I installed a keyed kill switch under the right lift out tray behind the passenger's seat. Actually, it is in front of the tray. I cut a portion of the tray to allow me to install and remove the key as necessary. I bought a positive battery lead and ran it from the battery to the area I mentioned. It is not apparent, looking in the battery box that the positive lead doesn't go directly to the engine. I realize that if someone wants to steal your car, they will figure out how to do it; but I use this shutoff for safety reasons as well. Future additions will be to use a cutoff to the fuel. But this has worked for me for now. The secret is to never have your Vette parked at the same location everyday at the same time. This is hard to do if you use your Vette as a daily driver. There are two types of car thieves. Those who stalk a specific car until they know exactly when and where they are going to take it, and there are the ones who go to malls or other large parking lots looking for what they are after. Both are skilled at what they do. I have actually followed a car thief around a mall lot checking doors to see if they were unlocked. I used a cell phone and kept in touch with police until they arrived and arrested him. He was part of a large car theft ring from Grundy county Tn.
Good luck with the security measures you use to try to avoid loosing your treasure. Anything is better than nothing and being careful is most important.
Bernie

 

Yea, I agree, something is better than nothing. Everyone wants to keep reiterating that a thief will just tow it, but hell, you could 'what if' this subject to death. My Idea is to use a battery cut-off, like a race car has, hidden in a inaccessible and remote location. It will be operated electronically, from a remote switch. None of this system will be visible to the naked eye, from any angle.

Another Idea I have heard of, is making a disguised cutoff switch out of the cigarette lighter. Basically, you run your battery wire to the lighter, and machine a receptical and 'lighter' out of metal (brass?) which can handle the current. When the lighter is removed, the circuit becomes open, and the car is virtually battery-less. I have never done nor seen this done, but I have heard it works, and is hardly reconizable.

 

It is on a C2.... not a C3.

The C2 hand-cable is attached to a lever which contacts a second lever which pulls the catch away from the hood mounted pin to release the hood. The drivers side body mounted half of the latch has an attachment for a cross-cable that runs across the firewall to the passenger side to release the pin on that side in the same manner.

If the hand-cable attached lever cannot be pulled/rotated, the hood cannot be opened (to bypass the security system).

My drivers side latch bracket has a 1/4" hole in the side closest to the lever. This was used to mount a pivoting "cam" which, when rotated, would stop the hand-cable attached lever from moving. This prevented the internal hand-cable from opening the hood. The cable would break before the cam would. The cam is activated/deactivated via a separate cable & solenoid (aka trunk lock parts).

So if/when the car would not start due to the alarm system.... kill switch etc, the hood could not be opened to hotwire the car. I did this because I knew how incredibly easy it was to hotwire these old-technology cars.

All you have to do is think like a deviate. Easy for me.

 

Well, you could always carry around a big hunk of cement with a chain attached to it and throw it out every time you park.

Amazing the lengths people will go to to deceive themselves into believing that their car is "protected".

Dep

 

Vewry cool idea. I can see how it would be pretty effective on an average run-of-the-mill thief. Thanks for sharing.

 

I don't think anyone is deceived into believing their car is theft proof. All any security device will do is slow them down. Being smart about where and when and how long you park your car in public minimizes the probability of having it stolen. We bought our Vettes to enjoy and I do that to the fullest. I drive it where I want and when I want; and at some point someone might steal or attempt to steal it. The fact that it is a car that has a very high theft potential shouldn't stop anyone of us from enjoying what we own. I just hope that if someone does attempt to steal it I can catch them in the act. Vietnam taught me a long time ago that life isn't worth living if you're too scared to live it, and its worth the taking if someone tries to force their will on you.
Bernie

 

The fact is there IS no such thing as "theft proof". Even if you are SITTING IN your car you can have it carjacked. Vietnam taught me that life isn't worth LOSING over ANY material object. That's why we have car insurance. There are so many "what ifs" to taking direct action on a car thief, that you better be DAMN SURE you are on 100% legal ground BEFORE you do it. Laws vary from state-to-state. It's not a matter of being "scared", it's a matter of THINKING AHEAD to possible consequences. Plus is it worth losing YOUR life trying to prevent a car theft?

The gizmos and devices people are submitting are about the equivalent to The Club. They will only deter casual thiefs and send them looking for an easier car to steal. A Pro can take a car EVERY time. And if you live in some cities, that pro won't have a second thought about taking the car and your life in the process.

Dep

 

I think most of us know that 'Locks only keep honest people honest'. Deterrence is the key. Any of these will deter an amateur, slow down an expert, and do nothing for the pro. All the repo guys I knew used a wrecker to hook up a car, drive off and then place the safety chains in a safe place. Some got shot at, but they always finished their mission.

Life will go on. I've never lost a car, but did lose two nice bikes that were locked (one with an uncuttable, unbreakable lock!!!) so I know the sick feeling one gets.

As for the carjacker scenario, I'd gladly trade my 'Vette for my life (so life CAN go on somehow), but honestly, if I thought the crook cared less about me than my potentially erstwhile possession, I'd have no qualms about beating him to the punch and letting God be his judge. Hope I am never in that situation. Awareness of your surroundings is essential.

