Security - Kill Switch - any ideas
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Senior User
Joined: Oct 2009
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Security - Kill Switch - any ideas
I just finished partially restoring my truck, which looks pretty good. Now i am thinking about putting some type of kill switch on it, since i just drive it about once a week. I don't really want an alarm but a kill switch would be nice.
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 198
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From: Burbank, CA
I'm not sure how much good a kill switch would do in preventing the theft of an old truck like this. A thief who had any idea what he was doing wouldn't mess with the ignition switch or anything under the dash. He'd do it the old-fashioned way, under the hood, with a jumper wire to the coil and a screwdriver across the starter solenoid terminals. So, the only kind of kill switch that would work would have to break the wire going from the negative side of the coil to the distributor. You'd have run a wire from the coil back to a hidden switch under the dash and back, and then try to make it non-obvious.
I think a better way to deter a thief is a mechanical lock on the steering wheel. One of those commercial bars or a loop of chain around the seat bracket and a padlock.
Or, a rottweiler sleeping on the seat.
I think a better way to deter a thief is a mechanical lock on the steering wheel. One of those commercial bars or a loop of chain around the seat bracket and a padlock.
Or, a rottweiler sleeping on the seat.
Junior User
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 52
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From: Spring branch
I have had several trucks with granny 4 speeds and on each welded a plate to the floor pan behind the stick with a tit (for lack of a better word) from 1 inch by 1/4 strap welded to the plate and coming up throught the carpet. Then heated another piece of strap, bent one end around the bottom of the stick, drilled a hole in the other end and one in the tit on the floor, put the truck in reverse and pad locked the stick to the floor plate. If some one jump starts it and takes it, where ever he goes it will be in reverse. Park the truck backed up to a light pole or a building it aint going any where at all. Course this only works with a stick.....and assumes the thief doesn't have bolt cutters or a torch.... and you don't want to get lubed up and lose your key to the lock
Senior User
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 290
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From: Las Vegas
One kill switch that works, is running a well disguised wire from the negative (distributor side) terminal of the coil to a hidden switch to ground. Even if a thief jumps from the battery, it WILL NOT START. The down side is that you want to make sure you don't forget about it and try to start the truck without defeating the switch, as you may damage your ignition switch or wiring.
Just My $.02,
Gene
Just My $.02,
Gene
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 120
Likes: 0
From: New York City
If you really want to make it cool, bypass the ignition wire with relay connected to another electrical switch in your truck...cigarette lighter or interior dome light. This is how I have my set up with both having turned on in order for the engine to start. At the end of the day I take my cigarette lighter with me as well. Also, a cool trick is if the cigarette lighter and dome light is on, I can take my key out of the ignition with engine still running...once either of the two is off (cigarette is obviously timed) - engine shuts off. You can also do this trick with a radio, but unfortunately my radio is a new kind that senses voltage drop and shuts off when ignition is on.
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Senior User
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 120
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From: New York City
Also forgot to mention that if you really want to have double security, kill switch ignition and distributor. I am also thinking of installing a fuel line solenoid with a hidden switch as well. I know that this is all overkill, but keeps my mind at ease.
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