Basic, Better, Best – Vehicle Security

There’s little denying that you, dear reader, are a good person. However, while you may well be the walking embodiment of goodness, there is no denying that out in the wider world, there are undesirables that were absent when the goodness was being dished out. They’re horrid people, and they want what you have, and they don’t want to pay for it. Simply ignoring this side of life isn’t going to work. We need to up our security and make sure that what is ours stays ours. And happily, there are many ways in which to do that. And don’t think that cost precludes you from being secure, as there is something suitable for every budget.

In the early days of the car, vehicle security wasn’t really a thing. It’s a part of car design that was born out of unfortunate necessity, and that has evolved over the decades. Modern cars are filled with computers, with immobilisers and with intelligent alarms and the like. They’re not impossible to pilfer, but they are far harder than an MG from 1967. So does that mean we need to give our classics a technological overhaul and fill them with beeps, bongs and sirens? Well, we could, but that might be a bit much. So instead, we’re going to look at three products you can buy that will help up your security and hopefully keep your classic safe and sound.

Classic Car Security – It’s All About Timing 

When it comes to the physical act of stealing a car, there is only one thing that matters, and that’s timing. It would be very easy to go whole hog and completely overboard in the name of security, and if you want to do that for peace of mind, then have at it. But if you’ve not got the security budget of Fort Knox, you can still stop thieves by simply delaying them. Thieves want to be in and out, they want to be fast. The longer they are on the scene of a crime, the more chance they have of being caught. It’s that simple. If you can put something in their way, something they need to overcome, it will put most criminals off. They’re not known for their work ethic, so if something presents as being too tricky to steal, they usually won’t bother.

CCTV is useful, but usually only after the fact. A camera doesn’t stop someone from breaking into your car, it just records them doing it. It’s a silent witness to the act. You might think a car alarm is a good way to go, and while it certainly won’t hurt matters, you have to remember that car alarms are one of those things that people just… ignore. Admit it, you’ve probably heard one blaring and rolled your eyes rather than dial 999. Plus, a ‘good’ car thief can shut up an alarm in seconds. Instead, you need physical deterrents, actual devices that stop crims in their tracks. And that’s what we have here.

Basic – Battery Isolator 

The best options are often the most simple. And we’re speaking from experience here, as we have this on our car. It’s a simple battery isolator, and it works. You attach it to the battery terminal, and then when the car is not is use you unscrew the knob and it breaks the circuit. As such, the car is dead, and won’t start. It’s only a couple of quid, it takes less than a minute to fit and it could be the difference between you being a classic car owner or a victim of theft. This one, from Richbrook, is what we have. Called the Discarnect, it’s doubly clever as it has a fused loop wire on it. This means you don’t lose your radio settings, or your basic power. You can still turn the ignition on. However, if yo try and start it, it blows the fuse. Clever. It’s low tech, but it slows down a thief, it leaves them exposed, and they’d sooner scarper than try and bypass it.

Better – Crook Lock

But, we hear you say, it’s 2021. Technology has moved on from a bar on the steering wheel, right? Well yes, it has. There are all manner of advanced anti-theft devices, but the crook lock is still a huge seller. Why? Because it works. That’s all there is to it. You can’t drive a car with a two-foot steel bar through the steering wheel. Or with a bar on the crest of the wheel that can’t rotate because of the dashboard. And while the core idea is old school, the good new is that the locks these days are far, far better than they ever were. The crook lock isn’t a relic of the past, it is a time served device that has evolved over time. And the delicious thing about a crook lock is that, because it’s low tech, it will almost certainly delay the thief, and thus stop your car from going anywhere.

Best – Snap-off Wheel

Finally, we have the best way to stop someone from taking your car. Remove the steering wheel. Admittedly, this won’t work for every car, as you might want to retain the original wheel. However, a lot of classics often have aftermarket or upgraded steering wheels. Cars like early Ford Escorts, MGs, Minis, Beetles and so on. If you’re using a steering wheel that utilises the traditional 6x70mm PCD, you can add in a snap-off device betwixt the wheel and the hub/boss. It’s not an uncommon thing – race cars have used them for years, as being able to remove the steering wheel makes for smoother ingress and egress. However, the idea has now permeated the world of road cars, as having no steering wheel in place creates quite a problem for anyone trying to steal your car. You can’t go anywhere if you can’t steer it, after all. And this snap-off boss is engineered in such a way that you can’t even put a pair of grips on it. It’s going to baffle any thief who has desires on your car. Plus, you’ll feel like a race car driver every time you remove or clip it into place, and that’s worth the money alone.

Want more products for your beloved classic? Have a look through our past articles here!