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Kill switch or other ideas to stop theft?

23K views 70 replies 37 participants last post by  WhisperPC  
#1 ·
I'm getting a little paranoid because My el camino is parked outside 24/7. Work,school, home...it's always out side.

So I always lock my doors and replaced my lock knobs with stubs so a coat hanger can't unlock it, but my real question is can I do anything else?

I would like to have a kill switch like under the frame underneath the drivers door to flip before going that kills power because my grandpa did that on his 29' street rod.

Any ideas?
 
#3 ·
You can put a "kill switch" anywhere from the battery to the ignition or get one of these


If you can keep her awake LOL
All BS aside put a kill switch anywhere that will kill the battery to starter but don't tell anyone
 
#4 ·
That dogs too tame... Would do as much as a chihuahua. Just kidding:yell:

Alright. I didn't want to run wires under my carpet so that's why I thought underneath.

I was reading an G-bodies and early 1970-lat 1980's are the easiest cars to steal.
 
#8 ·
#11 ·
Terry (TexasElCamino) told me to get a Killswitch installed, too, but I'm planning an entire dash/interior replacement within the next year. The floor dimmer switch hidden under the carpet seems like the best option so far, but does anyone have any better suggestions? I'm open to anything that doesn't involve the dash, but it will need to be easily worked around with an entire interior overhaul. :shrug: right now my theft deterrent is a completely flat front driver's side tire. Seems to be working. ;)


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#13 · (Edited)
One anti-theft device is to install a reserve fuel tank of say half a gallon from a lawn tractor. Mount the reserve tank in a convenient safe spot. Attach a universal switch used on dual tank pickups to switch between tanks. Wire up switch with relay and toggle switch so that your camino automatically sucks fuel from the reserve tank until you switch the hidden toggle.

This way even if the thief defeats your other security features, he won't get more than a couple miles before running out of gas. You can find the universal tank switch on ebay for $50, and lawn tractor gas tanks should be found with existing mounting straps. Remember you will need to periodically add fuel to the reserve tank so pick a good spot.
 
#14 ·
I just cut the dizzy wire and run a switch off that. So to steal my car you have to get past the alarm, and the club, and find the switch. And oh yea, HOPE I don't catch you trying!!!:snipersmilie:
But it can happen!!:let_it_all_out:
Donny
 
#23 ·
I've got 2 ignition switches, a passive/aggressive talking alarm, a club, a 2nd "club" that ties the brake pedal to the steering wheel plus a steel collar around the column... and as you said, hope I don't catch you trying because there's a pistol & a shotgun backing-up all of the above... sadly, tho, as DDD said, "it can happen!!" Or as I always say, "If they want it bad enuf, they'll get it. You just gotta make it as hard as possible... make 'em really work for it..."
 
#15 ·
Use the cigarette lighter when starting the truck it's only momentary contact so won't get hot and when parked just pull the lighter and take it with you.:secret::secret: I have Lo/jack , kill switch and the club. You also can pull the dist. wire and take it with you.:dontknow:
 
#16 · (Edited)
If somebody wants it bad enough, he will get it. I have family that drive tow trucks (roll backs) and do repos. Crank the steering wheel full right or left so it will be almost impossible to tow. Block her in with another vehicle, chain the rims to the axle.

For good or bad, mine is not worth stealing at this point. Besides she is protected by family and a 1911.

As for the kill switch? Use a removable key like the safety switch on some power tools or even a D-Sub connector if it is low enough amperage. Or even a key switch where the key can only be removed in the "off" position. Remember, anything electrical will have to have the wires protected or hidden so the thief cannot just cross the wires to defeat the system.
 
#18 ·
Dang I got a lot of good answers!

I've seen most of those ideas on YouTube.

Why I wanted it under the door was because it would be easy to route and I wouldn't have as hard of a time hiding it as I would inside. I wouldn't have to bend over, I could just run my hand along it when in the car.

No regardless what do I kill? My grandpas is hooked to the battery, but should it be a fuel cut off switch, ignition cut off switch, a dizzy battery kill switch or a battery kill switch?

Only issue with the dizzy kill switch is that it will crank and not turn over which could wear down the starter and kill the battery.
 
#19 · (Edited)
Mine is just under the dash when sitting in the drivers seat the panel by your right leg and the stereo there's a steel plate behind the plastic with a perfect round hole that I installed a push pull switch. Just cut the yellow wire and your done. $4.00 You have to lean foward to pull it.:poke:


 

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#20 ·
I have always put a toggle switch in the door jam near the bottom of the top hinge, paint it the same color as the car and it disappears. If you use a double pole, single throw 30 amp rated switch you can break the power to the dizzy, and the wire to the starter. :texas:
 
#21 ·
I put in a remote starter. I then disconnected the wire from the ignition switch. Now my baby can't be started with the key. I get in, hit the remote starter key fob, put the key in and turn it to run. As a bonus I can start it from inside the house on those many NY winter days and let it warm up. I have done this on my f250, and my el dorado as well. If you don't have my key fob, you can't start my car.
 
#22 ·
I have a teen who I have to hide my keys from for her's and the community's safety and my liability. I also had a kill switch installed on my 2012 Hyundai. $40 wish he had used a black switch


The El Camino, at the 77, seems easy to hot wire, not that she's smart enough so I have also considered doing a hood lock on it as well. Replaces the hood release cable. http://vehicle-maintenance.wonderho....wonderhowto.com/how-to/install-hood-lock-deadbolt-protect-your-vehicle-263274/
I also have security cameras all around the house and 2 pointed at the driveway on my cars.
 
#26 ·
One good anti theft idea i got from a guy who has a corvette stolen 3 times before he did this: get two kill switches, one that is in a common kill switch spot and semi easy to find with the second one much harder to find. Have the easy one kill the ignition, and the hard one kill your electric fuel pump. the thief will find the easy one get it started and drive it about a block away before it runs out of gas, now that the thief is stalled in the middle of the street he will quickly get away from the car because it will draw attention. Leaving you with a hopefully unmolested car abandoned in the middle of the road nearby.
 
#30 ·
Hidden dimmer switch under the carpet is a great idea, but remember to mount it high enough. Years ago a customers car was disabled by accident by his unknowing son while driving, as he hit the switch that he didn't know was there...
 
#31 ·
On my 66 Impala, I had a toggle switch that pointed down mounted under the front edge of the drivers seat. You had to flip that to the on position first. Then you had to turn the key on. To start it, there was a push button mounted in that flat area at the bottom of the dash that was parallel to the floor. the toggle killed all power to the starting circuit, then the push button was wired to the starter. The key was still wired to the run function. The wiring to the toggle ran under the carpet, with enough slack that you could still adjust the seat. The push button was on the far left side of the dash, right up against the drivers side kick panel with the wiring up under the dash with all the other wires. Was just a simple black momentary contact push button that blended in with the black dash. The toggle was mounted on a bracket I made that was recessed so that it was up inside the bottom edge of the seat. You couldn't see either one if you were down looking for them. I had the toggle oriented so that clicking it forward was for go, pointed rearward was for no-go.


:nanawrench: