According to You: How to protect your classic from being stolen
Your answers to our question about ways to prevent the theft of classic vehicles went above and beyond; they not only taught others interesting tricks but kept us all grounded. That’s because car thieves are likely to never tire, and if at first they don’t succeed, they shall try again. However, the harder you make it, the less likely they are to remain motivated. Or, as Hagerty Community member @David said:
You know, despite our best efforts, if some nefarious person(s) want what you have, they’re probably going to figure out how to get it. Kill switches and other such devices are fine, but the determined thief will just roll up with a tow truck and drive off if they have zeroed in on your car.
I mainly want to deter the opportunistic thieves out there. So, I keep my cars locked when not in use and in public and I make sure my insurance is active and the value up-to-date.
How do we lower the chances of a vehicular tragedy? Let’s learn more from your answers.
Losing that spark
@Jeepcj5: On one of my vehicles I have a hidden switch that kills the spark. This kill switch allows the starter to still turn, it just won’t fire up. Hopefully [thieves] get discouraged quick enough when it just sits there and spins over, or they draw enough attention to walk away before they troubleshoot the wiring.
@brian: I put a two-prong turn-signal flasher in line with [the] ignition-circuit motor. It starts, it will rev up, but when put in drive [it] won’t pull itself!
@vette guy: How about running a wire from the hot side of the coil to a switch, then to a loud horn? There are many ways to alert you; just use your imagination!
@Walter: A friend of mine had a 1968 Dodge Super Bee. He wired the high beam switch (which was on the floor) as the ignition cutoff switch and mounted a switch under the dash to activate the high beams.
I myself had a 1969 Roadrunner that someone tried to steal three times. First time they pushed in the small vent window, then cranked down the window and opened the door. They removed the bezel around the ignition switch but tried to remove the switch by pulling it forward, when all they had to do was push it and it would have fallen out the back. I then installed an alarm, so the second time the alarm went off and they were gone. The third time they knew there was an alarm, so they pushed in the vent window again, rolled down the window, and climbed through. What they didn’t know is that there were two ignition-cutoff switches under the dash. Unsuccessful again.
@Malcolm: Battery disconnects work well.
Own a “difficult” vehicle
@Jeff: I use the standard features my 1954 Austin-Healey came with as standard features: no exterior door handles, a battery disconnect switch, a starter button, and a manual transmission.
@Michael: 1938 Chevrolet—first level is a manual transmission and a floor-mounted starter—would probably slow down some of the bad guys. A battery disconnect (with the battery under the floorboard) may slow down the next level [of thief].
@Headturner: My van has the best deterrent straight from the factory: a three-on-the-tree will keep them occupied. My ’57 Chevy is a four-speed but I leave the key in it while it is in the garage. If they steal it, I’d rather not have them cut up a 65-year-old harness to hot-wire it.
A bypass switch is like “fuels” gold?
@Mike: I have a kill switch hidden in plain sight: An unused blower switch on the dashboard, rewired to the electric fuel-pump hot line.
@Mike, but not the same one as above: I’ve pulled the fuel pump fuse before. I’ve even cable-locked around a coil spring before. Anything to make a thief have to spend more time.
Steering-wheel locks
@Jeff: Nothing is more satisfying than a cross-country trip in a classic car. Yes, I use a steering wheel club and always turn the wheels all the way to one side so it can’t be towed. I guess the best suggestion is to stay in a nice hotel in a nice suburb and park under a street lamp as close to the front door of the hotel as possible. If there is a security camera on the building I park under that as well. But I still worry about the car. I’m looking forward to reading other’s replies.
@Jim: I think thieves will usually get a car if they want it bad enough, but the idea is to make it inconvenient for them. That’s the reason I use steering wheel clubs, especially when an overnight parking place looks iffy. They’re cheap and only take seconds to put on the wheel.
@Bernd: I use a club since the airbag in the steering wheel of my daily driver was stolen twice. (Now it’s a quite an old model, thieves get them at the scrap yard.)
