I have a '65 F100 that I have put lots of money and time into rescuing and restoring. Now that it is finished how so i keep it from getting stolen? If I can start my truck(and probably yours too) with a screwdriver, whats to stop a thief from doing it too? Any ideas for a hood lock? Cutoff switches? What are you guys doing?

 

a master power shut off switch is a good idea for old trucks. You use it to shut off the main power from the battery when parked. If it is hidden, a thief has to spend valuable time finding it. It is also nice to have in emergencies. The first thing firefighters do at the scene of a wreck is to cut the battery cables to elimniate the possibility. I had an electrical fire under the hood of my 56 and had to pull the battery cable to kill the juice. The battery on that truck is under the passenger floorboard. Never moved so fast in my life. The truck had a master switch the next day, along with lots of new wires. Another safety item is a switch between the ignition switch and the coil. Thief can crank the motor but will get no spark without hotwiring under the hood.

 

>I have a '65 F100 that I have put lots of money and time
>into rescuing and restoring. Now that it is finished how so
>i keep it from getting stolen? If I can start my truck(and
>probably yours too) with a screwdriver, whats to stop a
>thief from doing it too? Any ideas for a hood lock? Cutoff
>switches? What are you guys doing?

I don't know the correct terms for the the relay in my 1966, but I know that there was a cutoff switch my father installed in the truck just behind the dashboard. This proved to be frustrating as one day my car broke down on a mountain, and the truck that was to pickup the car and take it back to civilization well, as it turns out this switched died as well. He changed out the cap / rotor / wires / everything electrical, where as I in my frustration, just reached under the dash, pulled the wires from the switch, put them together, and got full operation. [This is probally why alot of extra new electrical components were left from his estate]

I'm NO expert in hotwiring, but i've observed in normal passanger vehicals that you can provide ON power by just jumpering at the fusebox, and if it wasn't for the steering wheel lock, one could push start the vehical away. On my 1966 this is even more easy as well, you don't have to bother jumpering at the fuse box, as the ignition is easy to access and start.

A cutoff switch to the relay seems to be among the popular solutions, the observed results when enabled, the starter will crank, but no spark. A would be theif would need to actually identify these wires (hold on grabbing the thingie)..

Ok I have the thingie, has two large posts on either side, for battery power, as well as two smaller posts marked S and I. if i'm remembering correctly, not i'm sure that I am, but this relay will only provide battery power to the ignition system if it's jumpered? [part shows napa part number MPE ST81sb).

A true truck classic truck thief would likely know about the placement of this, average car thief, well, would have to search around and find it, which means valuable time, and might as well steal a toyota.
======

I have thought about a simple magnetic switch, right behind the dimple on the left hand side of the dash my self. Where proper operation would require a fridge magnet. Wouldbe theif looking for a phsyical switch would at the very least be stumped. Would be operator would know aobut this, and carry a fridge magnet, and well, a spare small jumper cable in the event thier magnetic solution failed, or lost their fridge magnet.

 

I like the big master power switches installed in the battery ground cable. Location is up to you. This is also helpful when working on the truck and easier than removing the battery. We had to have one of these on race cars with a wire and pull tab to the outside of the body so safety personel could cut off the power if needed. A piece of chain and padlock to keep the hood closed is also helpful. Bottom line if some SOB wants your truck, he's gonna get it. Unless you shoot him of course!
William in Atlanta

 

>I like the big master power switches installed in the
>battery ground cable. Location is up to you. This is also
>helpful when working on the truck and easier than removing
>the battery. We had to have one of these on race cars with
>a wire and pull tab to the outside of the body so safety
>personel could cut off the power if needed. A piece of
>chain and padlock to keep the hood closed is also helpful.
>Bottom line if some SOB wants your truck, he's gonna get it.
> Unless you shoot him of course!

Given time, my self included, anyone can steal a vehicel. Anyone who's had to replace a broken key in the lock cylinder knows this. I remember my sisters car in particular, broken key and an off the shelf replacement cylinder, while not easy for me, it was replaced.

The trick is making it not so easy.

I know in my region, among the highest vehicels stolen, are Toyotas, Toyotas for some reason, always have locks that you can open up with a screw driver after a while. It's not the professional theives that are the major concern, it's the kids who want a joy ride. Unfortunatly, the pickup truck is the same way, and known to be attractive in the fact that vehicels from that vintage don't have a wheel lock.

 

If you check in the Aftermarket forum there is a topic on a brake lock system. Basically turn a key and lock front and rear brake circuits. The only quick way to move the vehicle is to flatbed it or cut the brake lines.

Disabling the lock is very tough, especially if you surround it with a 1/4 steel plate with a hole just big enough for the key (drilling out would be very hard with a battery operated drill). I put mine in under the dash so the angle required to get at it is very awkward.

The other thing is to chain and padlock the hood from behind the grill. You can make this almost invisible with minimum change/damage to teh truck.

Then install an alarm. Note that unless you protect the battery cables, most alarms on most vehicles, especially older trucks can be disabled by cutting the battery cable from underneath. So, directly run separate cables to the alarm that can not be seen or disabled from underneath the truck.

People use to install super alarms in the older Corvetters and all a thief would do is drill a hole through the bottom of the floor in the right spot and cut the negative cable.