TheSamba.com :: View topic

Thu Nov 13, 2008 2:25 pm

Whats your ideas??

Thu Nov 13, 2008 2:28 pm

Previous owner installed, for whatever reason, an inconspicuous starter button. When you turn the key, it just does nothing. Not that great of theft deterrent, but it would discourage some!

Thu Nov 13, 2008 2:33 pm

I put an alarm and keyless entry system at the same time. But really cheap theft deterrent is to remove the relay that powers up the fuel pump when it is left in the vulnerable site. Or, as the Sicilians would do, take the steering wheel with you.

Thu Nov 13, 2008 2:56 pm

alarm and keyless entry system plus club that can be seen from the outside.

Thu Nov 13, 2008 3:08 pm

Thu Nov 13, 2008 3:08 pm

I was mostly concerned with basic vandalism or theft of contents. For me it's an alarm that is wired to the doors. It also has a sensor for glass breaking.

Thu Nov 13, 2008 3:40 pm

Try leaving your dog in the van. Our Lab is the friendliest dog in the world until you stick your head or arm in an open window.

Thu Nov 13, 2008 5:11 pm

I often just leave my dog in the van...she loves it. Sometimes even over night.

Speaking of B and E's , last weekend I decided i was too inebriated to drive the westy home after a night of clubbing, so I decided to sleep in the van in a rough area of downtown east vancouver, BC. Well, at about 4am I get woken out of my comatose drunken sleep, and notice the van wobbling back and forth, then I hear a guy walking around the van and kind of banging all the windows. I guess he was checking for an alarm. Just as he was about to jack the lock on the passenger door, I opened up the side curtain, slid open the sliding window, and sprayed the snot out of him with my bear spray. Luckily, I do not have a screen in that window! He squeeled like a pig ran about five steps and fell to his knees. a few minutes later he got up and walked away, hopefully in alot of pain. This guy was decked in in ALL BLACK, head to toes, with the big puffy jacket thing going on. Realizing that he may be back, likely with his B and E posse, I relocated to another part of town.

I have had my westy broken into twice....and they have always gotten in through the passenger door lock. I really need to get an alarm!

Thu Nov 13, 2008 5:27 pm

shorepig wrote: sprayed the snot out of him with my bear spray.

Whats bear spray?
Like anti-bear spray?

I always leave it unlocked and just don't leave anything inside that's worth stealing.
I had the stereo stolen out of my car before and they broke the window, I don't want to have to fix a window.
When I was younger I lived in the rust belt, I always tried to make the cars I had run well, but I never gave much attention to the outside cause of the rust.
I always liked music so I always tried to have a good stereo even if the cars were a bit crappy.
I never had anyone steal anything out of my beater cars, I guess nobody even bothered to look inside, that happened as I got older and could afford the nicer looking cars.
So maybe if you have to park on the street keep it a little shabby looking.

Thu Nov 13, 2008 5:55 pm

alarm may work,but who pays attention to them in the city anymore? not me. most of the meth heads around here are just looking to snag a cd deck,tools or whatever else you got in there. I like the idea of removing the steering wheel. I heard there is a way to "electrify" your car. anyone know about this? someone touches your car they get zapped! could work,could be a lawsuit waiting to happen. or it pisses them off and they throw a brick through the windshield. I keep my gate closed at night and 3 dogs roaming around does the trick for me at home.

Thu Nov 13, 2008 6:08 pm

shorepig wrote:

Speaking of B and E's , last weekend I decided i was too inebriated to drive the westy home after a night of clubbing, so I decided to sleep in the van in a rough area of downtown east vancouver, BC. Well, at about 4am I get woken out of my comatose drunken sleep, and notice the van wobbling back and forth, then I hear a guy walking around the van and kind of banging all the windows. I guess he was checking for an alarm. Just as he was about to jack the lock on the passenger door, I opened up the side curtain, slid open the sliding window, and sprayed the snot out of him with my bear spray.

Yah some parts of Vancouver east side are dicey.

I just keep my Westy looking, uh, like non desirable. Crappy looking steel wheels, patchy paint. (well that's my excuse anyway) The windows are also tinted, but I'm sure with a flash light one could find things.

But then I don't park around the dicey parts of Vancouver east side. ;) heh heh.

