LM theft deterrent on old cars

I saw the thread about the truck and trailer getting stolen and I have some questions.  I have two older cars that I use regularly and we're taking one on a longer trip in the next year that I worry about theft deterrence and then tracking if they are moved. I've never done kill switches or anything on a vehicle. 
 

I have a 1950 Willys Jeep, and the only current theft deference is the 3spd manual. Currently no top or doors, although a soft top and doors are coming soon.  I still won't lock it because as I learned with previous Jeeps, tops and doors are easily sliced. The ignition switch could easily be turned with a flathead screwdriver, and it can easily be roll started. Not to mention the hood latches just hold the hood and don't lock it.  I actually drive this one often around town, running errands, etc. My son and I are planning a Blue Ridge Parkway trip for next year after he gets his permit. They trip will be a mix of camping, fishing, hiking, and exploring some of the small towns near the parkway. So there will be times when we may be away from it for hours.  An easy on/off deterrent would be cool since I use it for around town runs all the time. 
 

The other one is mostly kept tucked in the garage. Also a manual but also a soft top. When it is left overnight outside (rarely) I've done things like pull relays and ignition wires. 
 

After typing all that, I realize I have no real theft deterrent on the Jeep.  I also have no way of tracking either vehicle should something happen. This isn't a huge fear of mine, but I wouldn't mind an easy/cheap option if they are available. I saw AirTags suggested but I thought they were only good for 50' or so. 
 

Well the Jeep does have one other theft device, a tiny fuel tank and a gas gauge that doesn't read right, so it can quickly run out of gas on you.  Just like it got me here, on my way to the gas station. 

seems like the bigger issue for your planned trip is going to be how to keep people from lifting your camping gear out of the jeep if you're not with it?

make sure to post a thread about your Blue Ridge Parkway trip; I'd be interested in following along.

My theory is that auto theft can't be eliminated so my goal is to make my vehicle a harder target than other vehicles so thieves move on to softer targets.

On my 69 Suburban and my 67 Camaro, I have this Remote Battery Cut-off and what I do is run a 20 amp fuse between the poles so that the clock and interior lights work with the battery cut off but if you try to start the vehicle, the fuse pops and everything is dead.

On some vehicles, a quick release steering wheel is an easy way to make it hard to steal, just pop it off and take it with you, or lock in the trunk if you don't want to walk around the mall with a Momo in your hand.

There's a locking device, similar to a club, that locks your steering wheel to your brake pedal and it's very visible so thieves might look at it and move on.

If your old vehicle runs a carb, a fuel cutoff is effective because it allows the vehicle to be started and driven but it will stall in a location where the thief is likely to get unwanted attention, like on the road and not in the privacy of a parking lot. Adam Carolla used this method on his old Nissan pickup and it was stolen twice and on both occasions, he found his truck a block away, on the side of the road where it had stalled due to lack of fuel in the carb.

On my new truck, I pull the fuel pump relay any time it's parked outside overnight or even for a few hours if in a sketchy neighborhood. When we are on a racing trip with the trailer, we always try to park close to a light pole or big tree and we literally chain the trailer to the pole/tree. The trailer has a pucklock on the mandoor and the ramp door has a ratchet strap from the ramp to something solid in the trailer so that if the locks are cut, the door still won't open. We also have a motion sensing alarm on the trailer like this one and if you move the trailer at all, it goes off and is pretty loud. We haven't done it yet but we want to get an alarm that sends us an alert if somebody sets the trailer alarm off.

Nice Jeep! I chuckled at your post - I have a '74 CJ5 with the same theft deterrent systems (manual trans, non-op fuel gauge). I also have a hidden kill switch that would at least slow someone down a bit. 

Following to learn more about potential tracking options. 

You may need to employ some bicycle techniques on the Jeep. 

Run a chain through the spokes?
Chain it to a lamp post?
Take off a wheel when locking it up?  

The old trick was to remove the coil wire and take it with you when leaving the Jeep.  It would still be easy to roll onto a trailer, though.

Some sort of hidden ignition cutoff switch seems to be the best for a quick stop.  For times you are going to be away from it for hours, I'd just pop the distributor cap off, remove the rotor and take it with you.  That should keep it from getting stolen at a trailhead, unless someone tows it away.

Edit:  I've got a fuel pump cutoff switch on one of my easily stolen cars, but I am guessing you have a mechanical pump.  I also plan on yanking relays and fuses if I have to leave it parked in an unsecure location overnight.

Oh yeah, for tracking, my car is not worth paying for LoJack, or some GPS solution, but yours might be.  I just have an AirTag hidden behind a trim panel.

Watching with interest to see what creative ideas come up.

Put one of these somewhere so you dont have to open the hood to disable the electricals?

