The other day just getting home from work I notice the door on my 56 Vicky in the driveway is open a little. This car looks pretty bad, so I have a cover on it to try to make it look better. Well, I go check it out and the rope that I tied under the car to keep the cover on is no longer tied. I pull the cover off and some scumball stole my steering wheel. It was one of those chrome 3 spoke wheels with the foam grip, and it was rusty, so it wasnt worth much, but it just pissed me off that someone would come in my driveway and unbolt something to steal it. Obviously they had to bring tools. Also there was a milk crate full of heavy engine parts that I cant find, and who knows what else is gone. I know a lot of you have lost a lot more than a crappy steering wheel, I'm not looking for any pitting for a $5 loss, its just the principal that pisses me off. I just wanted to get that off my chest but I have a question. I was wondering if anyone has made their hoods cable operated like newer cars to keep people out? Maybe something modified from a junkyard? The hoods on my 64 Galaxie and 57 Truck dont lock. I dont really like the look of a chain hanging in front either. Any ideas? I dont want these theives getting anymore from me.
I use a keyed bicycle cable lock on my 54, hook it through the front hood support and then around the upright brace to the core support. It tucks away so you cant see it, there is enough slack to reach in and get the key to it.
Oh yeah, I came home one day to find the hood ulactched and open about an inch. I wish I would have been there to see the disappointment when it only opened 6". Plus, I have the hood springs off. No way to work on it even if they get it open!(I keep a prop rod in the trunk)
hummmm, in turlock?prob a tweeker.those a holes will steal anything, they stole a pack o gum and a few pennies out of my wifes vw in el cajon a few years back.-jimmy-
I looked up your tech article, but all the pictures are gone. You dont happen to still have them? The idea with the car cover was to just please the neighbors, not security. The rope that was on there was to keep the cover from blowing off. I might take some steel cable and run it from each door handle under the car and padlock it, but this car is going on ebay next week so I dont want to get to carried away. I'm pretty sure someone just took the stuff to sell at the flea market and buy some drugs. Wierd thing is that there are a bunch of parts laying behind the car that they didnt take. I doubt they really need a starter for a 223 that was in that crate. When I asked this question I was thinking more about a cable operated hood release from the inside of a car, but I'm open to other ideas.
on my '40 I used the common VW latch that is cable operated. It didn't run inside the car, but it was hidden.
i used a calbe from a comapny called HELP by motormite they had a "universal" hood cable and used the latch of some crappy boneyard oldsmobuick. dave
On my 53 chevy...I bolted an eye bolt to the outside of the radiator support and one to the corresponding area on the hood...so when closed one overlapped the other and a padlock could be put through them....its kinda a bitch to get my had up there with a key and unlock, but I too have had my stuff stolen and it sucks!
The ASHOLE THIEF is probably going to sell your wheel at the swap, by the way would you happen to know the date of the next Turlock swap? The Fresno swap is april 30th.
I bought a key lock aftermarket cable n lock assembly from JC Whitney a few years back=installed on the inside of car and had pin and eye under hood=worked good and was easy to install =needed key to open hood maybe they still got em Ken
I remember seeing these in the catalog a while ago. Are they pretty universal? Do you have to hook it into the stock latch at all?
My cars catch on fire too often to lock the hood. I think I have a problem. It's not like I enjoy it.
Prime example of parking on the street in Oakland, CA: My roomate's '63 GMC panel, hood open=battery gone. My '52 Chevy Coupe, which was parked right in front of said GMC, small chain/pad lock= unscathed. Buying batteries sucks... so I'm told.
Many moons ago my Dad had a 54 Chevy, it was about 3-4 yrs old when someone tried to steal the coil while the car was parked at his job. Almost got it out but they got scared away. My Dad put the wiring back and got the car home. We drilled a hole in the hood latch and dropped a padlock through the hole. Pretty easy to just reach up and unlock and remove the lock. I did the same on my 67 Mustang several years later. The whole idea is to disable the hood latch in a way that you can easily undo yourself.
Wow, a 5 year old thread and two posts that don't really add anything to it, but say the same thing. And what the hell is an "idear" ? And a pretty informative intro as well.
Afew months ago, I had a '57 Ford on a trailer in the "for sale" part of the Pomona swap meet... Some fuckbubble got in the car and pulled off the steering wheel. It was one of those mini '40 Ford looking wheels. At noon the wheel was there.. At 2pm it was gone.. Maybe in the last few years the tweeker steering wheel crooks trickeled south from Turlock...
The mid 80's Ford E350 that mom had (small motorhome) had a key lock hood cable on it but I don't know if it was a dealer item or aftermarket. This (Ebay item) looks like the one that was on the van 130480521484 Evidently not inexpensive though.
I grabbed a cable operated hood release from a dodge van I believe for my '51 Ford. Cheap and works good, even I could install it.
Years ago I remember hearing a story about the rise of car-jacking incidents in South Africa after it went back to black. Some worried folks resorted to putting a propane system that would shoot a nice little flame from under the driver's door. When some booger asked you for your car, his ankles got crispy. If I remember correctly, the new gov't put an end to it. I wondered about a contraption that would have a "loaded" spring leaf on the frame to slap some sorry SOB about the ankles if he tampered with your car. I could see the obvious problems if you had kids, pets, or a forgetful mind like mine. OUCH!!
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