Theft-proofing a 710 ???

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markv
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Theft-proofing a 710 ???

Post by markv »

I'm about to buy a 710, but having had an unusual 4x4 stolen from me before I'm wondering about adding a bunch of anti-theft devices/modifications and a hidden GPS tracker. The following ideas occur to me, if you have others ideas or comments please add, or perhaps PM me if you want to be super secret?

Electrical

* remove the battery key
* add a radio controlled circuit or hidden switch to make sure no power gets to the coil
* make sure part of the wiring harness is easily removeable and remove it when parked

GPS tracking

* keeping power to the device is important, that means a small hidden battery besides also hiding the GPS device and transmitter

Fuel

* cut off power to the fuel pump (I'm assuming it is electrical, not mechanical)
* put an electrically operated valve in the fuel line (radio controlled or hidden switch)
* remove part of the fuel line when in longer term storage (inconvenient for starting it and driving it around to top up the batteries / make sure seals dont deteriorate)

Intrusion on a model K

* aftermarket door locks
* standard car alarm to go off when a door is opened or movement in the cab, sends SMS

Other

* some combo mechanical steering lock / gear lock / pedal lock

All seems over the top but hey, paranoia.... thanks for any hints / advice
undysworld
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Re: Theft-proofing a 710 ???

Post by undysworld »

A big, territorial, defensive, dog. I find dalmatians work very well, once they figure out that the vehicle is theirs. :twisted: They are loud and go off at the slightest offense, and of course, if that doesn't work, they bite!

I never even remove the key!
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TechMOGogy
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Re: Theft-proofing a 710 ???

Post by TechMOGogy »

None of that helps when they drag it onto a trailer and drive away (the GPS may help locate it).
I think you could spend $1000's and be no better off then removing the factory battery key and putting a $20 Club on the steering wheel.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/The-Club-Twin ... ethod=p13n
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VinceAtReal4x4s
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Re: Theft-proofing a 710 ???

Post by VinceAtReal4x4s »

Where are you that you are that worried about someone stealing a 4x4 that would be very easy to spot, hard to drive and not fast enough to escape a bicycle? Criminals hate those traits. They would also know that selling one would be very tough to do, given the small Pinzgauer world.

Yeah the battery master switch is very effective.
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edzz
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Re: Theft-proofing a 710 ???

Post by edzz »

Different measures for different locations. As your profile is not indicating what part of the world you reside in or the environment you would be worried about the theft occurring your asking for people to use the shotgun approach to recommend options. In my old neighborhood in Southern California I did volunteer work with the city, I had a couple of police departments where all the officers recognized me and my truck. Where I live now our "neighborhood watch" tends to be more reactive than passive. If your fishing to find out what security measures people are using you may want to introduce yourself and make friends prior to asking people for the combination to their safes. No offence intended just my own view.
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McCall Pinz
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Re: Theft-proofing a 710 ???

Post by McCall Pinz »

TechMOGogy wrote:None of that helps when they drag it onto a trailer and drive away (the GPS may help locate it).
Depending on where you live, GPS is probably the best. Someone would have to be pretty familiar with a Pinz to know the battery cut off switch. You could easily add a switch inline to the coil and another inline to the cutoff units on the carbs.
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Re: Theft-proofing a 710 ???

Post by VinceAtReal4x4s »

I had one of these on a coil wire on another vehicle long ago. If mounted in a good spot where you can't easily get to the back of it, this works better than getting overly complex I think. You don't have to worry about someone picking it either.


http://www.amazon.com/Parts-Express-Swi ... key+switch
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kdiqq
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Re: Theft-proofing a 710 ???

Post by kdiqq »

If it offers you any comfort, my wifes Trailblazer SS was stolen from the 6th floor of our guarded, gated apartment complex... Yeah, fishy right? It gets worse... We have video of security opening the gate for the thieves as they left and then they played dumb when asked about it. Naturally, no justice was brought upon them.

My neighbor has lived in the same complex for 4+ years with his Pinzgauer. He has had several of his BMWs broken in to, but no one has ever touched the Pinzgauer. Unlike an LR, Pinzgauer parts are even more obscure, easier to track, and harder to find buyers for. A stolen Pinzgauer is worthless and everyone who sells parts in the US is either a well known distributor/importer or has SOME community presence. It's very high risk for very low reward.

That being said, Amazon has GPS trackers that you pop a pre-paid SIM in to that you can text at any time and it will ping you back a location. They are hard-wired with a battery backup. Typically the units are <$100. You also get a small insurance discount usually for having one.
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markv
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Re: Theft-proofing a 710 ???

Post by markv »

Thanks everyone, maybe gone some way to assuage my paranoia.

I'm sure I can do something useful with wiring and GPS, these are fairly close to my trade.... a lock on the steering wheel is nice and visible too.

Dalmatians yes, useful, being an ex-Ridgeback owner I'd personally go for a Ridgeback, though I hear that the only totally reliable dog for defensive purposes is a female doberman. But sadly a dog is a big responsibility that I can do without at the moment.

Edzz, I'm not fishing, I'm just paranoid because I had a Toyota FJ40 (unusual and obscure, not fast, not easy to sell) stolen from the same location as I propose to keep the Pinz. A few years later I'm looking in the back pages of a 4x4 magazine and there I see a pic of my Toyota in the classified ads. I go and see it on a farm, grass growing through it... investigation proceeds and I get a reply "Oh the farmer next door gave it to me. He died last year." Clearly it was stolen to order and used for a while as a farm vehicle. I do know from neighbours that a loader was used. I just walked away :( the restoration needed for the vehicle by then was too large, and the person selling it had a great cover story .

---

So here's to making some online friends here when the Pinz is in my hands -- that is looking increasingly likely as I find my way around import related problems. Yay!!! Thanks again.
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Re: Theft-proofing a 710 ???

Post by audiocontr »

insurance and a locked garage. You're willingly taking on the theft risk any other way.
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undysworld
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Re: Theft-proofing a 710 ???

Post by undysworld »

markv wrote:
Dalmatians yes, useful, being an ex-Ridgeback owner I'd personally go for a Ridgeback, though I hear that the only totally reliable dog for defensive purposes is a female doberman. But sadly a dog is a big responsibility that I can do without at the moment.

Edzz, I'm not fishing, I'm just paranoid because I had a Toyota FJ40 (unusual and obscure, not fast, not easy to sell) stolen from the same location as I propose to keep the Pinz. A few years later I'm looking in the back pages of a 4x4 magazine and there I see a pic of my Toyota in the classified ads. I go and see it on a farm, grass growing through it... investigation proceeds and I get a reply "Oh the farmer next door gave it to me. He died last year." Clearly it was stolen to order and used for a while as a farm vehicle. I do know from neighbours that a loader was used. I just walked away :( the restoration needed for the vehicle by then was too large, and the person selling it had a great cover story .
You got me there. I visited some folks who had four Ridgebacks and a chain-link-fenced yard. They still had the remains of the burglar's pants, where the dogs apparently caught him going over the fence on night. Wonderful dogs, but you wouldn't want to be on their bad side. I understand why you're reluctant to take on the maintenance of such a security system though.

FWIW, If you still had the title for that FJ, I'd think you could have made the seller's life real unpleasant. I'd be calling the cops, if only on principle. Thieves suck.
markv
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Re: Theft-proofing a 710 ???

Post by markv »

FWIW, If you still had the title for that FJ, I'd think you could have made the seller's life real unpleasant. I'd be calling the cops, if only on principle. Thieves suck.
Indeed they suck, but in that case I would just have been wasting my time, the guy had a great defence, can't go and ask a person who has passed away.

You can imagine how it would go with the cops, including "and here's my friend who will also say farmer Jones, sadly passed on, gave me the FJ, I had no idea it was stolen r that farmer Jones was in receipt of stolen goods."

But yeah, I reckon the seller knew something was up. Wicked world sometimes, but thankfully only sometimes :)
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David Dunn
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Re: Theft-proofing a 710 ???

Post by David Dunn »

If you had reported it stolen and it was registered/titled to you, if/when found, it would still be yours, unless an insurance claim was paid, then it would be the property of the insurance company.

I had something similar to this 4o+ years ago when I had bought a derelict VW bug and when I tried to get title on it found out it was reported stolen.
The police came and verified the vehicle and returned it to the rightful owner. I was a victim as much as the original owner, but I was out the money I had paid for it.

Hagerty Insurance had a write-up last year on a (then) newer Corvette that had been stolen back in the '60/'70s (?) and found in a storage garage recently.IIRC The authorities attempted to returned it to the original owner who had to turned it over to the insurance company since they paid the claim against it.
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undysworld
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Re: Theft-proofing a 710 ???

Post by undysworld »

markv wrote:
FWIW, If you still had the title for that FJ, I'd think you could have made the seller's life real unpleasant. I'd be calling the cops, if only on principle. Thieves suck.
Indeed they suck, but in that case I would just have been wasting my time, the guy had a great defence, can't go and ask a person who has passed away.

You can imagine how it would go with the cops, including "and here's my friend who will also say farmer Jones, sadly passed on, gave me the FJ, I had no idea it was stolen r that farmer Jones was in receipt of stolen goods."

But yeah, I reckon the seller knew something was up. Wicked world sometimes, but thankfully only sometimes :)
Please don't take this as criticism of your actions, because you make that call.

But.

That dude had zero defense. Ever hear of grand theft auto? You didn't post your location, but stealing vehicles is a crime just about everywhere. He had possession of the truck, and unless he had a title (which he didn't), he had no proof of ownership. You, on the other hand, had a document of ownership, legal in all 50 U.S. states. He can say whatever he wants to, but especially without the dead guy to back it all up, that title trumps him in every way, even a few years later.

If it was me, I'd be all over him, just to make him never, ever, again even think about accepting a vehicle without a title or at least a Bill of Sale. Why do you think they used to shoot horse thieves?
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Re: Theft-proofing a 710 ???

Post by Twin Pinzies »

Things that will prevent your Pinz from getting stolen:

- Park it in a garage or block it in with something while it's parked outside or in your driveway.
- Remove the battery key AND disconnect the battery terminal. Then lock the battery box.
- Place the transfer case in neutral.
- Don't live in a ghetto.

Other factors that will keep thieves from stealing a Pinz are the fact that they are super rare and would be extremely difficult to hide and to resell. Even selling parts would be difficult since this is such a small community.
Also, can you think of a worse getaway car? They are so slow, you could almost chase one down on foot!
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