History How long have kill switchs been in use and do you use one?

My first introduction to a kill switch was in a 67 GTO and it wasn't a conventional big switch like what we see in hot rods & customs nowadays but a toggle switch hidden inside the glove box,it didn't kill the entire system only the ignition,someone did this before I bought the car.

I do have a conventional kill switch on both of my Deuces, HRP

 

Danny,The only time we ever used a kill switch is when running a Vertex Mag..

 

I have been installing kill switches in my cars , of various types, for around 40 years.
They have saved 2 of my cars from being stolen, where the pricks got in, and then tried starting the car, and gave up. The trouble around here is that they not only heist your car, they then torch it when they are done trashing it.

 

No idea how long they've been around. But more than one of my vehicles has one.
My '51 I didn't know about and the po didn't tell me. One of my kids "found" it.. took me half a day to figure out wtf was wrong!


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Back when, my late father in law purchased a new '78 Malibu 2 door.
He HAD to have a anti theft / kill switch, to protect his car, but not a kill switch where EVERYBODY could find it.
This job needed to be done IMMEDIATELY, before the car racked up one hundred miles !
I bought a headlight dimmer switch, the kind used on the floor of my '51 Chevy.
I installed this dimmer switch under the arm rest pad, on the drivers side rear interior 1/4 trim panel.
A simple "push down" on the 1/4 panel interior arm rest would either activate or de-activate the kill switch.
It worked fine !
BUT ....... don't ya know, I got a phone call from my father in law, in PANIC MODE, stating he was way the hell out somewhere, and the car won't crank.
He made it clear he had not "touched" the arm rest, so, in his mind, the kill switch was not activated.
After getting directions to where he was (he would not call AAA to tow his NEW car), I drove forever, it seemed, to find him.
There they were, just sitting in their new car, like orphaned puppies.
My in laws, plus another elderly couple, 4 seniors in a car with no power.
I attempted to crank the car, nada, zilch.
Bottom line, the PLUMP, elderly senior lady, riding in the back seat, had to wiggle, shift her weight, shift her position, before the ride back home.
Yep, she used the arm rest for leverage, to shift her body weight ..... to get more comfortable.
"CLICK" went the kill switch.
Don't believe anyone ever occupied the rear seat again, at least not the drivers side, rear seat.

 

I use them... Ya never know...... But- more like James Bond stuff, and not the normal places/switches people use...... = Pat your head, one legged dance, spit on the curb, throw some salt........

 

I've been using them for at least 20 years, and would not have a car without one. I learned the hard way how valuable they can be. A buddy wired my 1st street rod with a Ron Francis wiring harness. One of his crimps shorted out underneath my dash, and was smoking like crazy. By the time I popped my trunk and turned my kill switch off, it had already melted all the plastic off the whole wire. But at least that was where it stopped. If not for a kill switch I'm sure my car would have caught on fire, & been a total loss.

 

My grandfather, Ollie Morris, used kill switches in all his race cars that used a magneto. The earliest picture I have is from 1954. You can see the back of the switch in the photo. It is located to the left of the leftmost gauge. To be clear, the kill switch, as used by my Grandfather, was to "kill" the magento in order to stop the engine from running.

 

I had my 58 Impala ragtop stolen in 66 or 67, got it back, lucky, undamaged, for several years my cars had a toggle switch in the primary side of ingnition, kill switch for anti-theft device, put under dash out of site. Today with electric fuel pumps in our rods, pretty simple anti-theft switch in power side, underdash. Before that, my dad's Midget race car had the kill switch (button) for magneto on hand brake handle, that goes back to 1948 thinking toggle kill switch goes all way back to beginning of engines, all had Magneto's back then, I believe.

 

I had a key switch in the back of the glove box of my 69 442 clone.

 

Had a kill switch in all my cars, out of sight so it couldn't be easily found but readily accessible to me in such a way that it wouldn't attract attention when activated or deactivated. Given that my previous 66 Fairlane was a rag top, I felt better about having one. My 35 Chevy phaeton doesn't have any windows and can't be secured so there's even more reason these days despite being locked in the garage when I'm at work. Hopefully they'll look for an easier target and won't trash it trying to get it going. Insurance like them too and it gives me peace of mind when it is parked somewhere.

 

Mag or battery kill? Bob

 

yep, good to have as anti - theft and helps save battery charge - mount hidden under car for access in case of emergency

 

Have had them on my my daily drivers and all my mini bikes have 'em.

 

I have one in my F-100 and I'm really glad i installed it. If you don't have one, brother you're asking for trouble.


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I used to use a HD kill button on the shifter on my 64 GTO.You can "button shift" without using the clutch pretty fast.Always had them on anything with a mag too.

 

I use kill swith in all my HotRod's "Hidden " tied into Ignition,
Then I have a "O - SHIT !!! Kill switch on the steering wheel on my 6 second 1/8 H-R/race car,
Things can go wrong real fast Running over 100mph,
& My Blown Altered 6 second 1/4 mile
In my opinion a Hidden Killswitch on any hot rod or car you value, you should install and make it not visible for others !!

 

1874 and yes.....

 

Before I started using toggle switches I used to swap the coil wire on the distributor cap with one of the plug wires. It would crank but not fire car thieves could look right at it and not notice the switch.
It was easier than taking the rotor and putting it in your pocket when you parked the car.

 

Yep! I have two. I even use one of the switches hidden in plain sight on the dash. Sometimes I can't even get it started!

 

I usually install an anti theft device that inhibits the ignition system. Easy to do and costs nothing.

Gary

 

Always ran a kill switch on my old RPU. If you run Mag, you need some sort of switch to ground it out. Just like the little strap to ground the plug on a lawnmower, the only way to kill it.

 

I just interrupt the starter circuit, install a toggle in that wire, the car will not turn over till you find the toggle. Works really well. Or, install a toggle switch on the ignition wire to the coil, both work well, hide the toggle switch in an obvious location, make it look like it's for an accessory.

 

When I think of a kill switch, it's one that you can "slap" to shut down the engine. We use them in our Track Roadsters. I also install a hidden button to actuate the ground on a Cole Hersee battery cutoff.

 

I put them in everything I build. Cheap insurance against theft and fire.


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I just use a switch to deactivate the fuel pump. Hidden, of course.
Car starts, but doesn't run long at all
Jim

 

Yes I put kill switches in the past and present. You won't find them at the back of the car but they do shut down everything. Even the engine if it's running.

 

Gawd, Marty, that's an incredible interior! Gary

 

1971, first one while working in Detroit on Livernois near Seven Mile I installed one. My first day of work there one of the guys asked me how much gas I had in my car. When I replied "full tank" he then said "don't do that, why give them more gas to drive your car around when they steal it". We had no employee parking, we parked on the side streets and the alleys so easy pickings.

I found out that 1966 Pontiac Catalina full wheel covers would go over Cragar S/S wheels. Sunday night drill was when I got home to take the wheel covers out of the garage and hammer them on. Then unbolt and unplug (three way plug wired in) the Sun SuperTach head and put that in the garage. Throw a jacket over the floor mounted (behind the console) 8 track player.

I was lucky, only thing ever stolen from my car was my front license plate and my high school graduation tassel.

 

Don't know. Yes, more than one.