FJ40 theft (1 Viewer)

[krudo]

Hey guys, going to be picking up my new old FJ40 next week and wondering about security.

I've seen some posts about people having their cars stolen. How frequent / much of a concern is this?

I live in Long Beach and recently had my car's side view mirror kicked in for no apparent reason (street parking). I've bought a club for the steering wheel/clutch but now I'm wondering, thoughts on a car cover? Anyone with experience with them etc?

Thanks!

 

[krudo]

And if it wasn't clear, talking about the FJ40, not my other car

 

[Captn Conch]

Well one thing you could do if you have and old 40 with the hi low knob under the dash is stick it between in neutral, or with the lever on the floor, again, stick it in neutral, Odds are the dumb nuts who attempt to steal one may not figure out why it runs but won't go anywhere. Of course someone who knows Cruisers...Maybe park in low range then they can go nowhere fast. Probably blow the engine revving it up trying to make a fast get away...There's always battery cut out switches.

 

[Josie'sLandCruiser]

Hi all,

Krudo, I think the car cover idea isn't a bad one. Let's face it, most thieves are lazy - most won't go to the trouble to pull the car cover off.

That said, don't leave anything inside the vehicle that can be seen from outside (gym bag, etc.) and if a soft top leave the doors unlocked (otherwise the soft top likely will get slashed.)

Good luck with your "new" FJ40!

-Alan

 

[Racer65]

Add a kill switch.

 

[Weber Sarge]

The rate of theft is getting higher , mostly due to market demand for parts and the prices they are bringing on the market . In fact , any Land Cruiser is at risk of ending up in pieces on Ebay and such . I keep mine pretty close at all times , and the locals around here know me and the truck - so I'm lucky being in a rural area . Even so , it's nothing for thieves to pull up with a dolly or a trailer and make it disappear - stuff like that is hard to fool-proof and it's just best to keep it in a secure place when parked .
Welcome aboard , good luck . One really good thing to do as you build yours - take a lot of good , clear photos and post them here and elsewhere . Little things like that help others in the community identify stolen trucks - including their parts , many of which can be unique .

Sarge

 

[antFJ]

two way alarm system. Don't even need to hook up the siren unless you like your neighbors getting mad at you. But they have ones that will alert you via cell phone or wireless ones. handy if you are at the movies or a restaurant and you can't see your vehicle. I use a motion sensor and it tells me if anyone reaches into the vehicle when topless or opens the doors.

oh and just slide the engine fuse over

 

[alabamatacomaguy]

I remember in a 4 wheel drive mag about 10-15 years ago they had alternative ways to keep a rig from getting stolen. One of them was to use a pad lock or bicycle lock to keep the transfer case in 4 low and or the trans in a specific gear. A cut off switch is be a good idea I keep meaning to put that on a to-do list myself.

Cali is one of those states I would be scared to have a nice vehicle in. Seems like all the stories I read in papers of auto theft Cali leads the country in a bad way.

If people want something they will get it but you should do what you can to make sure your not a victim of a non-professional theif like highschoolers.

If it's not your daily driver and it has to be parked outside and your scared enough and able maybe chain it to something like wrap a chain around the axle housing and another around a pole or another vehicle. I've had odd thoughts on keeping my 40 mine.

 

[Weber Sarge]

Best defense so far is the 90lb German Shepherd - he thinks it's his truck anyway . That is how he looks when someone comes within 50' of it , even at home...

Sarge

 

[sadam_husain]

you cant stop people stealing things but the more things you can do to make it harder to steal is a deterrent to make them not bother or look elsewhere

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

I practice the self-recovery method of solving theft. Alarms, switches, all can be defeated - and many will simply tow the vehicle away. Tracking doesn't really cost that much with SPOT (100/yr), and then you can go recover it yourself - or, if you're low on ammunition, you can bring the police - they have plenty of ammo for thieves. Voice of experience about this - they LOVE being able to track a stolen car. Best of all, your insurance company will knock 50-100/year off your premium if you have tracking.

While you're building your vehicle, you can wire in a SPOT trace, it has a battery so even if they cut the power, there's 3 weeks of power on the device.... all it needs is to see a sat for a minute or two.... then you know where it's at. It also detects movement from someone bumping it (that's how it powers on)... so if someone's screwing with your car - you'll be notified immediately

 

[Racer65]

you cant stop people stealing things but the more things you can do to make it harder to steal is a deterrent to make them not bother or look elsewhere

Good point. At night I usually have another car parked behind the Cruiser on a long driveway.
I'm more worried about people taking parts off of the car. Things like the mirror is only 3 screws, and there is no longer an OEM replacement.
My dad used to have an old VW bus parked in the driveway. Over time parts just disappeared off the car.

 

[DSB345]

Remove the coil wire to the distributor.

 

[DTSkyCop]

Good Insurance is a must... I have Hagerty "Declared Value" Insurance for mine and, well, I do not want to see it stolen, It is however, insured for more than I paid for it for sure, as their value increases daily it seems... In fact, I need to increase my 40's value for next year also when I renew! Kill switch is a must!

 

[DSB345]

+1

 

[RAYJON]

hydraulic brake lock with a hidden switch, locks all 4 wheels and if you hide it right is very difficult to detect... ohh the dog is best, mastiff, rot or shepherd, personal favorite.. black mouth cur...65 lbs of lean mean tracking machine....

 

[tls3601]

Sarge I like the guard dog! Kill switch, unplug coil wire......all good! Tracking sounds pretty cool too!

 

[firestopper]

I'm with sarge on this, plus a well placed kill switch.

 

[alabamatacomaguy]

Good Insurance is a must... I have Hagerty "Declared Value" Insurance for mine and, well, I do not want to see it stolen, It is however, insured for more than I paid for it for sure, as their value increases daily it seems... In fact, I need to increase my 40's value for next year also when I renew! Kill switch is a must!

I just renewed my policy with them yesterday. I've had it a year and been happy with it, haven't had to use it yet though...knock on wood never will. I'd be interested to hear what someone that dealt with them filling a claim had to say. I like you declared a value higher than mine was worth but also not out of the ballpark. I tried to get it where I could get a replacement of the same quality.

Though I think I remember the vehicle must be inside a garage or storage unit for their insurance.

 

[Weber Sarge]

Dogs always like Cruisers , and seem to get very attached to them . I'm really interested in that Spot system , gonna have to look into that...
Sarge