Amazon: Car alarm suggestions for Amazon

[phholden]

Guys - with my '67 Amazon estate living outdoors, has anyone fitted a car alarm/immobiliser or have any suggestions of what would be good to fit to an older car. I did a quick search of the forum but didn't pick up anything..

thanks

Paul

[222s]

Do you have a particular need for an alarm? Tbh, with the armoured coil / ignition cable, Amazons aren't the easiest cars to hotwire for an opportunist thief. My car has been parked out in the street in various parts of London for the last 15 years, and aside from one occasion when someone did try to start it (no damage anywhere btw), it has been left alone.

[Moosejaw]

I reckon car alarms are a waste of time and money tbh. No-one pays them the slightest bit notice when they go off, and in some cases they can invite vandalism when they keep going off at 4 in the morning.

An immobiliser is probably a good bet, whether you shell out for some form of electronic device or not is up to you. I wouldn't bother. How many modern joy riders are going to carry a rotor arm or HT lead around with them?

A discreet switch to the ignition might be an idea if you can't be bothered opening up the bonnet every time you drive the car. (If it was a daily driver I could see that becoming a bit of a nuisance)
You can get little LED lights and a 9v battery holder from Maplins for under a fiver, makes the car look like it's got a fancy alarm, which is half the battle.
A determined crook will if necessary simply cosh you over the back of the head for your keys, of break into your house if he really wants your car, so ask yourself how much you want to make it impregnable.

I park mine outside in an area of Glasgow that's usually on fire, with nothing more than a missing HT lead (if it's going to be unused for a time) and a Stop-Lok on the steering wheel. It's never been touched.

[stevo48]

If you really want to fit an alarm/immobiliser to your car fit a thatcham catagory1 approved unit as this will please your insurance company no end.

[phholden]

...thanks for all your suggestions guys...What got me thinking was that I was looking under the dash at the weekend and could see the exposed wires for the iginition switch so figured it would be easy to hotwire.

[Moosejaw]

Originally Posted by phholden

...thanks for all your suggestions guys...What got me thinking was that I was looking under the dash at the weekend and could see the exposed wires for the iginition switch so figured it would be easy to hotwire.

No doubt it would be, but how likely is it that the average chav could start a manual choked Amazon, and if he got it started, how long would his puny arms be able to wrestle the steering wheel at 'chase-me-copper' speeds?

It's your call of course, but I'd spend my money on obviously physically preventing the car from being driven, rather than rely on some electronic device which may not even live that happily in a 40+ year old car's electrical system.
It depends how often you drive it, if it's not an everyday car then you probably won't mind the extra 30 seconds it might take to remove your own wheelclamp for instance, but if it's a daily driver, then I can see the advantages of a little plipper device to immobilise it every time it gets left.

[gillberry]

As mentioned before a simple switch (if its an everday user) wired in to cut the power . Must admit when we go back to Birmingham to see relatives we have a stop lock fitted to the steering wheel .

[lancsclassics]

I have a switch to ground the points side of the coil to earth - as if the points are always closed.
Best of all is what my old grandad used to do back in the 60s and 70s. He had a discreet tap in the petrol line tucked under the sill. Just reached under and turned the fuel off! They won't get far in that, he used to say. Too right!