Best Kill Switch option for HEI

LOL the toggle switch thingy. A kid I went to school with wired up a '58 Thunderhawk on toggles, one for lights one for power one for fuel pump one for horn one for starter. he never marked them and changed the horn toggle periodically. You could always tell when he was either really high or had just changed the toggles around because without fail he would honk the horn instead of starting the car.

I had a friend that had a '53 F truck that just out an inline fuse on the hot wire to the ignition when he was leaving it for any length of time he would just remove the fuse.

 

I close my ashtray (2 red flip switches) = kills fuel relay and power to box.

Can't see 'em when it's closed.

 

These days a manual transmission will do it [especially 3 on the tree]

Thieves will actually look for a kill switch.

You are better off wiring a fuel cut-off via a reverse post relay that switches off a fuel gauge while simultaneously switching on a fuel warning light.

You can also do the same via a ballast resister so when the key was in run position the engine would cut out, fooling the thief into thinking there is no gas.

They usually move on.


I like the cigarette lighter ideas previously mentioned

 

I like the cigar lighter options. Replace the coil in the lighter with a brass screw for a contact. Push the cigar lighter in and it provides a ground to your electric fuel pump, or to a relay that is part of the starting or ignition circuit.

 

I wire the whole car through a maxi fuse and just pull the fuse. No body carries a maxi fuse in their pocket.

 

It's funny but most of these tricks are useless to anyone who has a small idea how a starter and ignition work.

Had a buddy years ago buy some disabling device put on his car, a old chevy station wagon, he is bragging about how it's theft proof so I ask him if I can put it to the test, he says sure. I walk over to my tool box, grab a 3` wire with little clamps on the end and a long flat blade screw driver. Pop the hood run the wire from the + battery to +coil, a couple pulls on the throttle cable and jump the terminals on the starter, motors running, 30 seconds and basically I "stole" his car with a 3 foot wire and straight blade screw driver.

He says fine he will hide the battery in the back, I grin and said no problem I'll just clip the wire to the battery side of the starter. After that he took my advice and chained the hood down behind the grille. At least then you couldn't reach the coil.

Point is it's really simple to steal a car if someone really wants it.

 

Battery in trunk. Ground disconnect in trunk. Hood chained shut.

Manual fuel valve in trunk. Hidden fuel pump cut off switch. Hidden coil cut off switch.

Manual transmission with electric reverse lockout, with a hidden cutoff switch.

Full coverage theft insurance. GPS tracker. CCW.

 

Grundy insurance...

 

I do have a battery disconnect switch , but I also take the rotor button with me on over night says where the car is unattended , as in sitting in my garage . It’s very easy in 32 with Ford power . Not so easy other cars , other style engines . Years ago I wired a line loc switch as a no start switch on an old Comet I had . Easiest as I could determine on an older manual trans car .

 

On my 63 Belair installed a Vintage Air Sure Fit Gen lV system which left an unused switch on the original HVAC four switch control panel. Used the unused switch as a cutoff switch when it was in the on position to provide "ignition" power. With switch in the "off" position the car wouldn't start.
Gary

 

I am 82. Have had ONE vehicle stolen. I left the dang key in the ignition, driver window down.
I like the gas shut off ideas. Either the duel tank valve or the elect pump interrupter.

Ben

 

Splice a toggle switch on the " ING " feed wire for the distributor and hide it up under the dash where you can just reach it. Also if running an electric fuel pump I do the same the thing next to the other switch. Back towards me is on, away off for the switches. Has worked for 40 years and is dirt cheap to do. Good toggle switches may be harder to find today then in the past though. I hoarded a bunch of NOS old ones for future projects.

 

NOBODY HERE has thought of the most common theft device, .........the tow truck. More cars are stolen with tow trucks than by car theives.

 

Best anti-thief device , a locked car in a locked garage. Hard to do when on the road though.

 

anyone with any snaz can pull the positive off the HEI and with a alligator clip from the alternator to the dizzy fire off and run away....

My suggestion. Pull the Rotor out of it and be done.....

 

Dimmer switch

 

A wire from the + side of the coil through a toggle switch, then through one of those damn loud electronic sirens under the back seat, in the trunk, or under the dash to ground. Flip the toggle switch on when you park the car. If someone applies power to the + side of the coil by any means the siren will drive them crazy. Not foolproof, but another deterrent that is cheap and easy.

 

I like this idea. Alarm and deterrent combined.

