What do you do to prevent your FJ40 and it's contents from getting stolen? (1 Viewer)

[Dragon158]

You kidding? Cruiser parts are hot selling items in ebay and once removed they're almost all unidentifiable. They'll steal it no matter what it looks like.

Yeah Honk, I guess I hadn't really thought about that. I was comparing it to my old Cutlass, those parts would fit any GM, that's why they were so popular for car thieves. There is almost no worst feeling then seeing an empty parking spot.

I'm renting my neighbors garage, maybe that is an option for you. Even if it's just for the summer when the top is off?

 

[Gumby]

move????

No kidding.

 

[LandCruiserSteve]

Are clubs really that easy to circumvent?

As thin as the FJ-40's steering wheel is, you simply cut (or break) the wheel.

Plus, the Club is just one more way of advertising that you've got something worth stealing.

 

[LandCruiserSteve]

Also, put some Jeep emblems on it. Then nobody will want to bother it.

 

[Landpimp]

LoJack is the best bet to get it back when stolen, we have LoJack on most all the Cruisers

If your in WA and want a Lojack at a big discount, PM me.

But besides that, a kill switch is a very good idea. Club, trany lock, brake lock, ect ect.

 

[nuclearlemon]

power disconnect switch, tuffy console, lock on glove box door, all the wheels have locking lugs, 9mm and the first bullets a hydroshock.

 

[Landpimp]

sadly..........in most cases you can't shoot someone for (just)stealing your car...........you can beat the living crap out of them though Just aint worth the years of legal crap(and money) you would go thru if you shot someone for steeling a car.........as attached as we are to our cruisers........in the end its just a piece of metal(and rust in some cases

power disconnect switch, tuffy console, lock on glove box door, all the wheels have locking lugs, 9mm and the first bullets a hydroshock.

 

[brian]

9mm and the first bullets a hydroshock.

killing somebody just for trying steal your ride while it was parked outside, isn't going to look good for you in front of a judge.

a home break-in or a 'jacking is a different story.

 

[Joe Link]

9mm? pshh. I carry a Sig P220 in .45 everyday, all rounds are hydrashok

My neighbors know me as "the guy with the AK47" (really an SAR1) but I can't really broadcast that to the local thugs. With my luck they'd break in and try to steal my guns.

From what I've read in this thread I think I'm going to go with a removable steering wheel, kill switch, and lojack just in case. Providing it's not too expensive.

 

[1973Guppie]

This is what I do to secure my 40:

- grant steering wheel security system, this is made by the grant company, same guys that sell the steering wheels, it actually alows you to remove your steering wheel and place a lock out cap on top of the steering wheel, had it for years, works great, no steering wheel, no steering the car when you get it started, look at the grant site for more info.

- radio goes in the center console, along with a boat switch for the batt's, tuffy center console.

- marine speakers go into 2 rear tuffy speakers boxes that sit on the rear 40 fenderwells.

- use a cutoff switch for the electric fuel pump, hidden.

- I also use a "boot". you can find these on the internet several places. These are just like the boot that goes on when you don't pay your parking tickets. I paid about $100 for it, clamps right around your tire.

Other stuff you can do:

- get a big wire rope, you can get these at home depot, it is basically like a longer bike chain, wire rope covered with plastic sleeving. Lock the vehicle around the axle and to a tree or other fixed location. This worked well for me when living in a bad area. I have since moved to a better area now so don't do this as much.

- pull your coil wire

* In the end it is about making it harder for a thief to steal stuff or your car, the more obstacles you can put in front of them, the better chance they move on to the next vehicle. I don't believe there is just one solution. I think a bunch of little ones is better than any one solution.

HTH,

Noah

 

[nuclearlemon]

sadly..........in most cases you can't shoot someone for (just)stealing your car...........you can beat the living crap out of them though Just aint worth the years of legal crap(and money) you would go thru if you shot someone for steeling a car.........as attached as we are to our cruisers........in the end its just a piece of metal(and rust in some cases

"i was afraid for my life"

 

[coiled40gary]

The version of the club that I see regularly around here hooks inside the outer ring of the steering wheel, and prevents the wheel from turning once the club end has contacted something, like the windshield in cars with angled back windshields, I guess the door on a 40 series LC. The thing I use locks a center spoke (which is a lot stronger the outer ring) of the steering wheel to the brake peddle. This may also be a club, but it is not on the club's website as a product, and I have not seen it available in this area for the last 10 years or more. Sears used to sell them about 20 years ago for Jeeps. The Pep Boys store I found them in no longer had them after that display was sold off. If you know where this type of club is available, I would be interested in knowing.

