How Hard is it to steal a Volkswagen Beetle????
Are Beetles harder to steal as the battery is under the seat and the engine is in the rear????
Plus With the early models You have to get behind the dash to access the ignition wires....
that must be harder than steal an early commodore - ford etc....
I'm only guessing....
Lee
- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---
damn that's a beautiful dash!
Well done. Although it might make people try harder to steal your car 😀
Thanks for the compliment....
I also have a little trick amongst the 6 extra 2 & 3 position switches I have , before the ignition will switch on...
I have a burgular alarm to go inside the car with 110db of siren etc inside the car so the person stealing it will be deaf in a very short time... I just hope it never goes off while I'm driving it🙂 I can also turn My electric fuel pump off....
The way I'm going, I'll have to print a
"how to start & drive this Beetle" booklet... So I'll know what I'm doing 🙂🙂
I did notice on the "NEW" classic Mexican Beetles that I saw at Nambucca heads, that they have an alarm key switch on the opposite side of where the fuel filler cap goes... there is also an interior lamp push button where the engine lid goes and a genuine VW horn bolted above the engine....
Now whether this is "the Alarm" or just an alarm to stop people from tampering with the engine.... I don't know....
I could always do a Mr Bean and take the steering wheel with Me...🙂🙂 all I need is a Steering wheel sized briefcase or backpack🙂🙂
Maybe I should have said:
How to STOP anyone from stealing My Beetle....
but its really impossible to do so if they have a Tilt tray truck with a winch..... they just winch it onto the back of the truck..
[Edited on 5-3-2005 by 68AutoBug]
- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---
I found it easy to hotwire early beetles... all you have to do is open the bonnet, access the ignition switch, and bridge the two terminals that the key would normal bridge... you an do it with a key i think! (i've don it on mine out of curiosity) Thats why you use club locks!
...and Robert's ya father's brother...
yup 30 seconds and its done, you can even do it without being in the cabin 🙂 get an alarm with a kill switch and get some decent door lock pulls and consider goint to one piece windows.
how come any key will open most early beetles?
probably the easistet car to get into and drive away u would think, or maybe thats the toyota hilux...
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
One man's junk...
hope none of the theifs will come past this post 🙁
How good is a 3 point immoboliser for a early beetle, I pretty much think I need one soon.
What about later model beetles (mine's a 71)?? Are these models harder to steal??
It's parked on the street unfortunately. She's not hotted up in anyway - but she's a good looker. Should I get a club lock or alarm - or both?? What about de-mobilisers??
Gaz
ps - i just want advice on security levels required - not instructions on how to steal it - for all to see. Thanks anyway.....
With late model cars, You have to use the key to start the car but with Beetles... made before that technolegy.... I'm not sure if an immobiliser will work as good on a Beetle...
I'll have to ask My Son who used to install car alarms-immobilisers for a living a few years ago.... I believe a switch to open circuit the ignition can help.... the switch can be under the dash or even in the engine compartment...
I believe theives only try to steal a car for short time period.. after that they will try another car.... One piece windows won't stop them as they can smash the glass...
I know its VERY simple to actually hotwire the ignition.... from the generator/alternator to the coil..... but to actually start the engine....??
Any one with a pre 60s Beetle can simply turn off the fuel with the fuel tap..... 45 degrees is OFF.... Straight up is ON and 90 degrees or Horizontal is One imperial gallon for emergencies.... like When You run out of fuel.....🙂🙂
I believe the gearlever lock as sold by Mick Motors would stop anyone from stealing the car.... they can still break a window etc... but cannot put the car into gear....
The other thing - why steal an old Beetle - they are all old...
why not steal a not so old commodore or falcon or datsun toyota etc... or WRX or EVO 4-5-6- etc.....
Lee
- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---
I'm hoping most people here will never steal any car.....
You could show Me how to steal anything but that doesn't mean I would do it.....
but as We all know-- there are others who would.....
I always had a simple alarm made from a Dick Smith Jaycar kit that went off when the doors were opened... it was hooked to the interior light... I also had the interior lamp delay so when You closed the door the light would stay on for 30-60 seconds..... so the alarm kept going for that extra 30-60 seconds after the door was shut... I never used to lock My Cars [mostly VWs] just used the key switch which was usually mounted next to the door.....
I had switches for the bonnet & rear door on type 3 wagon...
Alarm Horn speaker was mounted near brake master cylinder.....
These simple kits are still available from DSE & Jaycar plus the key switches... they use NO Power when switched on...
until a door etc is opened and then they use a very small amount of power.... Most alarms these days have the switch off timed by the Law, as a car alarm can only go for so long, then it has to switch off automatically... thats the Law....
Its very simple to connect up the simple alarms...
I have noticed lately, that most bought alarm syatems have all the same colored wires so a burgular doesn't know which one to cut.... the blue one - they are all blue!!!🙂🙂
Lee Noonan
- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---
my 63 would be piss easy to steal, the doorlocks are so worn that you can turn it with your fingernail and open it!
I dont think anyone would steal the car, but they would probably steal the stereo and stuff.
Club locks can be taken off in about 10 seconds with a hacksaw. the ones with two locks on them take a little bit longer. the gearstick lock is good, although you can always pick the lock. But if they have gone to that length they probably really want to steal it so there would be little you could do short of hiring a security guard for your car 🙂
An immobiliser would slow them down.
One good one is to take the distributor rotor, the engine cant start unless they happen to have the correct rotor for the engine and they can get past the decklid lock.
The late beetles also have the advantage of having locking steering columns, the ignition key also locks it in place, making it a bit harder.