 

The fact that a thief would just as soon take your life to get your car should tell you the depths that some people are willing to go for personal profit because of greed and lack of caring for their fellow man. Like a lot of men, I have spent a good deal of my life preserving the rights, freedom and lives of others. If there are people willing to take my life to steal something I own, then they need to understand they need to be willing to die trying. I am willing to go as far as a thief in protecting my rights, property, and for others. No decent person wants to hurt anyone and that is the last thing I want to do. So yes, I use gadgets to try to prevent theft, I have insurance in case it happens and I have the means and willingness to stop it if I am forced to.
Bernie

 

As I said....better be VERY sure if you use any kind of force, especially deadly force, you have the law behind you after the fact. In my state it is NOT legal to use deadly force to prevent theft or burglary except for car jacking or where the burglar/thief threatens you with deadly force. Shoot a guy trying to steal your car and you WILL spend
time with a guy named Bubba, and he ain't the one that goofs up car repair jobs. It's all well and good to be a big talker on the forum and make all kinds of idle/empty threats. I would not want to be the one getting someone else in trouble because they acted on stoopid advice I gave.

Dep

 

Great thread!

I have a Painless wiring system in my C2 - it uses a late model style fuse box with a coil fuse. I remove the fuse when I park the car. But judging from the posts here that won't work either.

If I remove the fuse for the coil could they still jumper the distributor or coil from under the hood?

I guess I could just leave my 105 lb German Shepherd in the passenger seat

 

We used to raise and train dobermans and shephards. You have a beautiful dog. A lot of our pups were used in rescue work. We had to put our last one down a few years ago and don't have the heart to get another one, knowing at some time we would loose it.
Dep, your are right about giving stupid advise on the forum. It was not my intent to advise anyone to use deadly force. If I were caught in that that situation I would use only the force necessary. If my life were put in danger I would use necessary force there too. I'm sure that the would-be thieves we are discussing read these forums too. Car theft is a very sofisticated business today. Idle threats don't scare them and I don't make them. When a car is stolen the theft occurs when and where it is most advantageous for the thief. They minimize their exposure to being caught. That is why they are so successful. At any rate, you are correct, Using force to protect your property could get you in trouble. You have to be prepared to answer for your actions. I still contend that using devices that hamper their efforts works to our advantage. Time is a thief's enemy and the more time he has to take increases his chance of being caught. This is their value to us; making a thief take longer than he wants to steal a car.
Bernie

 

The output of the alternator goes directly to the battery + terminal. Any metal object touching the frame is a ground. So you have what you need under the hood. If the coil is intentionally shorted as a theft deterrent, just snip the existing wire.

I can hotwire a Vette by running a jumper wire from the Alt output terminal and using any engine part for a ground.

A screwdriver can be used to turn over the starter. Or, if it's a manual tranny, just roll it and drop the clutch.... it will start.

The factory steering wheel lock is a joke.

 

Bernie: I agree 100%. On my daily driver truck I still use The Club. People can laugh, but SOMETHING is better than NOTHING!!

I also suggest that guys NOT leave their garage doors open for extended periods of time. Thieves cruise nice areas looking for open garage doors to see what kind of goodies are available for the taking.

Dep

 

Tom: I don't doubt you are correct. But is it REALLY wise to post this information on a public forum? We know that factory anti-theft devices are limited in their effectiveness. But posting how-tos for hotwiring our cars is NOT in the best interest of anyone who owns these cars.

Dep

 

Yeh... I hear ya. I thought about that before I posted. I even stopped & reconsidered at one point.

But..

The fact is, even the most unsophisticated car thief already knows the basics.... which is what I posted. So I am not telling them something they don't already know. Car thieves are already way beyond this simple old technology. We need to wake up.

I've been trying to tell all these guys how easy it is to hotwire a C3. But it's going in one ear and out the other. I guess I'm wasting my time.

So... go ahead.... do all yer wizardry.... but bubbba with an alligator lead can defeat it all.

Reality 101.

They'll steal your wife or girlfriend too if you don't keep an eye on them. LOL

 

Well I tried to explain that car thieves that WANT a car will TAKE a car if they are Pros, but nobody wants to face that either

I just worry that it's encouraging kids who DON'T know the details of hotwiring to give it a try.

Dep

 

Dep,
Keeping the garage door is great advice. We never keep our door open. Strange cars pass thru our neighborhood every day. Not all are looking for a house to buy. I did have my upper garage door open while installing the diff and trailing arms and had a strange car stop and watch. I had to go and ask the man if he needed anything. You are also right about not giving people info on how to hot wire cars on the forum. This isn't a secure site. Keep them safe and secure but enjoy them too!
Bernie

 

Yes it's impossible to stop a pro, they can drag it sideways onto a flat bed or enclosed trailer in less than a minute.

I just want to stop or slow down the kids and the amatures.

 

Kids who don't know the details will not know where to connect the wires or how to turn over the engine.

I can provide that as well.... ready? LOL

All of this is why I went to tear gas.... I figured they could wire it up, but not be able to drive it once they got a face full of tear gas... and the pager would give me time to get to the car. After a while, I just gave it a break, and just don't let the car out of my site when out cruising.