Anti-Theft Suggestions for 71 Eldorado

[Rich Sullivan CLC #11473]

My 71 Eldorado Convertible seems vulnerable to theft when compared to newer cars, so Im asking for vehicle theft prevention ideas. (Factory Theft-Deterrent alarms were not offered until 1973.) The "Club" device seems easy to defeat with the rather thin steering wheel. I have a "kill" switch installed. What have some other members done? Any other ideas? (Im more concerned about it being stolen from my garage where it is stored, than when Im using the car. It surely attracts attention!)

[Porter 21919]

Rich,

Years ago when I had Corvettes and the Vette magazines a professional Vette thief (since turned clean) described how he used to go look at cars for sale as a potential buyer and most owners would tell him about the kill switch, including the location. He would go steal the cars in the middle of the night, long gone before the police were notified.

Only had one car he couldnt steal, couldnt find the kill switch.

If they want any car bad enough they will use a flatbed, the kill switch located accordingly is your best bet.

I dont think a 71 Eldo is at the top of their must steal list, no offense intended.

Porter

[Bruce Reynolds # 18992]

Rich,

I agree with Porter.

The fitting of a cut-out, or other device is easy to do, and with the non-computerised vehicles it is even easier.

The trouble with Convertibles is that the thief can gain instant access with just a top material cutting device (blade) and then simply reack down and open the door.

Whatever place you plan to put the "Switch", dont tell anyone, apart from your wife, in case you forget, and keep it simple.

By killing the ignition, but still allowing the starter motor to turn, will attract attention of someone trying to start it, and the fact that the starter turns, will encourage the theif to think that nothing is wrong with it, and it just needs a few more revolutions.

They will soon get sick of the noise of the cranking, and go.

The "Club" is really only a visual protector, as a real thief wont mind breaking the steering wheel to ge the Club off.

Bruce,
The Tassie Devil(le),
60 CDV

[Steve Cole #22466]

While Ill admit that my 1961 hardtop probably isnt a theft item, Im too paranoid & would rather hang on to it. If you think your steering wheel is thin, check out 61/62 steering wheel!

That said, its obvious that the Club isnt a viable option. There are variants of this and in particular, Im going to pick up the club-like device that "locks" your brake pedal. You place this device underneath the brake pedal & then pull the upper portion up towards you which holds the brake pedal firmly in place. Ive seen it for sale at the Pep Boys chain of parts stores but I imagine that you can find it elsewhere.

Dont know how well it would work but it is a visual deterent & about all you can do short of pulling the ignition wire between the distributor cap & your coil..

[Johnny]

Ever since the 50s my sister always had convertibles, and told me that she never would lock them.  Her reasoning was that a convertible is easy to get into, by just ripping the top.  So if the car gets stolen, and is recovered, at least you dont have to worry about replacing the top.  I have had a couple of convetibles, and never locked them.  One got stolen, a 63 Corvair, and was recovered in perfect condition.  My other, a 69 Buick Electra, had an attempt on it.  The only damage was the ignition trim on the steering wheel.  In both cases the top was fine.

I agree with everything that has been said about the kill switch.  They are a reliable and inexpensive.  I have had them on a couple of Cadillacs that I have owned.

[David #19063]

Rich,

Truely, I liked the anti-theft device used in the James Bond movie, The Spy Who Loved Me!  BBBBOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM!!!

Johnny is right, if you have a convertible, you never want to lock the doors, especially if the top is up.

They cut your top to open your door.

I remember my brother getting very mad at me back when I was 16 when he let me use his 70 Cutless Supreme convertible for a few days.  He saw it parked with the top up and the doors locked.

If a professional wants to steal your car, they will no matter what.  And as Porter said, a lot of cars are stolen with tow trucks or flatbeds.

The amateures that are going for a joy ride probably will steal something else.

What you have to worry about is the punks that will cut the top to get in and see if there is change in the ash tray or glove box, or that see someones wallet or purse sitting on the seat.  One slit with a knife and its theirs.

Your best bet is to make sure that you have a Stated Value insurance policy that will pay you a set amount if the car is totaled/stolen.  An amount that will let you go out and buy another one as nice for the money.  That is your only true protection.

I talk to a lot of people at car shows and cruise nights and find that there are quite a few people have their cars way underinsured, some to save money on insurance, others because they have not updated their insured value in a long time.

David

[Richard Pope]

I own a 72 Eldo conv and a Z3 conv. I never lock the doors in either. If my wife takes her purse we put it in the trunk out of sight.

I work with a bunch of engineers that lock their cars in the company parking lot, even though the next company is about 1/2 mile away. They think I am crazy for not locking my car until I tell them how much a top costs. Nothing someone could steal in the car cost as much.

