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jbclem
Samba Member
Joined: November 04, 2011
Posts: 166
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 Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2017 2:35 am Post subject: How to secure or lock the front hood |
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| Since it's so easy to break into my 1965 Bug, there are times when I'd like to be able to put valuables inside the front hood/trunk and have it locked securely. On eBay I see a used convertible hood cable keyed lock, but it's $175.00 . Are there any other ways to solve this problem? |
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Karly
Samba Member
Joined: August 01, 2002
Posts: 641
Location: Australia
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| Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2017 2:55 am Post subject: Re: How to secure or lock the front hood |
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Maybe I don't travel dodgy areas but just don't leave anything of any value in sight.. they are after easy and quick targets. Breaking into the car then popping and opening the hood does take a bit of time! That said if I'm travelling with a laptop I just carry it with me.
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jbclem
Samba Member
Joined: November 04, 2011
Posts: 166
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| Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2017 3:32 am Post subject: Re: How to secure or lock the front hood |
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It takes 30 seconds to break into a bug and pop open the hood. I have vent wing locks, that might slow it down a bit, but it's not that hard to break the vent glass with a spark plug or a small hammer.
In the canyon where I live, cars parked at trail heads are sometimes broken into. I want to be able to park and go for a two hour hike without having worry about what I leave in the car. |
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Karly
Samba Member
Joined: August 01, 2002
Posts: 641
Location: Australia
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| Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2017 5:19 am Post subject: Re: How to secure or lock the front hood |
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In that case $175 is a small price to pay for something that is fairly discreet? I think any other way will make it look obvious you have valuables in there and more likely to make your car a target as I said I go by the theory of make it obvious there's nothing in the car. They are just going to smash a window if they want access.
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1960 Beetle ''Heidi" daily driver
1964 Karmann Ghia project |
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andk5591
Samba Member
Joined: August 29, 2005
Posts: 16758
Location: State College, PA
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| Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2017 5:21 am Post subject: Re: How to secure or lock the front hood |
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Ever see how long it takes someone to steal a car? Nice thing is that hardly anyone can drive a stick anymore. And if someone wants to break into your car, they will. I guess the question is how much damage do you want to have before they actually get in to it?
And something else....The engine is in the front of most cars.....So why would a thief try to open the "hood" to steal stuff?
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Rosie 65 bug - My mostly stock daily driver.
Woodie 69 VW woodie (Hot VWs 7/12).
"John's car" 64 VW woodie - The first ever
Maxine 61 Cal-look bug - Cindy's daily driver.
Max - 73 standard Beetle hearse project - For sale
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VOLKSWAGNUT
Fastest VW Belt Changer
Joined: October 14, 2007
Posts: 11056
Location: Flippin' a Belt........ .... Off-n-On ... NC USA
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| Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2017 7:18 am Post subject: Re: How to secure or lock the front hood |
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| andk5591 wrote: |
| I guess the question is how much damage do you want to have before they actually get in to it? |
Yep ^ .. if a thief has time and opportunity.. they will rip the hood handle off with a pry bar.. once they are pissed off after breaking the window and finding a hood lock....
Locks are for honest people..
A thief will steal.. no matter what.. locks will slow them down.. or make them simply move on to the next victim.
A simple bike lock or locking cable through the handle to the bumper is a deterrent....or...  a sign that something worth stealing is in there..
A flashing LED to indicate an alarm is another simple deterrent.
Put it right in plain view sight.
An old car can be stolen and driven off in about 15 seconds.. with everything in the trunk..
I agree.. a Convertible hood lock.. is the easy albeit pricey option..
Frankly.. I was surprised of the prices of those after a quick search..
I remember buying them with keys for less than 50 bucks years ago.
Glad I stocked up on em' 
.
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arizonabuckeye
Samba Member
Joined: November 10, 2013
Posts: 544
Location: SLC
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| Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2017 7:47 am Post subject: Re: How to secure or lock the front hood |
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You could try pouring water into the mechanism under the front hood and let it rust up a little. That will at least make it so it take two people to open it up...
Or maybe take a big loop of chain, wrap it around the beam then up through the handle and get it as snug as you can with a pad lock. |
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TinCanFab
Samba Member
Joined: April 04, 2006
Posts: 2743
Location: Waterford, California
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| Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2017 9:36 am Post subject: Re: How to secure or lock the front hood |
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I bought a vert lock on here for $80 last year, they pop up cheap if you aren't anal about the key code. Small price to pay to keep your gas, belongings and ignition wiring safer. Lock that decklid too. Euro locking steering column makes it harder to roll down the street or onto a trailer too.