Neil.

Thu Nov 13, 2008 7:04 pm

mightyart wrote:

Whats bear spray?
Like anti-bear spray?

I

Bear spray is like super duper pepper spray that shoots like 40 or 50 feet. Can't imagine what that felt like to that dude breaking in. I have a canister of it hanging on my backpack. Had to reach for it once hiking the AT through North Carolina. Luckily the bear saw me, decided I looked less than appetizing, and she went the other way. :D

Thu Nov 13, 2008 7:27 pm

hiram6 wrote: mightyart wrote:

Whats bear spray?
Like anti-bear spray?

I

Bear spray is like super duper pepper spray that shoots like 40 or 50 feet. Can't imagine what that felt like to that dude breaking in. I have a canister of it hanging on my backpack. Had to reach for it once hiking the AT through North Carolina. Luckily the bear saw me, decided I looked less than appetizing, and she went the other way. :D

If that stuff is really capable of shooting 40-50 feet, just the high-pressure spray to the face at point-blank range should hurt any intruder pretty badly!

Thu Nov 13, 2008 7:36 pm

Grizzly bears will come back to the site they got sprayed and LICK the grass and tree leaves with bear spray on them. Dont try it with Alaskan Griz. Just a FYI Carry a Freakin Gun
Big Gun

Thu Nov 13, 2008 7:47 pm

Get it painted to look like crap... Have what looks like bubbling paint and rust on body seems and peeling clear coat with faded paint... so even thought it has a nice paint job, it wouldn't look like it was worth braking into!

Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:13 pm

I've had "Earl, the Lizard of Safety" in my cars for years.

It's amazing what a very visible and real looking rubber 3 foot long lizard tail will do.

I bought "Earl" at "The Junkman's Daughter's Brother" in Athens GA many years ago. One of the reasons I bought it was the date printed on his belly, 1957. He's one old rubber lizard.

Parked in Atlanta or Charlotte, I never had my Porsche 911, later 912, and today, Westy, bothered. It's especially helpful to have a paper or something covering the body of the rubber lizard to just leave that long tail hanging in the breeze.

So far, no break ins. Photo soon.

Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:51 pm

A small hijacking........

JiMz wrote: Grizzly bears will come back to the site they got sprayed and LICK the grass and tree leaves with bear spray on them. Dont try it with Alaskan Griz. Just a FYI Carry a Freakin Gun
Big Gun

LOL! Yea, the grizzlies in Alaska can be stubborn mofo's, brown bears less so. Bear spray is more like a seasoning to the AK Griz. Don't carry a gun, carry a hand cannon! I lived in the Alaskan bush for 4 years, working as a fishing/bearviewing guide and have seen some encounters that probably made the guys load there pants. The bear spray does well as long as you are upwind of the brown, black bear or possible van thief. If at all possible, NEVER EVER shoot it up wind! Don't ask me how I know this. :oops:

Also heard about some Japanese tourist that didn't read the instructions on their bear spray. They thought it worked like mosquito repellent. They all lined up, while another spayed them down. They were hurtin' big time. Law suit followed!

And now back to your regularly scheduled program........

Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:54 pm

I use my renewable, biodegradable, hi-zoot radio delete kit that came with my Westy. It's a cup holder the previous owner made. :-) The banged-up speakers are still in the door. Check out the leather straps hanging from my vent wings - that's my A/C kit. Add some pre-stained underwear strewn conspicuously throughout the interior and nobody will bother breaking into it:

Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:54 pm

Google DEWALT MOBILE TRACKER :D Best thing I have found for my 181 and Westy and they can be moved from one to the other! We use them at work to keep the METH Heads from stealing spools of copper wires! It is funnier than hell to have them tracked by police with 911 0n the line....Yes, I am back with internet access...still have a premie and a 2 year old and 6 12 hour shifts upcoming but, the samba calls!

Here is my post from back when I first found thishttp://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=294604&highlight=

Thu Nov 13, 2008 9:24 pm

If you are worried about theft an easy way to stop them is to wire up a relay for the fuel pump and make it so the fog light switch needs to be on to activate the relay. Who turns on the fog light switch before starting a vehicle they are trying to steal? Of course my Westy has no fog lights. :wink: