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For what it is worth, my plan for mine is to use multiple, simple methods to delay the thief long enough they give up on it. I don't have all the details worked out as of yet, but then I'm a long way from having the truck complete. As an example of what I am getting at is a brief story about a friend of mine from long ago. He and his live-in girlfriend had split up and she was causing him some grief. He owned a Chevy Nova at that time, and she had keys to the car. She would get someone to drop her off where he worked or near his residence and then take his car. She wasn't stealing it exactly; she was just trying to irritate him. He didn't want to go to the police, so he mounted two toggle switches in his glove compartment. Flipping one, interrupted power going to the coil, while the second sent that power to the horn relay. Trying to start the car, resulted in the horn blowing continuously as long as the key was being turned. It was an effective, low-cost solution to his problem.
That's a great idea! In fact assuming you don't have a one wire start button, if you use a Single Pole Double Throw (SPDT) toggle switch you could do the same with just one switch. I won't get into the wiring details here, but if you would like the info feel free to PM me.
I didn't take the time to read all of the replies in this post but I have implemented my own truck security procedures to help prevent theft of my F-2.
I avoid places I feel provide potential theft
I park near a lot nicer sexier vehicles, who wants to steel an old slow truck when there's nice sports car near by?
My truck is stock with the crashbox transmission, most people in the age range of auto theft can't drive a modern manual transmission, very highly unlikely they could get a crashbox moving for any great distance without chocking the truck out. Many don't like the crashbox transmission but I consider it a theft deterrent.
If I have to visit a questionable area I remove the coil wire.
I never lock my doors, one thing is I lost the door key and haven't gotten on in the thirty years I've been driving my truck. Main reason is a don't keep valuables in the truck and would rather have someone rifle through it without breaking a window or breaking a door handle mechanism. When we first got married my wife had a '85 Firebird that had a locking plastic door over the gas filler tube. I flipped the lock so it couldn't be locked. I would rather have someone syphon out $10 of gas than cause $1000 of damage prying the plastic door open.
In the industrial controls industry I am in we have a simple rule: Keep it simple, the more complex you make a circuit the more chance of something fail and harder to repair. I try to keep everything simple.
If security is the only goal I would just put a hidden switch that grounds down the points side of the ignition coil.
even if someone puts power to the coil with a jumper no spark.
That's a great idea! And really easy to do if you are running 12 volts and using a Tach. Just splice in a switch connected to ground into the Tach wire that runs to the points side of the coil. If 6 volts or 12volts without a Tach it would work too. (Hard to find a 6volt Tach) You would just have to run a wire to the coil.
EDIT:
If going this route you might want to run a heavier gauge wire to the points side of the coil such as 12 gauge. That way if the theives leave the IGN switch on, (they will) and you have the switch in the grounded postion, the wire should be able to handle the currect through the coil to ground with out melting and causing a fire. The coil will get hot though in this situation, just like someone leaving the Iignition switch on with the points closed.
Catastrophic failure of the starter relay is rare. If I recall, Bob Jones (Bob49f2) had one pop once.
My biggest concern would be running the battery cables through the sheet metal, twice. You would need to be careful how they are protected. Especially the lead from the battery.
That said, I'm not sure it would achieve the security you're looking for. If they are trying to hot-wire your truck, they're already inside where you're moving the relay. They'd still have access to it.
I've done cutoff switches outside and inside. Both work but when I do a shut off switch I interrupt the ground side. Interrupting the ground through the firewall is a whole lot safer than running a hot in and back out
The part I'd be worried about is the cut-off switch. You need one rated for at least 600 amps, and preferably more. Are you still 6v?
I use the cut off switches on the ground side with absolutely no issues.
when cranking the hot cable from the battery will get warm but I've never seen a ground get hot other than when there is a high resistance
Interesting story. Women! Can't live with them, can't live with them.
I never had a live in girlfriend , nor have I had a ugly breakup that a girl would "get even" with me.
My thief prevention tech is the starter button and the 3 on the tree.
About your situation why don't you buy one of those locking things that go into the steering wheel?
In his case, they had been married, got divorced, and then moved in together, then the above situation happened. They eventually moved back in together again, then split and she married someone else. Jeez, some people never learn.
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