I feel like pulling a fuse and replacing it with a known blown one would be effective. I imagine a thief would give up well before they started testing fuses

Perhaps not entirely applicable but one of my college era cars had a defective ignition switch that was bypassed in favor of a toggle under the dash and a push-button starter.  I would routinely remove the distributor rotor (no tool needed) to discourage roommates and other dorm buddies from "borrowing" the car - otherwise it would be gone more often than not.

It wasn't a secret for long but none of them ever took the initiative to go buy another distributor rotor...

Chances of a random thief having the correct ignition part in his pocket are pretty low.

in my lotus there are 3 switches you have to turn on before it will start, I figure between that and trying to figure out the weird dual shifter setup and sequential manual transmission in the car, I doubt any thief would bother trying to drive off with it

I had a setup where the driver has to put it into Reverse before starting, else the fuel pump stays disabled. Easily made with a double-pole 12V relay.

Unfortunately, these days most cars are simply towed away.

I once left my old Land Rover in the shop. A coworker had to move it out of the way while I wasn't there. He's an EE and spent his days troubleshooting Miatas. He couldn't get it started despite being in a shop full of tools and having as much time as he needed.

The killer (for him) was a metal handle battery cutoff switch that wasn't labeled, combined with the general weirdness of the controls so he wasn't confident of anything he was doing.

octavious said:

 I saw AirTags suggested but I thought they were only good for 50' or so. 

It's my understanding that AirTags will locate themselves with the nearest Apple product - basically, using  those 125 million+ iPhones out there as a mesh network. So they don't need to be within range of you, just of someone.

I install a starter relay and run the relay ground through a cigarette lighter.

Push the lighter in, turn key to start.

If you're parking somewhere sketchy, take the lighter out and put it in your pocket.

loosecannon said:

... my goal is to make my vehicle a harder target than other vehicles so thieves move on to softer targets...

Now see, that's just being selfish. The right thing to do is to take one for the team and let yours be stolen, saving us the aggravation!

I kid, I kid.

In reply to Keith Tanner :

That's correct. Tile is the same kind of system, but it's any device with the app running. AirTag is much better. I certainly has limits though. The battery runs out, and I had it on a boat trailer (that was sold) and since no one went near it with their phone while it was parked in the yard it just stopped updating. Apparently there were some stalking incidents so you need to access it semi-occasionally.

John Welsh said:

Take off a wheel when locking it up?  

I like this idea, but it wouldn't work on a Citroen.

I have owned quite a few MGAs and the roadsters are similar to your Jeep - side curtains not roll up windows and no way to keep people out of the cockpit.

I have wired the hot ignition wire through a switch on the dash that is only on when pulled out - in my case the fog light switch.  It wouldn't matter if they had the key - unless they jumped it under the bonnet, or pull out  the fog light switch it wouldn't start.

Other than that you'd have to get fancy with RF tags and such to be able to track it f someone did steal it.

I have used both a stainless steel toggle switch (~$5 from Lowes), which I've hidden, and wired a foglight switch. Both kill the fuel pump relay. Due to how one car is wired, it'll actually start and run for 15 seconds or so, which I like, because it hopefully gives the thief the impression that something's wrong with the car. 

Before, instead of pulling the fuel pump fuse, I'd pull the hall sensor connector on the dist. and leave it barely connected. 

In reply to ShawnG :

Very clever, and will be how I wire a third kill switch I've been putting off doing... 

Wheel clamp lock on front driver wheel and replace all the lug nuts with wheel locks.

Visible to be a deterrent, exposes the would be theif to street side if they're hammering sockets on your wheel. Multiple wheel locks to slow them down (especially if they one have one socket that fits over the lug nuts). 

Pretty sure that Jeep had or still has a mechanical fuel pump.

The lighter trick can also be used on the ignition.

Cars in the 30s, Lincoln for sure had a key lock on the ignition and one on the gear shift to prevent shifting into neutral. Food for thought.

So, in several of my cars, and my trailer I have both Airtags and Galaxy Smart Tags (Samsung's less popular version of the Apple Airtags)

The Airtags have had the speakers removed and are hidden where they won't easily be found.

By far, the Airtags seem to have the better network / more responsive to location updates when out and about.  Yes, my Android devices send me a notification stating that an unknown Apple Airtag is following me, but without the speaker, they would be very difficult for a thief to locate.

I use both just as a simple form of redundancy.

On my Mustang with a 5.3 LS and a Holley Terminator, I pull the fuel pump / fuel injector fuse.  And if I'm going to be away from it for an extended period of time, I take the Quick release steering wheel off and carry it with me.  Which drew quite a few interesting looks at the winery with SWMBO last summer.