Anti-Theft Thread (Don't steal my wheels!)

Ark :D

Ark :D

Goblin Guru
Let's use this thread to present our thoughts on preventing the theft of our hard work, our Goblins.

I don't know how this has never occurred to me before ... but think about it for a sec. For those of us with manual transmissions, what exactly is preventing someone from just hopping in the driver seat while your car is unattended, and roll away with a couple people pushing? A quick-release steering wheel would prevent that, but then, someone could still pop your parking brake off, take the car out of gear, and roll it down a hill while laughing. Not cool at all. I'd love to think people respect other peoples' possessions and hard work enough to not vandalize (or worse, steal) it, but come on. This is 2022, I am shocked it hasn't happened to someone yet.

So please, let's have a collection of thoughts here and come up with something to prevent this. I have a couple ideas.

1) Some kind of clamp, that would tightly fit onto the transmission arms and lock closed via a padlock. The idea here being to leave the car in gear, then apply the clamp to the transmission arms while not present, thereby locking it in gear. I like this idea the most, but I wouldn't know where to begin.

2) Install eye bolts through the sway bar holes on the BC coilovers, then apply common bicycle-style locks on both sides through the wheels and through the eye bolts. A very rudimentary, but effective, idea for anyone that has the BC coilovers, does not run a sway bar, and has wheels that would allow this. I don't love this idea, but it's simple, requires no design or metal fab, and should be effective.

Thoughts, everyone? Bueller? ....Bueller?
 
TravMac

TravMac

Well-Known Member
I've had the idea of taking my wheel with me when I get to that point; but in all honesty, will any of us really do that in our day to day running around or going to work? It sounds great until you start walking around town carrying a steering wheel lol. Then again, makes me wonder if someone will just walk away with my steering wheel if I left it... HA!

Could always carry around one of those motorcycle chain locks and lock a wheel like a boot. Having a tube chassis makes for a lot of points to connect to and they tend to be hard to pick/cut quickly.

It sucks we have to think of the world this way. But since my suburban was stolen out of my own driveway... I don't trust anything anymore.
 
G

Gtstorey

Goblin Guru
I actually usually do carry my steering wheel into the office but of course haven't when doing other errands.

I'm not as concerned with someone stealing the car as just messing with it for meanness. I hope most thieves will think that the cops will very quickly spot the red, white and blue tube chassis car with the huge eagle on the hood and American flags on the side.
 
k.rollin

k.rollin

Goblin Guru
I don't feel that the Goblin is a particularly appealing vehicle for any would be thieves, as they don't blend in and with a few exceptions, lack a lot of easily recognizable parts that would be prime targets for part out/resale.
 
Joebob

Joebob

Goblin Guru
I think Jason has a good idea. I am not near my car but there are several holes in the parking brake mechanism and could also be used with the manual shifter. perhaps something like a wire gun lock could be used.

33761


Loop it through existing or made holes that limit travel of the shifter or parking brake handle.

Another idea would be to add a quick release ball stud to the shifter tube. Basically quickly disconnect the shift cables from the trans and hope that nobody knows how or where to reconnect.

Amazon.com: Allstar Performance ALL54149 1/4" Quick Release Ball Joint : Automotive

Buy Allstar Performance ALL54149 1/4" Quick Release Ball Joint: Ball Joints - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases
www.amazon.com
 
k.rollin

k.rollin

Goblin Guru
TravMac said:
I've had the idea of taking my wheel with me when I get to that point; but in all honesty, will any of us really do that in our day to day running around or going to work? It sounds great until you start walking around town carrying a steering wheel lol. Then again, makes me wonder if someone will just walk away with my steering wheel if I left it... HA!

Could always carry around one of those motorcycle chain locks and lock a wheel like a boot. Having a tube chassis makes for a lot of points to connect to and they tend to be hard to pick/cut quickly.

It sucks we have to think of the world this way. But since my suburban was stolen out of my own driveway... I don't trust anything anymore.
Click to expand...
I do carry my steering wheel and helmet around when running errands/going into work.
 
Dale E

Dale E

Well-Known Member
My start procedure. Battery cut off switch, computer switch, fuel pump switch (can be left on since the computer controls it), ignition switch, then push to start. Brake line lock (easily defeated). And as a backup there is a hidden keyed ignition switch. Removable steering wheel. Be careful with this one, since at a meet up mine went missing after I took it off, and appeared two days later on the trailer of another participant. Still a mystery!! Carrying it around is no different than the biker taking his/hers helmet into a restaurant??

Back ups: An electric door lock on the parking brake cables working only on the run circuit.

None of this stops people from touching, crawling over your cars while it is in a parking lot or even a car show. My car is a child magnet, and those little fellows will be in it before mom and dad can catch them. I usually stay by my car at a car show for this reason, and encourage the little ones to get in and have their picture taken. They just might become a future builder/owner!!

A person with a trailer and a winch will simply drag your car onto the trailer just like the tow truck folks do with locked and or disabled vehicles.

Simply saying, that no matter what you come up with here in this discussion will certainly be overcome by someone.
 
PaulPerger

PaulPerger

Well-Known Member
Joebob said:
I think Jason has a good idea. I am not near my car but there are several holes in the parking brake mechanism and could also be used with the manual shifter. perhaps something like a wire gun lock could be used.

View attachment 33761

Loop it through existing or made holes that limit travel of the shifter or parking brake handle.

Another idea would be to add a quick release ball stud to the shifter tube. Basically quickly disconnect the shift cables from the trans and hope that nobody knows how or where to reconnect.

Amazon.com: Allstar Performance ALL54149 1/4" Quick Release Ball Joint : Automotive

Buy Allstar Performance ALL54149 1/4" Quick Release Ball Joint: Ball Joints - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases
www.amazon.com
Click to expand...
I like the idea of locking the parking brake. I haven't started building yet, but this is something I think it would be fairly easy to fabricate to discourage theft. There is no such thing as PREVENTING theft. Thieves are thieves and if they want your car bad enough, they'll find a way. I just want to be able to discourage the prankster / "Hey I dare you" moments where damage can be done.
 
PaulPerger

PaulPerger

Well-Known Member
Right after I hit "Post Reply" it occurred to me that a lot cars (usually high end luxury cars) have electronically actuated parking brakes...

I wonder if there is a potential solution using one of those... A parking brake that is controlled not with a handle, but with a key fob, or a well hidden button.
 
Ark :D

Ark :D

Goblin Guru
Really, this is more about protecting our rides from vandalism than it is, actual theft. There's plenty of people out there that would release the brake and shift it into neutral, watch it roll down a hill into a tree, and laugh. My aim is to prevent that, more than someone loading the car on a trailer to steal it, etc.

I like the idea of modifying the parking brake.
 
jirwin

jirwin

Goblin Guru
Ark :D said:
Really, this is more about protecting our rides from vandalism than it is, actual theft. There's plenty of people out there that would release the brake and shift it into neutral, watch it roll down a hill into a tree, and laugh. My aim is to prevent that, more than someone loading the car on a trailer to steal it, etc.

I like the idea of modifying the parking brake.
Click to expand...
I don't imagine it would be too hard to hook a battery powered arduino and accelerometer up to a noisemaker of somekind to make a makeshift alarm. You'd have to fine tune it, but in theory if it "feels" someone monkeying with the car it could trip the alarm. I imagine there's some out of the box solution for something like this.

Likewise to make the parking brake kit an electric kit. Just need some sort of motor to pull on the cables.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top