@Blu: A club can be defeated with big bolt cutters: [You] cut the steering wheel beside the club and take it off. A hidden battery disconnect works well.
Tracking devices
@greg: I have a Viper alarm on one, and Carlock on my other two. All have instant phone app notifications (including my ’31 Model A). I sleep well at night, even if staying in a hotel on the road; and no, I have no stake in either company.
@Arrow: Just put mine away for Christmas, but I’m going to put an Apple AirTag in my classic when it’s out of the garage.
Balloons
@DUB6: We once went on a road trip with friends. Two classics in a motel parking lot in unknown (for crime) areas was a bit scary. We bought two balloons that had blinking mini-lights inside them (it was nearing Halloween). Deflated the balloons and placed the tiny, blinking lights down in the speedometer wells. In the dark, it looked like both cars had activated security systems. A thorough thief shoulda/coulda/woulda figured it out, but at least we all slept easier!
Bunka’s Bunker?
@Bunka: I keep my Porsche 356 in the garage. It is a one-car garage. The car outside in the driveway abutting the street is my daily driver. A thief first has to get it out of the way. It is always locked. Then there is my wife’s car which also needs to be removed; it is also locked. Then there is the garage door: No handle on the outside so you need to know the code in order to open it. Then the trash cans and soon-to-be snowblower have to be removed from in front of the 356, which is in the back.
All of the work and time involved to steal the car is bound to draw someone’s attention. I feel very confident that the car is secure. On the flip side, I have to plan an extra 30 minutes in advance when I want to go to a car show or rally. As far as security is concerned when the car is out, I have the factory-installed shift lock and the factory-installed interior gas shut off. The various positions of the gas shut off are all written in German so that makes it a time-consuming, trial-and-error thing.
Do it all?
@DrivingHy: Everything said here is true. There’s no defense for a determined thief. Given enough time any car can be stolen. That said, I do agree many devices and clubs are better than none and will slow [thieves] down or divert them elsewhere, but it’s best to be proactive. I’ll do the club just for something obvious but also remove something essential that prevents a thief from getting away quickly.
I’ve known people who’ve removed all the lug nuts from one wheel. It’s rarely noticed and can stop a thief fairly quick when a wheel comes off. I suppose it’s better to have a damaged and abandoned car than one that’s stolen.
In my case, I’ll pull the distributor cap and wires. Park in an “ender” preferably next to a fixed barrier like a wall and turn the wheels in a direction that makes backing out straight impossible. Naturally I always set the handbrake so if they try to tow the car it’s way harder to go unnoticed and pull it out straight and onto a flatbed.
Naturally an AirTag (or similar) couldn’t hurt. And take lots of car pics after parking it—just in case the police need to ID it …
If I go [a] long distance and am not comfortable with the area, I’ll sleep in my car before leaving it out of sight!
Keep it a secret
@DUB6: Well frankly, I’m not inclined to publicize any details, but suffice [it] to say that through various electronic and mechanical means, I feel pretty—well, fairly—confident. I will say that one should not rely on one tactic only, but combine two or more so you have backup. And then, tell/show no one—NO ONE—what your secrets are. If you are not a “wrencher” or DIYer, you may indeed have to pay someone to install some sort of system(s), so please be sure you know your installer well.
@TooFast4Me: You make a very good point which a lot of people miss. Know your installer! About 30 years ago there was a place that installed car stereos, alarms, and auto-start systems. They would install and collected everyone’s info, wait awhile, then start stealing back—car stereos, at first. Then entire cars, since they knew the alarm-system codes by having a spare remote made. The business did not do the thefts themselves but sold the info to others. It was only when some very high-value vehicles went missing that they caught the culprits and they admitted they bought the info from the business. That business in particular had not only a great reputation but [had] in business for over 35 years. Needless to say, the business is gone.
