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Which is the cheapest and best way to protect my car?

S

SuepaFly

Senior member
Anyone have some words of wisdom with regard to cheap but effective ways to protect my car? Mine got stolen in the middle of the night from my gated carport October 28th :Q

My current car has a pretty simple factory installed alarm. The horn goes off if the door is opened internally when it is set, and it immobilizes the engine if the alarm goes off. I just want something that is enough of a deterrent and maybe can protect my car in the event someone just sort of wants my car (if someone really wanted it, they could take it in more avenues than I could cover).

My brother in-law suggested I get The Club, the new one that sits on the dash. Anyone else have other suggestions?

TIA
 
Uh yeah, my doors were locked and windows shut. Believe it or not, some theives out there actually know how to steal a car without needing the doors unlocked and the keys in the ignition.

I plan on moving in February, but my lease isn't up until then.

Does anyone have an actual idea?
 
As the former insurance guy, my advice is you need 3 layers of protection

First is physical locking. ie Club, brake/clutch, steering column or the extreme boot-your-own car lock.
Second is active/passive alarm. This is your noisemaker and you can incorporate fuel/electrical cutoff, motion sensor, shock sensor, etc.
Third is tracking. Lojack, etc. Won't help your car from being stolen, but will help them find it.

Other things to consider, vin etching (which may not be a good thing for coded keys) but can help stop certain people from chopping up the car. Also, common sense is important. Park in secure lots, no valuables in sight, don't buy flashy vehicles, etc.
 
Originally posted by: freebee
As the former insurance guy, my advice is you need 3 layers of protection

First is physical locking. ie Club, brake/clutch, steering column or the extreme boot-your-own car lock.
Second is active/passive alarm. This is your noisemaker and you can incorporate fuel/electrical cutoff, motion sensor, shock sensor, etc.
Third is tracking. Lojack, etc. Won't help your car from being stolen, but will help them find it.

Other things to consider, vin etching (which may not be a good thing for coded keys) but can help stop certain people from chopping up the car. Also, common sense is important. Park in secure lots, no valuables in sight, don't buy flashy vehicles, etc.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your advice. I guess I will go out and get the Club today. Even if it deters them only a little bit. I'll look into lojack, maybe it will be in my budget 🙂 Thanks again.
 
i was going to post "Crowbar from Home Depot - 7 Dollars"

Did you car that got stolen have a jack, or car alarm?
 
It had a simple alarm, basically if the window was broken and they unlocked the door through that, it would go off. I think they may have cut the alarm or something...
 
The club in particular isn't very effective, thieves just take a hack saw to your steering wheel and 5 seconds later have it removed. Probably the best is one of the new paging alarms installed properly. You need to seek out a good installer and specify exactly how they should install it. The brain should not go up under the driver side dash, all wire connections hidden and you want a battery backup. Even if they tow your car at least you should get notification.
 
I'm thinking about putting a physical switch on the fuel pump relay for my Jetta. From what I see it's not very hard and I like a physical switch more than a fancy alarm that will require another keyfob for.
 
I'm assuming you live in an apartment complex? If it's gated, someone that lives near you definitely knows something about it.
 
http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/afric.../11/flame.thrower.car/

-- Crime-obsessed South Africans have a powerful new weapon with which to stop likely criminals: the car flamethrower.

Casting a man-high fireball, reportedly with no damage to the paint, the Blaster has been placed on 25 South African vehicles since its introduction last month.

At 3,900 rand ($655), it offers a cheap, dramatic defense against carjackers. It has yet to be deemed illegal.

South African courts allow killing if convinced that it's in self-defense. The defense is not unheard of. In last year's 13,000 carjackings, criminals often brandished weapons or used them with little provocation.
Click to expand...
 
Originally posted by: aplefka
I'm assuming you live in an apartment complex? If it's gated, someone that lives near you definitely knows something about it.
Click to expand...

Yeah thats what I figure. Our gate isn't easy to climb over, plus if someone climbs over it, they wouldn't know what they were getting into since they cannot see our cars from the street or by attempting to look over the fence. It somehow has to be internal, which is really scary.

My insurance guy was telling me that no matter what you have, if someone wants it, they could bring a tow truck and take it. I just want something that is a strong enough deterrent.
 
What kind of car was it, and what kind of car do you have now?


If you are really worried, pull the Fuel pump fuse or take the coil wire off when leaving it for a long period.
 
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