 

True. So how about incorporating a wheel lock into your anti theft system? Using an electric e brake that engages with your anti theft the car wont roll and it will slow the thieves down a bit having to drag it or disabling the e-brake.
I haven't spent much time on the subject but I wonder if a line loc can be rigged to lock up all four wheels, it would have to be battery wired so easy to disable I guess. Just random thoughts from a medicated mind.

 

I remember when they used to replace the coil wire with a dummie made out of black hose. Won't work on a HEI.

 

We used to install the MICO brake-lok system on PG&E trucks (Pacific Gas & Electric co.) at the Safety Center. Mico had an electro-hydraulic 'box valve' that installed in series with front & real brake lines. Turn on the electric switch, push down solidly on brake pedal; hydraulic valve kept brakes applied until released by driver.
If Mico box was 'out-of-sight' by perpetrator, it couldn't be released. (under front of drivers seat was easy...provided quick routing of steel lines beneath floor)
Very slick, under $300.
Thieves could burn the clutch up trying to get it to move...or tow truck could scrape the braked wheels' tires to the rims...

 

Here's one: A 'mostly cool' friend blew up the 280 H.P. 348 twice in his '58 Impala. Second time was expensive, $800+. (this was 1960) I had offered to fix it the second time, but he insulted me...(I worked in the Best damn garage in Santa Clara/San Jose!)
He said I might know Fords, but a 348 Chevy... LOL
When he got the car back, he brought it down to the R&J drive in, (the hot rod/street racers' hangout) parked it, and I had one of my buds take him for a ride.
A soft-lead #2 pencil made a thick line down the porcelain of each spark plug, slide the boots back on...and Presto! No-Startee!
Richard got back from his ride, after a nervous while got in his '58, cranked it, nothing. Again...(you know that obnoxious starter sound they made..."Aaaah, yaa yaa yaa-yaa yaa yaa...") Kept it up, no start. A group of guys gathered round, and a big loudmouth with a '56 Chevy says, "Lemme look," and Richard gave me a 'smirk', like "Williams'll find it, you couldn't" and I watched as Williams pulled coil wire, saw the spark jump...then a plug wire...then off with the air cleaner, etc., etc. Checked the gas gauge...
"C'n I take a look?" I asked, Williams says, "Go ahead, smart guy...You take a look."
Some of his fellow Chevy fans chuckled, I pulled 2 boots, rubbed the plugs with fingers, then the other 2.
Other side, same thing. I asked him, "How long has this been sitting?" He said, "About a half hour..."
"Well, your plugs were cold. Try it now..." It started immediately. He said, "Plugs were cold?"
"Yeah, plugs got cold. Probably won't happen again, we see it all the time at the shop..."
Williams said, "I wanna hear more about this..." I BET he did. LOL
Anyway, one night we parked my '56 Ford downtown one night, (same year, 1960) There had been a rash of Ford thefts, and my '56 was a convertible. (easy to get in if stealing it...just cut the top!)
So, I left doors unlocked, and opened the hood to do the spark plug lead pencil trick.
My pal Mileaway thought I was nuts, but we got back and drivers door was at first latch (not shut tight as I had left it)
I wiped the plugs and it started right up. I only did that a couple of times, usually I was with the car.

 

The trunk can be more of a challenge to get into....and not usually the first place a thief will go for. With a trunk mounted starter solenoid and battery to go along with the appropriate kill switches (in the trunk) you eliminate all available high amperage current to the front of the car.....the only time the large starter cable is hot is when the solenoid is triggered....and even if you run a 6 gauge wire up front to feed the rest of the car itll get red hot if they try to use it to crank the starter.

Not perfect but more times than not all you need to do slow them down a bit.

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A recent theft attempt in Denver was thwarted. Three punks trying to steal a running 4X. No one knew how to drive a stick. They gave up & ran away.

 

If the perps are using a tow truck locked brakes won't slow them down much.

 

Hard to beat a tilt back wrecker and a bottle of liquid dish soap. Just saying

 

Mount the alarm switch under the dash to ignition wire. Car won’t start unless you place the magnetic Hula girl on the dash at the correct spot. LOL!


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I was perusing the latest SR magazine (that I can't seem to cancel) and they had an ad for a cool little device by Pertonix (a pernial HAMB favorite brand name ) that I though I'd share on this thread. A new Digital Mobile Ignition Control Box.

With your smart phone (sorry flip phone users) you can remote kill the ignition (heaven forbid someone hacks it), set valet mode, 3 different rev limiters, start retard...this is pretty cool stuff. A bit OT but it is small enough to hide. Details as follows;