays makes that easy.) They could get into the vehicle by breaking a window out, as they did on PastorTom's truck, but that would set the alarm off, as would opening the door. So now the alarm is blaring and even if they broke the ignition lock the engine wouldn't crank w/o getting under the hood, which would be difficult since the electric lock would be set. Then, if they did get the hood open and the engine started, both of which would take some time during which the alarm would be blaring from somewhere under the truck, the engine would die due to lack of fuel in 10 seconds or so.

I'm thinking that would be adequate for what I need. This isn't going to ever be a $50k show vehicle, so I don't think I need the GPS tracking - although that might be something to look at for the Super Bee when I get it going. But, I do want a system that is simple to use, meaning it does all the work by pushing one button. And, it has multiple ways of keeping the bad guys from making it go, none of which are easy to get to.

Having said all that, I'm not sure that I will want to share exactly how I've done what ever I do. IOW, it probably wouldn't be smart to show everyone pictures of where I put the fuel valve (why would I leave it easily accessible on the frame?) when that would tell the bad guys, the few that can read, what to get around and where it is. Similarly, pictures of where the brain is mounted would give them just what they need to get to it and kill its power or bypass some wires. So, I may just have to tell you "its done" and you can PM me to see how I did it. Seem reasonable?