Don't worry, that color is a deterrent in itself. Sorry, but I just had to post.

 

A tow truck doesn't care what you do to diasble the engine and is the way my truck was stolen. I know that because when it was recovered the ignition was still intact and the steering wheel locked.

I would think that a tow truck is just as fast as breaking in, busting the ignition lock, etc. and most people wouldn't pay any attention to a "Towing company" hooking up.

Not that it probably makes any difference but now I always try to back into a spot without access to the rear of truck. That way they would at least have to break the lock and put it in neutral before the tow truck could pull away.
Michael

 

I thought that too, but apparently, they can just un-hook your driveshaft at the axle and tow it without even having to have it in neutral. I guess if you really wanted to, you could put some special type of bolt with a proprietary head on it on the driveshafts, but i guess then they could just unhook something else...

That sucks to hear about your truck, but im glad that you got it back.

Merry Christmas!

Isaac

 

OK, First, I have to admit, my eyes glazed over half way thru this thread. You want to stay on topic, but are willing to talk about handgun acuracy? I'm confused, and frankly, annoyed. However, do have some experience in alarms, so I'll share, even though it's NOT EXACTLY what you asked.

There are ways around anyting. When I worked as an installer, we had a box that we would turn on and it scanned all the codes for the alarms at the time (mid-80's). Cliffords were the fastest to disarm, but that little box could turn off almost anything. We sold more keyed alarms from that little box! I share this to show you that anything can be cracked. The 80's corvette factory alarms are powered off the cig lighter circuit. Pop that circuit with a shorted 12v plug and the alarm shuts off. We demo'd this to GM in Detroit once and really pissed off a few engineers.

There are 2 schools of thought on blinking lights. Some love the big bright ones on the top of the dash, for all to see. I personally would prefer to not attract the attention. If I do a light, it goes low in the car. That way, if someone picks mine to investigate, THEN they see it. I would rather not draw attention to my vehicle.

Any alarm can be silenced, before it trips. A drill into the battery will keep any alarm from sounding as the truck is loaded on a flatbed.

If you do put in an alarm, in addition to the under-hood siren, put piezo sirens insid the truck, bouncing off the glass. TRUST ME, nobody will want to sit in there to crack a computer code or steal a display. IT HURTS!

We installed smoke grenades under a diamond broker's limo. He felt that nobody will call the police for a car alarm, but everyone will call the fire department for a car fire. Don't know if he ever had the chance to try it out.

The bottom line, anyone can get it if they want it bad enogh. If you want it more than them, do everything you can to protect it. If you want it way more than them, buy a clunker and leave the x in the garage (when you come to LA).

Good luck. I hope you get the perfect answer.

 

thank you for your post about alarms. I suspected, and your comments apparently confirm, that the alarms (at least the ones from your era) could be easily defeated.

But, let me bring you up-to-date. In the last few years, Ford (and some others) are equipping their cars with a computer-driven system that will only permit the car to start if a key with a minaturized "sender" is inserted into the ignition. Ford in its literature CLAIMS that this is fool-proof. I read that literature, and felt all warm and cuddely that my nice "new" Excursion is safe.

Then I started hearing rumors, found this forum, and that warm and cuddely feeling went away...FAST ! From what we have seen in here, thanks to the many contributions, is that no system is ENTIRELY fool-proof.

I REALLY like your idea of a smoke gernade! You "post" about that really got me thinking....yours is my favorite post...that is...IF....That is...if it wouldnt mess up the car !

Can you recommend a source for smoke gernades that can be ignited eletrically ( we have in the fire service smoke gernades...but 1) they leave quite a mess...and 2) they have to be physically activated, much like the old military "pineapple" gernades. ).

If the "smoke gernade" idea dosnt pan out...what can you people tell me about "boots". I have seen "boots" advertised that have a solid tool-steel center inside an aluminum core, meaning...it would be hard to break it off using the thieve's favorite for breaking things (squirting liquid nitrogen on it and hitting it with a hammer..shattering it like glass...)

 

One quick hint turn your front wheels when parking thus eliminating the tow vehicle from hooking to the rear and running or a roll on from pulling the vehicle onto the bed. Sure there are ways around this but they take time and time is the enemy to these types.

 

Talk about raising the dead .