Road Runner theft, a couple questions..

[Confederate1969]

I love the South, but my hometown Memphis is plagued with certain groups of people who like to burglarize and steal for a living. :lock: We have the misfortune of seeing this behavior as a common trait in the best of our big cities. As I believe I posted a few months ago, my RR was stolen back in the 70s and found a while later by the cops. Today things aren't any better and I always have to be very careful with it and have to keep my garage closed when I'm not working on the car because people often cruise around looking for easy pickings. Once I have an engine in it and get it mechanically road safe, I will have to go to great lengths to make it as hard as possible to steal as I have no doubts someone will try it. I've already seen too many people skulking and eyeballing the RR.

So this post has two questions... First, I am curious if any of you have ever had your Road Runners (or any other cool Mopars) stolen before. Secondly, what have you all done to make it harder to steal? I have a few plans of my own in the works electrically, but what are some good tricks you all do to keep your Mopars out of some sorry ghetto chop shop?

 

[Hoosier Bird]

The very best trick I know is to move............... :lmao:

 

[Confederate1969]

That's a 200,000 dollar trick and one that isn't working too well for a lot of people with this economy. I come from a stock of people who fought the worst tyrants in America's greatest wars. I'm not going to run from a bunch of punks like everyone else has done. People cater to it and allow it, which is why it exists in its extreme today. I wouldn't move even if I had a relatively easy opportunity to do so. I'm looking for good measures to protect what's mine, instead. Guns work well, but you have to be at home for those to do the job. Otherwise, I need a plan with the Runner to keep it on my property.

 

[Hoosier Bird]

You can buy a gps tracking device for very reasonable price. I think it cost like $5.00 per month and you can actually go online from any computer and see the exact location at all times. Hide a kill switch somewhere if your worried about someone driving it off. Mount a camera in your garage, these are pretty cheap and they will record like thousands of hours on a dvd. Lots of things you can do, but don't get rid of the gun.....

 

[droptop]

I have 3 words for you....agreed value insurance.

 

[Big John]

There's no real way you can 100% prevent someone stealing your car, you can only slow them down or discourage them. The idea is to make them go hit the guy down the street because his stuff is easier.

Fuel and ignition shut offs will discourage the guy that tries to drive it away, but it does nothing for the pro with a roll back. Alarms are good, but they can be disabled pretty quickly, and let's face it, no one pays any attention to them.

I would say alarm on the house and garage would help them from breaking in and taking it. It sounds like that should be something to consider anyway. Dogs are good too. Crooks don't like dogs. A GPS system is something to consider too. The gun... well just remember that unless you or your family are in danger, I'm sorry to say the legal system might not think its appropriate to shoot someone for stealing your car even though they deserve it... (although I think its still OK in Texas :jester: )

Agreed value insurance is a great value as insurance goes. I believe you are in the insurance biz, so you know more then the rest of us.

 

[John69RR]

I have never had a bad experience. I have driven mine to Cleveland Ohio and Detroit Michigan, stopping at night in motel/hotels that were in what appeared to be safe areas. You are on the right track with keeping the garage door closed. You can get a "club" and put it on your stering wheel. I would turn the wheel all the way one way or another so pulling it out won't be easy. You could also drill the garage slab, insert an anchor and eye-bolt then chain your car to the slab. They also sell fake cameras. Install one or two of these as a deterrent.

 

[mac]

yes, my first road runner was stolen from the very middle of a parking lot at a plaza. had damage to the vent window, broke the lock on the trunk, took the wheels, and a set of gauges. had to use a screw driver to turn the ignition after that to get it to run.

 

[Basketcase]

I have 3 words for you....agreed value insurance.

just look on moparts, there is one or two mopars stolen every couple of months. the last few have been very high profile cars. The owner of Totaly Auto had id Barracuda stolen this month. Most of the cars have been found, usually close to home. a couple of years ago there was a beautiful orange '70 road runner stolen from a motel at The Nats. This hasn't kept me from taking my cars. And after I lost my last runner in the fire, I'm more determinded to drive it every chance I can. I take it to the mall, work, etc. naturally I wouldn't leave it in a shadey area. get good insurance, be smart, and enjoy it.