20 years ago I walked out onto some jerks stealing my Olds Cutlass. They were seconds from getting it. I had a brand new alarm system with starter kill in the box in the trunk. Can you imagine how stupid I'd feel if they got it? Make it harder for thieves anytime you can!
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zerotofifty
Samba Member
Joined: December 27, 2003
Posts: 1566
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| Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2017 12:49 pm Post subject: Re: How to secure or lock the front hood |
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| roachdub58 wrote: |
I bought a vert lock on here for $80 last year, they pop up cheap if you aren't anal about the key code. Small price to pay to keep your gas, belongings and ignition wiring safer. Lock that decklid too. Euro locking steering column makes it harder to roll down the street or onto a trailer too.
20 years ago I walked out onto some jerks stealing my Olds Cutlass. They were seconds from getting it. I had a brand new alarm system with starter kill in the box in the trunk. Can you imagine how stupid I'd feel if they got it? Make it harder for thieves anytime you can! |
In addition there are accessory gear shift locks, and of course there is home made things, I made a metal block that attached to clutch pedel that caused the brake pedel to be pushed down with the clutch, pad lock though it.
now the other thing is to not armor the trunk, rather keep nothing you cant afford to loose in the car. some car thiefs are interested in stealing the car, but many more simply want to steal contents. smash a window, crow bar open a locked trunk, grab something valuable and get out quick. not much you can do about that, steering locks, brake locks etc are not a deterent to that kind of thief, even an alarm might be of little value if responce time will be long, cause the thief plans to be out of there quickly.
a locked trunk might be a tempting target to crow bar open, ruined apron, latch, bumper, hood, need repaint, damage from a crow bar opening could easily pass a grand$$$$$$ in body repair. I dont keep anything in my trunk worth near 1/10th that, thus if the thief wants in, Id be inclined to not put an extra lock on it.
when I was a kid some thief broke into my Bug while parked at the beach, crow bar to the wing window, dented the door real bad along the bottom of the window opening (I wish he simply broke the glass) also of course snapped the wing window lock.
had to do body work, lead work and repaint on the door. the only thing stolen was a bag of potato chips from the back seat, and 2 cans of motor oil from the front trunk. Had I a locking front trunk, the thief likely would have crow barred the trunk open also to steal the oil.
So is the potential body work to repair a break in worth the item(s) you wish to lock up?
good luck, shoot crooks on sight!!!!!! |
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arizonabuckeye
Samba Member
Joined: November 10, 2013
Posts: 544
Location: SLC
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| Posted: Thu Aug 17, 2017 10:21 am Post subject: Re: How to secure or lock the front hood |
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| Another option - depending on the look you are going for would be to build a strong box either in place of or behind your back seat. You would make it obvious that it's not going anywhere and would be a pain to break into - things like bulky brackets and visible difficult to break locks. |
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'67Vert
Samba Member
Joined: July 03, 2007
Posts: 117
Location: Santa Maria, CA
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| Posted: Fri Aug 18, 2017 9:46 am Post subject: Re: How to secure or lock the front hood |
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This fool proof trunk lock was on a '67 sedan I purchased.
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zabo
Samba Member
Joined: May 24, 2005
Posts: 1195
Location: ATL
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| Posted: Fri Aug 18, 2017 2:32 pm Post subject: Re: How to secure or lock the front hood |
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^ genius!
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Dr OnHolliday
Samba Member
Joined: May 11, 2012
Posts: 1215
Location: was Escondido now San Berdoo
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| Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2017 12:49 pm Post subject: Re: How to secure or lock the front hood |
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Just keep a rattlesnake in your front compartment
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hitest
Samba Member
Joined: September 30, 2008
Posts: 10296
Location: Prime Meridian, ID
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| Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2017 6:37 pm Post subject: Re: How to secure or lock the front hood |
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| andk5591 wrote: |
Ever see how long it takes someone to steal a car? Nice thing is that hardly anyone can drive a stick anymore. And if someone wants to break into your car, they will. I guess the question is how much damage do you want to have before they actually get in to it?
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The same can be said for convertibles. 30 years ago with my '74 Thing in high school I learned it's better to just leave the car open- and nothing of value inside. There's no challenge, thrill or high a thief gets "breaking into" an already open car. Sure, you get fuc*ers that mess around- but as said, rarely do damage. It's when locks and deterrents get them motivated that shit gets scratched, cut up and pried.
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| EverettB wrote: |
I wonder what the nut looks like.
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