If you are worried about someone stealing the car while in storage...take the battery and two of the tires with you when you store it. Everyone has one spare; not many have two! Plus our Eldo rims are hard to find/replace

Richard

[Denise 20352]

   If you use a "club", dont put it on with the handle sticking up like most people do.  Put the handle down and to the left side, so that a potential thief cant just slide into the seat and break it.

-denise

[Mike #19861]

 The best anti-theft device is one that you install and only you know how to defeat it. Like the remotely located kill switch. Dont tell anyone where it is, except maybe for your better half.

 The more popular an anti teft device becomes, the more likely a thief will figure out a way to defeat it. And, besides, those radio shop alarms are just plain annoying to everybody in the neighbourhood and could result in you being charged with disturbing the peace. Some locales just plain ban them.

  Mike

[Denise]

    Remember the talking alarms?  You stand close to the car and they say something like, "Stand back, security system activated", or "protected by *****".  I cant imagine how much more provocation a young punk would need to do a number on your car with a key.

-d

[George Woodford clc21025]

What about disconnecting the battery? If you have a battery quick-disconnect device, just remove the part that screws into the base that makes the connection.

[Lou 19028]

If they want any car bad enough they will use a flatbed, the kill switch located accordingly is your best bet.

There is one way to stop a flat bed theft. Park your car up against the wall with the wheels turn in a fashion that when they go to hook it up, the car will hit the wall when they drag it. Also It makes it harder to turn the ingition key with the wheel turned all the way. Ever have that happen?   lol

[Alex Downie]

The kill switch is a good idea.  I use the "Club" on my Eldo, but wonder if those brake pedal to steering wheel bars are more effective...

I had my 65 Buick Riviera stolen once.  They took it at night and it was found less than a mile away.  I didnt have a kill switch but had rewired the headlight door visor motor to run off a manual switch instead of the factory setup which actuates the visor motor when you turned on the headlights.

Well the thief probably got nervous when he realized he was driving around in a stolen car at night with no headlights visible!

When I recovered the car (undamaged) I noticed that the battery was dead and the headlight switch had been pulled out all the way.  

Anyhow, thought you might enjoy that little story...

-Alex

[Johnny]

"Truely, I liked the anti-theft device used in the James Bond movie, The Spy Who Loved Me!  BBBBOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM!!!"

I used to have a 77 Eldo that had a coded kill switch.  It was a little black box, with 3 knobs on it and numbers like a safe.  In order to start the car, the dials had to be on the numbers.  When people saw this, they asked what it was, and I said, I had a stick of dynamite under the hood, and if the numbers didnt match, the care would blow up LOL.


"I talk to a lot of people at car shows and cruise nights and find that there are quite a few people have their cars way underinsured, some to save money on insurance, others because they have not updated their insured value in a long time."

Not only are many people underinsured with their collector cars, but also with their "everyday" car.  They also do it to save money with lower limits, forgetting one serious accident could wipe them out.

[Joe G CLC 12138]

Nowadays, just put $10.00 worth of gas in it at a time. You can recover the car within walking distance......

[Barry Wheeler #2189]

Heard of a war story about Vettes in Northern Indiana.
Guy thought hed be real smart, and put a log chain around an axle, then the other end to a large tree.
Next morning, he got up, and the car was three houses down, again chained to a large tree. Plus a note on the windshield.
"Wrong color. See you later."

[Densie 20352]

> Not only are many people underinsured with their collector cars, but also with their "everyday" car. They also do it to save money with lower limits, forgetting one serious accident could wipe them out.

   Anyone who buys a new car is underinsured, because they depreciate so quickly, and because the first years payments go to paying the sales tax and registration.  So if you want to be able to push it over a cliff if/when you decide that its not worth what you owe, you spend $500 or so on GAP insurance to make up the difference.  One of the stupidest things I have ever done (Ive done quite a few lately) was to cancel my GAP insurance.

-denise

[densie]

  I did, and Im going to put a kill switch in my Chrysler this weekend.  A professional thief would pass it up, but the flashy exterior and the "*****house" interior would attract joyriders from the dicey part of town.

-denise

[Johnny]

> Not only are many people underinsured with their collector cars, but also with their "everyday" car. They also do it to save money with lower limits, forgetting one serious accident could wipe them out.

   Anyone who buys a new car is underinsured, because they depreciate so quickly, and because the first years payments go to paying the sales tax and registration.  So if you want to be able to push it over a cliff if/when you decide that its not worth what you owe, you spend $500 or so on GAP insurance to make up the difference.  One of the stupidest things I have ever done (Ive done quite a few lately) was to cancel my GAP insurance.

-denise

I was referring more to liability limits.

[denise 20352]

  Considering that it has been a year since my auto accident, I havent seen a dime, and will get very little, if anything, for a lifetime of pain, Im not real gung-ho about buying more liability insurance to protect other drivers.  I know it sounds really strange, but I have this feeling that things should be fair.

-denise