Values and theft prevention?

[capt jack]

We've two elderly Volvos in the family - the S90 and the S70, and have long believed that they're not hugely valuable, and therefore not really at a high risk of theft. Combined age is 43, combined mileage is intergalactic.

But an idle spin through Car and Classic or Ebay would suggest that the value of older Volvos is actually going up, and there are several with price tags to make your eyes water. Possibly not quite in Land Rover Defender territory yet, but there was a time when you couldn't give away a 240, now a nice one will command a premium price.

So, on the basis that our cars might start to attract value and unwanted attention, what's the best type of security? Both cars are parked on our driveway at night.

Thanks

Jack

[Clan]

Originally Posted by capt jack

We've two elderly Volvos in the family - the S90 and the S70, and have long believed that they're not hugely valuable, and therefore not really at a high risk of theft. Combined age is 43, combined mileage is intergalactic.

But an idle spin through Car and Classic or Ebay would suggest that the value of older Volvos is actually going up, and there are several with price tags to make your eyes water. Possibly not quite in Land Rover Defender territory yet, but there was a time when you couldn't give away a 240, now a nice one will command a premium price.

So, on the basis that our cars might start to attract value and unwanted attention, what's the best type of security? Both cars are parked on our driveway at night.

Thanks

Jack

You can still buy alarm systems , but a simple hidden switch in the coil circuit would prevent it being driven away , or even an air-conditioning switch in the dash to do the same ...

[Triple-S]

You should worry Jack - my '72 Volvo 164E was parked in the road outside my place when a scaffold lorry parked dead opposite - why I don't know as there was ample space each side. I quickly rushed in to get the car keys and move it - but too late, a frozen-food delivery van hurtled through the gap, took my wing mirror off and slightly marked the drivers door. Did he stop - of course not.
After the local body shop has done some repairs to my '68 145 he'll be doing the 164, so an expensive period for me.
Moral of the story - I doubt theft is the worry with an older car, its just the don't-give-a-dam morons on our roads now.

P

[abdiel]

One of these fitted to your battery Negative terminal would also be a deterrant!


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Universal...-/261105200197

[DaveNP]

With the proviso that nothing is going to stop a determined thief, I'd go for something(s) highly visible such as a steering wheel lock and your own wheel clamps. An immobiliser switch is great (and proved effective when I owned a mk1 Ford Fiesta) but it won't deter them from breaking in leaving you with a damaged car. Some security lights on your drive would also be a deterrent.

[monkeh]

When on the scrounge in the scrappies many moons ago, me and a friend stumbled across a 940 that, we needed a caliper guide. Alas, no keys in the car... We had no deep sockets, or spanners to disconnect track rod arms. We decided to try the old gyppo break the steering lock. A 940's steering lock is nigh on impossible to break... Just saying, a 940/740's steering lock is a pretty good unit, the 2 of us were hanging off the steering wheel.

[eternal optimist]

Originally Posted by Triple-S

.......I doubt theft is the worry with an older car.......

Actually, classic car theft is a real problem. Two basic reasons for the increase in thefts; cars stolen in order to be broken for spares or where someone has a V5 and they want to save the problem of restoring whatever remains of the vehicle the V5 is/was attached to. This is a real problem for cars where there’s high demand, particularly in export markets for cars like Mini’s, Escorts, Land Rovers etc. Buy a V5 from eBay, get new VIN plates stamped up, steal a car which roughly matches the one on the V5, change VIN plates and bingo.

[canis]

It's not quite as easy as that. Chopping out the VIN stamp, welding it into the other car, grinding off the excess, re-welding to fill in any gaps, grinding off the excess, filling and sanding, prep'ing and priming, wet-flatting and painting, and all this inside an engine bay!

Then you've got the problem of overspray on engine parts - ever tried masking an engine? Then there's the mess and debris from the work involved, the mig spatter on rubber hoses, the dust, the wet-flatted primer trails deep in the engine bay and all over subframes, etc.

Finally if you make it through all that, you've got a pristine inner wing, immaculately painted which doesn't match the rest of the car. So now you'll have to paint the whole car. Including the other inner wing, and the bulkhead, how are you gonna get 'round those brake pipes...

Generally, it's easier to restore the car no matter how bad it is. Ringing cars just isn't as simple as people think. I'm not saying it can't be done, but you really gotta be desperate to do it.

[eternal optimist]

Originally Posted by canis

It's not quite as easy as that. Chopping out the VIN stamp, welding it into the other car, grinding off the excess, re-welding to fill in any gaps, grinding off the excess, filling and sanding, prep'ing and priming, wet-flatting and painting, and all this inside an engine bay!

Then you've got the problem of overspray on engine parts - ever tried masking an engine? Then there's the mess and debris from the work involved, the mig spatter on rubber hoses, the dust, the wet-flatted primer trails deep in the engine bay and all over subframes, etc.

Finally if you make it through all that, you've got a pristine inner wing, immaculately painted which doesn't match the rest of the car. So now you'll have to paint the whole car. Including the other inner wing, and the bulkhead, how are you gonna get 'round those brake pipes...

Generally, it's easier to restore the car no matter how bad it is. Ringing cars just isn't as simple as people think. I'm not saying it can't be done, but you really gotta be desperate to do it.

I absolutely disagree with you on pretty much everything you've written above. Thefts of classic Volvos may not (yet) be a thing, but that's not the case for Land Rovers, 60's and 70's Fords, Minis, and anything that was raced in period.

VIN's are generally stamped on plates which are secured by two or maybe four pop rivets on most classics.

If (like on a classic Ford) the VIN is also stamped in the body, if you wanted to re-stamp it, it's not impossible to do that. It's not impossible to paint a section of a panel and age it. It's not impossible to seam weld to the point where you can't tell it's been welded in. On most of the Fords being stolen, the old chassis number was stamped on the offside inner wing where the strut emerges; and within ten years, most now classic Fords needed their inner wings plating over where the VIN was stamped. I cannot remember the last time I saw a Cortina, Escort or Capri with an original strut top with the VIN stamped on.

Same is true on my 1965 VW (Chassis number stamped on a bit of metal which goes rusty and generally has been patched within 20 years) and my 1955 Standard 10 which has the chassis number stamped on a plate which can be bought new.

'Generally it's easier to restore a car no matter how bad it is' - Having restored two and a third in progress, I disagree. It's not.

[Austin160]

Anti-theaft devices are fine and necessary, but with everything deemed to be an appreciating asset, it is adequate insurance that becomes the equally all important consideration.

Classic car policies will usually insure vehicles over 20 years old on an agreed value basis, so in the event of theft or a total loss, you will know exactly what you will receive as a settlement. These policies can be restrictive in terms of mileage, and generally do not depend on NCD, so going down this route could result in a ‘not-used’ NCD being eventually lost.

Have you tried discussing this with your current insurers and enquiring about an agreed value with them?