 

[Confederate1969]

Thanks for all the responses fellahs! Some of that stuff I had thought of and some of it I hadn't. The GPS deal is one I'm very seriously thinking about doing. One of the other ideas I had thought was funny when I first thought of it was the bolting the car to the floor deal, but then y'all mentioned it here too. I am going to put a bunch of kill switches in the car as well. I heard of one setup that would reroute the ignition voltage to the horn. :haha: Try hotwiring it and all you'd get is a whole lotta beeeeep beeeeep.

Tennessee has a law that considers a man's vehicle an extension of his land property and as such can be defended violently from people who have an eye to steal it. :chuck: Folks 'round these parts don't take kindly to horse thieves.

Insurance is one of the things I will also have on it. I hear there are some deals to be had if you can guarantee certain limits on mileage and stuff like that. I do indeed work for a vast, evil insurance company, but they don't deal with vehicles. Insurance is a necessary evil... Being on the inside, you see the unethical stuff, but you also see the huge numbers in damages that justify having it. :ack:

 

[Basketcase]

I have Hagerty(think Dobie does as well). can't remember right off the bat if they have mileage restrictions. But with summer driving only, isn't a proble. agreed value, road service(on all vehicles you own).
My first road runner was a 340 4 spped(and it was GREEN!!). The guy I got if from wired the ignition thru the washer switch because the ignition switch went bad. Kinda a neat security method, except that the wipers came on everytime you start the car.

 

[mjoyner408]

grundy does not have millage restrictions... you will need a garage(that locks) to keep it in and cannot use it as primary or secondary vehicle but other than that drive the piss out of it... you have to be 25, i cannot remember how old you are, but that is also a limitation.

 

[george68hemirr]

man that really blows having to worry about having your car robbed...i mean i do worry too but things arent that bad here unless i move closer to nyc which isnt going to happen...i would do everything possible,alarm,motion detectors,GPS, hidden kill switch etc so it doesnt happen or move

 

[69hemibeep]

I think the mileage thing is a state restriction. I have American Collectors :wave:

 

[Confederate1969]

Yea Memphis is absolutely notorious for car theft and home invasion. Crime statistics speak for themselves as to why this is such a problem here. I'll leave it at that. But because of this, I have to take every precaution I can to keep my Mopar. None of my questions regarding kill switches or anti-theft tricks are for fun, but rather out of necessity unfortunately.

Thanks for the suggestions as well on insurance. My RR certainly won't be a daily driver, so no problems there.

 

[dobie]

Yeah, Basket is right. I have Hagerty Plus. There are no mileage restrictions that I'm aware of. That's kinda why I went with them. They just don't want the car to be a "daily driver."

 

[Basketcase]

I won't tell if you don't.........

 

[SomeCarGuy]

So who do you all think is the best as far as GPS systems go?

If it were 5 a month I think that would be ,money well spent.

I have State Farm, agreed value of 10 or 12 K for about 100 bucks a year. They don't have many hoops to jump with their deal, just have to have a daily with them as well.

 

[Roadcuda]

I have Condon and Skelly, stated value, I know maybe not the best way. I pay $220 a year for both cars, and have a 2500 mile restriction on each. That's not really a problem as I don't get to drive them as much as I'd like.

 

[dstryr]

Hi, guys. I recognize a few names from other boards. :cheers:

I don't know how practical this is for anyone but the power to my detached garage is fed from my inside the house. My garage was built in '26 and has no service door, only the electric garage door opener and an outlet. I just kill the power when I am not in there. I guess that wouldn't stop someone from tearing the garage door off. Hagerty writes the policies for my cars as well.