If you can’t install it yourself then ask other owners of high-value vehicles to recommend someone. GPS/cell trackers work well but [they are] ongoing expenses. But again, [as] a lot of good points stated in these replies: keep your insurance up to date, know your environment, and a gut feeling is usually right!
@don: Yup, the club is great, but then add a hidden kill switch (that stops most people) and I keep the vehicle in a locked garage with my daily driver in front of it. My “collector” cars are not extremely high value so I think I don’t need much else, so just keep your secrets, secret.
@Sajeev Mehta: I keep a few secrets for this reason too, because some of my vehicles have hidden theft deterrents and automotive journalists are easily googleable by anyone. I love my silly Fords too much to have it any other way. (Even if they are mostly value-less to most any thief.)
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If someone wants your vehicle bad enough there is nothing you can do. The best you can do is deter the amateur and have them move on to an easier score.
Sitting in a car wash line, the attendant was wildly curious about my 1970 ND 220D. German domestic version was originally destined as a European cab with 4 speed on floor. Off, he wanted to start it and place it in line. I told him (18 yr old) if he could start it, he could have it. He was sure he had just won his new whip. I pretended the starter handle was the choke, reached to the key and as I turned the switch to “on” eased the start handle out without him seeing. Then turned it off and told him have another go at it. Never knew what hit him. Old coot deception.
I worked in garages for 7 years back in the 60’s and 70’s and saw all kinds of cars/trucks and learned many of their unique starting rituals, mostly all forgotten now. It is amazing how non-standard car starting was years ago.
On older vehicles, the ignition switch and any hidden shutoffs can be bypassed by running a hotwire directly from the battery to the coil. A fuel shutoff of some sort is more effective.
Electric fuel pump with a hidden switch has worked for me. They got it started but didn’t get far on the gas in the float bowels. They left my Austin Healey in the middle of the road & ran into a crowded bar to hide. The idiot that dropped his wallet in the passanger seat was easy to find & gave up the driver when the cops got there.
Back in the 70’s and early 80’s I was an auto theft detective in the Washington D.C area. Most of my investigations involved what we called thefts for profit, chop shops, replating (VIN changed) overseas shipments. As such one of the most targeted vehicles was the Corvette. Having a 1970 Corvette I found a unique kill switch that would let the car start but after 10 seconds the engine would shut down but would continue to crank but not start. “Professional” thieves generally would look for a kill switch if the vehicle didn’t start initially but the theory being if it started and shut off hopefully they would leave it. However as several comments have indicated and it is my experience as an investigator if they really want your car there is nothing you can do .
I read German so I’ll be looking for that sweet 356 whenever I’m in the mood to steal a car, which is never.
when my niece was 13 i started her in a beater 71 comet with a 302 & 3 speed on the floor . she killed it 10-20 times and then figured it out . after a few lessons she could shift up and down , she was the only girl in her group of high school friends who could drive a standard . am still very proud of her .
My daughter is the one who knows how to drive a stick. My ex wife said “buy her a car”, so she got a ford with a stick. I spent about 30 minutes with her, and she was on her own after that. I think she has four friends that know how to drive a stick, but her husband is not one of them.
Great article! How about a follow-up?
I travel often and take security seriously. At home, my garage is alarmed, and 2 of my more valuable classics are on top of lifts that are locked in place by my own modification. There is also video outside the garage and inside the garage. Both cars have additional measures (as below). The cars on the bottom have a hardened steel shackle around the rear axle/suspension locked to a one piece steel footing that’s buried under a foot of cement. All cars have wheel locks.
Away from home: Common sense is the primary defense: make sure I could see the car, cut the wheels, park near light, opt for security patrolled lots/hotels, pre-register for shows and tell your insurance company where you’re going and what your doing. On my 60s-70s era muscle cars I use a hood lock, remove the coil wire, leave a non-functional car show only battery in the tray, have a fuel cutoff and put a potato in the exhaust. I also put business cards under the carpet, and in the door (drop inside the weatherstrip), behind interior panels, etc. If stolen, it wouldn’t be hard to prove it was mine. On one 60s car, I remove the steering wheel. On another 70s, I install the reverse lock out bar backwards, preventing ignition.
