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Just a few blocks away from me lives an amazing woman. She is a single mother with an autistic son who has very little understanding of the world around him, but his mother lets him know he is loved and she does all she can to make his life as great as it can be. And it is going well. Or at least it was going well.
A couple of months ago, this lady’s car was stolen from her parking spot on the street in front of her house. She has to have a designated handicapped spot so she can more easily and safely get her son in and out for transport. After the car was stolen, she spoke of how important the car was to her, but even more than that, how important it was to her son and his daily battles. She said that one of her favorite things to do was just drive around town and listen to music in her car. This is something her son absolutely LOVES and it helps him a lot to be able to do this. It also helps the mother because it helps break the tension of the very demanding role she has. The car is really quite modest and I think the only reason it has been stolen is because of the outstanding shape it is in. It’s a 1985 Cadillac and, from all the times I’ve seen it, it looks like it just rolled off the showroom floor. The good news is that they finally found her car and she was reunited with it. All was back to normal again. Great ending, right? Well… not so much.
It was stolen again just a couple of weeks later. This devastated the woman and her son was having a hard time understanding it. He is unable to speak, so it is very difficult for him to communicate like we are used to, and this must be frustrating for him. But he knew that the car was gone. Again.
From what I understand, someone put what sounds to be a Club on the steering wheel, but that didn’t thwart the second theft. Well, the car was gone for a while. But the other day, I drove by her house on my way home and her car was back, yet again. I was elated, but I felt like I should do something to help. So this is where I hope you all will come in.
I want to help her make that car more trouble to steal than is worth it to the petty criminals that have taken it twice. From all I’ve read about her and her son, they could definitely use a break. I want her to be able to rest at night, knowing that her car won’t go missing again. Actually, just because of the emphasis she put on the car being used to play music so she and her son could have happy moments together by breaking the stress of the day to day, I wish I could do more… like put in a decent CD player and new, better sounding speakers. But I digress…
What would any of you recommend being done to help this lady while also working on a super tight budget? I need all the help I can get, because it’s going to be hard for me to pull this off, but I just feel like it’s the right thing to do.
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A kill switch to the ignition or fuel pump can be installed to deter thieves. You could install multiple switches in series too to increase the security. However, it creates an additional “suspect” if the car doesn’t start. Also, some thieves in my area are known to vandalize the car if there is nothing to steal, which may further upset the son.
You could also rig up a burner phone (constantly connected to a DC charger) as a makeshift GPS tracker. I’ve never done it though.
I’m in agreement about the use of a kill switch, alarm, or preferably a tracking device. Maybe the latter would lead to catching the ones responsible.
Is whoever behind this theft doing any damage to the steering column or switch?
Is the car being recovered by the authorities or is it being returned by the idiots who took it?
Maybe a brake pedal lock would be enough to prevent theft?
http://www.autozone.com/alarm-and-security/security-lock/autozone-brake-pedal-lock/348033_0_0/
I am willing to donate some funds to the cause, but how to get the funds or items desired.
1. Fund Me Account
2. Send the PayPal email address via ETCG private message
3. Amazon wish list
4. FIF donation with redistribution via Eric (might be an issue if going for a 501C)The fun redneck method I’ve used a lot involves finding the one wire that has the ignition signal, I cut it in half then spice each end to equal lenghs of wire that I route into the cabin, the installation a small hidden kill switch on the ends. If it isn’t pressed before cranking it, no start. Hide the wire too, don’t let a crook looking under the dashboard easily see the modification.
My late father had a metal locking gas cap on his truck and he was always so cheap that he was always near empty. It got stolen but abandoned at an intersection because the crooks couldn’t add gas to it.As for the music thing, crooks don’t steal what is hidden or unknown. When she is leaving the house, don’t turn on the radio for at least a mile and the same for coming home. Roll out and back in silent, take out the faceplate if it’s aftermarket. Some of the silly stuff that kids put in like giant subs and flashing lights are advertisements to thieves.
I’ve been ripped off more than once. Now I find a secret mounting spot for the sub and the door speakers sit behind stock speaker covers. Total stealth install. What is not visible or heard from far away is unlikely to draw attention of opportunistic thieves.
Complete agreement a stealth install is the way on the audio system. Install the head unit with a remote control she can use in the glove box with the door down and install a old Delco POS in the dash. Or better yet just leave a hole with wires hanging out as if it has already been stolen; rolling in and out from home in silence is the key part to pulling it off.
[quote=”Hanneman” post=148773]A kill switch to the ignition or fuel pump can be installed to deter thieves. You could install multiple switches in series too to increase the security. However, it creates an additional “suspect” if the car doesn’t start. Also, some thieves in my area are known to vandalize the car if there is nothing to steal, which may further upset the son.
You could also rig up a burner phone (constantly connected to a DC charger) as a makeshift GPS tracker. I’ve never done it though.[/quote]
I agree.
A kill switch on both the ignition and one on the fuel pump is the way to go and not expensive to do. You cannot stop someone breaking into your empty car in the street and doing damage to it but you can stop them driving away in it.
I had a previous high powered car some years back which was very popular with thieves and it had 2 kill switches fitted by the previous owner. One for the ignition system and one for the fuel pump. The fuel pump switch was a small key operated unit fitted into the trunk that no one would even notice. You just popped in the key and switched it on or off. The kill switch for the ignition was under the dash and needs to be installed in easy reach but not visible. . If someone went looking for it though they could find it. IF the car does not start they are not going to look in the trunk for an electric fuel pump switch though.
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