[Edited on 7-11-2004 by Che Castro]
Jon
bodgy locks isnt just a VW thing. any old car should have its lock barrels renewed with new pins. i have 2 friends with mazda 323s with original locks and i can open the doors of both and actually drive away one using my keys from my laser. for the bus i have made sure all my lock barrels are in good nic, i have an immobiliser/alarm installed, am considering a killswitch, but already have one of those plastic battery cutoff switches in teh back.
Reimagined/Recycled/Upcycled Cool
comprabale to stuff of similar age VW's are hard to steal, but compared to today's cars would be a breeze. especially now that all the locks are worn out. You can hotwire a beetle without going anywhere near the ignition or battery, all you need is access to the engine bay. but they wouldnt even bother with that. most kiddy-crims just bust a quarter window, open the door, slide hammer the ignition barrel out and start it with a screw driver. couldn't be simpler. It's really worth investing in a fuel tap and kill switch on older cars. if it won't start straight away they usually won't bother unless they really really want it. older cars usually just get nicked for transport (c*nt steals it to get to the pub, or the next pub), late model stuff gets stolen for parts and rebirthing.
If it aint broke,
Make it go faster!!
Only the real late model Beetles have steering locks, the others have the ignition key there but no lock...
I have heard that the steering locks of most cars can be broken quite easy....
The expensive CLUB Super steering lock made of very High Tensile steel covers Your vehicle up to a certain amount I believe...
I might be wrong....
The Mr Bean, take Your steering wheel with You seems to be the best... if You can't steer it... You can't steal it....
Well My Beetle won't start even with the right key unless something else is triggered....
The ignition doesn't even come on....
I still like alarms though.....
Lee
- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---
The horribile truth is the older cars are way to easy to steal but in saying that if a *pro* wants your car no matter what you have in it or fitted to it, it will go.Hidden kill switchs are a good thing as are a decent alarm/immobiliser. Removing the steering wheel will stop the bloody joy riders and work well. U can get a quick release boss so that its a 2 second job to remove( i had one on may car in the uk) but carring a steering wheel around with u can be a pain to say the least. There is only one sure fire way to stop your car being stolen and thats live it it, people are less keen to take a car and its owner for a ride 😀
steff................................
Life with out a v-dub is no life at all!!!!!
club locks are for show. any moron with a short piece of water pipe can remove them in half a second, and those ones that hook under the brake pedal to the steering wheel aren't much chop as steering wheels are designed to flex quite a lot.
old cars are appalingly vulnerable.
If it aint broke,
Make it go faster!!
hey secoh what makes them more difficult to nick than cars of its era?
I was thinking of installing a flashing LED somewhere on the dash as well
Jon
for one thing VW's back then had very good locks and had a key combination of about 1 in 100,000 I think it was. Whereas the early lasers (81-88) had a key range of something pathetic like 15 keys. In other words the 16th laser you came across probably had an identical key as one of the last 15.
Comparing with other 60's and early 70's stuff VW's used a door constructiuon and window seal that was not coat hanger or packing tape friendly. The quarter windows also locked properly. They were also amongst the first to have steering column locks.
Comparing pre 80's VW's to anything made from '90 onwards and they're wide open for theft though, same as all the other pre-80's cars.
If it aint broke,
Make it go faster!!
I'd imagine a beetle would be pretty easy to steal....if someone wants to take your car they will... I know the vent windows are a particuarly weak spot.
Club locks are useless a theif can take one of them off in like 10 secs...
However our old 80s golf has stood up pretty well to thieves! The RACV guys used to shudder when mum told them she'd locked the keys in the car, said it was the hardest to break into using methods like the coat hanger. It only got broken into when its vent windows were broken, the also broke the door locks and luckily failed to start it (why hotwire a bright green 83 golf I ask?? surely they'd have been better cars to steal?)
I'm thinking of l getting an alarm (but who reacts when they hear one go off anyway?) so maybe better option a kill switch?
Heidi - 1960 White Beetle
'65 Kiwi Ghia
I have an immobiliser system in my Skyline. more effective in an EFI car of course.
If it aint broke,
Make it go faster!!
Heres what I plan to do
The electronics will slow them down if you want to go one better try a good mechanical device get on of these its worth paying for security.
Steering wheel locks are only as good as the strenght of the wheel and a sharpe hacksaw.
I'm also going to use fuel cut off device and mabey somthing else but I dont want to compromise looks.
nIck
recycle, restore, enjoy
pic
recycle, restore, enjoy
pic
recycle, restore, enjoy
nice shifter.
i was thinking of putting in a flashing red LED into my dash as well 🙂
Jon
I believe anyone with one of those shifters would sleep much better......
Beautiful piece of gear too....
Keys look good..... would be hard to steal......
How Much??
Lee
- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---
Do those gearshifter locks - lock it in gear or in neutral??
Lee
- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---
a VIPER alarm or MONGOOSE 40 are good alarms its really hard to start the cars with one of these in the car..theyd have to burn the car before they could get it started...you need good insurance to,,a VIPER alarm u can voice program it with your own voice.they are motion and heat detecter in them so people are warmed when they go to close with voice recorded to tell them to bugger off and they cut the fuel,, starter and battery so u cant start them
Che Castro wrote:i was thinking of putting in a flashing red LED into my dash as well 🙂
just remember there are downsides to flashing lights: the alarm i have came with a supre bright blue flasher, so bright infact that you could see it flashing through the silver tarp that covers my bus, so when travelling i wouldnt be able to sleep at night - light would light up the whole damn cabin!
Reimagined/Recycled/Upcycled Cool
I'm planning to put in a second hidden ignition barrell, fuel cut off valve and cover up the terminals on the starter motor..
should deter all but the most determined bastards, I hope..
.