You can get one of those kripton bicycle locks and lock your wheel to the roll cage.

In a security store, I saw the charged Clubs. A club with 40KV on it .

You can also mount an extra spark plug in the fuel tank, you had just better not forget to disable it yourself .

You will never stop a pro who wants your rig. A tow truck taking your rig will not attract any attention and does not matter what you have disabled. But you can deter the conciderable number of thrill seekers and addicts looking for a quick buck by doing something that is visible and something they are not already prepared for.

I still think the best method is to disable access to the drivers seat. If they see that they can not position themselves in front of the steering wheel, they will move on to the next car. I've seen convertible cars in shows that the driver's seat flips up the the steering wheel and locks in place. A seat that flips forward and locks would not be hard to fab up, especially if you have to make brackets anyway for non-stock seats.

gary (who fully appreciates the intellegence behind the word "Duh")

 

[77TLCFJ40]

In a post a couple of weeks ago, someone mentioned a fuel line shut-off. The thief may get it started, but won't get far before it "runs out of gas". Any issues with a fuel line shut-off? Is it easier to install a fuel pump disconnect switch? Which choice would result in "running out of gas" quicker assuming the fuel line shut-off was in the cab?

 

[brian]

In a post a couple of weeks ago, someone mentioned a fuel line shut-off. The thief may get it started, but won't get far before it "runs out of gas". Any issues with a fuel line shut-off? Is it easier to install a fuel pump disconnect switch? Which choice would result in "running out of gas" quicker assuming the fuel line shut-off was in the cab?

that also moves the perp up the scale. breaking into a car with the intent to steal is one thing, but actually moving the car moves them up to "grand theft auto" or something like that= more jail time, than just breaking in to it, and "trying" to move it.

 

[ken_79-fj40]

If it were me I would move. If this 40 looks like hell an ignition kill switch and a club may do the trick. Forget about the stereo, Those speakers will probably dissapear pretty quick. My method is locking my truck in my garage. And anytime it's not in my garage it isn't out of my line of sight.

 

[Doug_S]

Landpimp has a good way of putting it all in perspective. We are all really attached to our LandCruisers but shooting the thieves just isn't an option. Take it from me, I've seen people do stupid things to theives (like shooting them) and the victim, not the thief, gets in biiiiig trouble. Get a Lo Jack. They're worth it.

 

[peesalot]

just leave a steamer on the drivers seat.

 

[sonoranfun]

Two simple things I would do....

1) Install a 3 bank or more of switches, wire three to the fuel pump then three to the coil wire. Basicly set it up so they have to be in the right places for either to work. 2 up, 1 down, 1 up then 2 down or something like that. Label them "fog lights", "running lights" or whatever. When you get out for the night just flip them all off, with 6 switches and 2 options for each they have a 1 in 720 chance of getting it right not bad security for almost nothing in price!

2) Buy a very small amp and mount it under the dash, Sony use to make a really small nice amp, anyway, just run 2.5mm (headphone) jack to RCAs for the amp and leave the small 2.5mm sitting on the little try indent thing on the dash. You may have to drill a hole. Point is, use a small MP3 player that you can take in and out. My cell phone has a transflash so I just use that but both will work and are easy to take in with you.

GOOD LUCK!

PS A nice sticker that says "I don't call 911" may help too.....

 

[Joe Link]

I do plan on getting Lo Jack as soon as I can afford it. That bank of switches idea is awesome! I do plan to hook up my MP3 player but since there's already a CD player in the Tuffy console I'm just going to leave it.

 

[Bret]

When mine finally leaves the garage I am planning on pulling the alarm off my motorcycle and put it in my cruiser. The main reason is for the paging function. In SC two "attempts" were made to steal my MC at my apartment. After I put the paging alarm on it I was woke up at 3A.M. a couple of times (by the proximity alarm) I went downstairs walked around the bike with my "deterrence", and strangely the alarm quit going off, and I still have the bike.
No one cares about a car alarm sirens, but if you get the page ...
Try not to be a soft target, but if they want it they can take it.
Lo-Jak sounds like it's hard to beat.