I’m more conflicted with my newest sports car (shackled at home) because I don’t like the idea of the car broadcasting a lot of data to the manufacture who shares it with insurance companies, law enforcement, etc. (e.g. don’t want to broadcast my license plate at 80mph to police), so I pulled the fuse for that device, and opted for Air Tag integrated unconventionally. Alarm, remote fuel cutoff, and a steering wheel lock are accompanied by wheel locks and for added security a municipal wheel boot. The alarm does alert police (helps to be an engineer) and me, so I can stop the car remotely. A hidden interior camera ensures evidence for the perpetrator’s trial. I see car thieves the way the old west saw horse thieves, and would beg the police for personal justice when caught.
I am surprised no one mentioned removing the distributor cap, taking out the rotor and replacing the cap. Everything looks normal but it won’t start. Of course, this only works if the car is so equipped.
These are all great ideas. The only problem is if you put a peel switch on a modern day electronic ignition you’ll try a code. If you put a Killswitch on the fuel pump, you’ll trip a code there should be a way of putting a Killswitch on either one of these two newer vehicle problems and stopping it. I put a club on my car with the two prongs, figuring that if they cut one spot on the steering wheel, they still can’t get it off because it’s still hooked around the other side of the Steering wheel but it be nice if there was a way you could put a Killswitch on your fuel pump and it just won’t start but it won’t trip a code if there’s a way of doing it please someone post it thank you or the ignition system the same thing
Not to much can stop one of those under rear bumper tow / lift devices on a pick up truck A good operator and any vehiles gone in less than 60 seconds
I owned a 1969 ALFA s;pider I bought new and kept for over 40 years before passing on to a collector. I had a switch on the electric fuel pump that was hidden in the body. When it was off you could start the car and it would idle fine but if you tried to drive off it would just sit there and go nowhere. That by itself wouldn’t prevent some one hauing it onto a flat bed but I had a case hardened lock and chain wrapped around the brake and clutch pedals and to the steering column (not the steering wheel) and the steering wheel lock would prevent it from being able to steer since it was also turned far to one side. A really dtermined thief could still figure it out with enough time….but time is in your favor. If a thief can’t get it quickly they will pass onto the next car. Lastly any car that is in high demand will be a target. A relatively rare car like my cars doesn’t have a ready market for spare parts.
I keep it in my garage. I have insurance. In 30 years I’ve never had a problem. No one I know has ever had a problem. From the sound of it I guess we are extraordinarily lucky.
All I do is lock my car. I’ve never had a car stolen or even attempted to be stolen. My advice is live in a low crime area and lock your car. Carry comprehensive insurance and don’t worry about anything else. 🙂
I have a 1967 Firebird Sprint convertible. I seldom lock it. It is manual Muncie 4 speed. So some security there. What I have done is I took the coil wire and made a dummy that has no wire in it. Looks real! So impossible to start and I doubt anyone would guess that it won’t start because of wiring. Everything looks natural!
If they want it that bad they will take it, I don’t care how you disable it, if someone really wants it they will show up with a truck and load your car up and leave. That said, the crime of opportunity problem is a bigger risk than the risk of it being taken from your garage. for that follow the simple rules of not leaving anything worth taking in sight, and have a kill switch or alarm.
Unfortunately I had 2 Mustang fastbacks stolen in Houston in 2023. Both were in a locked double deep garage. The 66 red fastback was against the backwall and my son and I were restoring it. It did not have glass or interior in place. My blue 65 T5 fastback was locked and an older restoration that was still nice. They broke a hole in the common side of the garage with an adjacent building and unlocked the garage door and removed both cars, all of the parts, and tools. Still don’t have them back and have seen our parts for sale but police haven’t been successful yet. If anybody knows of them I would love to know.