Best $20 I've spent

[LH Drive]

I only got one ignition key to the Rover when I bought her. It did'nt open or even fit the door lock cylinder. I've been driving my Series SW for a few months now without locking her up but it does'nt feel right whe she's out of sight. So yesterday I removed the driver side anti-burst door lock and took it to the nearest locksmith to get a key made. He said no problem and even had key blanks. He charged me $20 to make the first key. I installed the door lock in the parking lot and tried the other locks,,they all work. I had to adjust the catch on the door jams but that only took a min.
Wow, now I can rest easy knowing she's locked away...wait....better go back and make spare keys so I dont get locked out.

[ducttape]

Ah yes, but remember, locks only keep out honest people. (Sorry, I hate to burst your bubble)

The best protection is just keeping an eye on it.

I find everyplace I go there are always people looking in it, gawking, etc. I would have to assume, even surrounded by heartless, cold New Yorkers, someone would say something if a guy appeared to be 'breaking in'

If not, it is certaionly easy to describe to the police for the 'APB'. Big, green, camo. If the drivers looks sketchy instead of excentric, that's your stolen vehicle!

[jp-]

If not, it is certaionly easy to describe to the police for the 'APB'. Big, green, camo. If the drivers looks sketchy instead of excentric, that's your stolen vehicle!

It's sad, but the police really don't care about stolen vehicles, at least not down here. It's so bad that one lady called 911 after she was car jacked and said that her baby was in the car. They found the car in a few hours, but she had no baby. They charged her with a felony I think. Unless you have Lowjack, you're not getting your car back quickly (or often times in one piece).

The nice thing about Land Rovers is that they aren't easy to drive, aren't easy to start (push button Rovers), and really stick out. Not a target for car theifs. Hide all your valuables under the driver's seat compartment and no one will break in.

On my 109", I also have a fuel shutoff switch. If someone did steal it, it would run fine for about 500'. Then it would start bucking and die. You gotta remember to turn it back on though...

[fruitpunch]

Mine on the streets of NYC doesn't even have door locks, nobody even bothers with it. The occasional homeless guy will sit in it when it rains, or to steal a spare quarter. Knowing how to start her is so difficult let alone knowing how to drive her nobody is gonna bother. Oh and having a softtop why bother with it in the first place, cut off switch to prevent the silly guys, no working fuel gauge to deter the professionals, lot's of steering play to deter the rest. I remember having a lockable 109 they broke the window to just look under a blanket and steal nothing, car theft only happens to rice boys around here.

[jp-]

Fruitpunch,

That's certainly an interesting take on not locking your car! But don't you keep any tools in it or spare parts? I'd hate to lose my tool bag. I do keep it under the seat though.

[ducttape]

Fruitpunch,

That's certainly an interesting take on not locking your car! But don't you keep any tools in it or spare parts? I'd hate to lose my tool bag. I do keep it under the seat though.

WHY oh why did you tell us that?!? Now you will have to kill us all!

I haven't driven mine into NYC yet, but I'd probably do the same (not lock it) since I don't have working cylinders either!

While the contents may be desirable, 40 year old British cars (without a shine) just are not high up on the list of to-steal vehicles. In fact, I can just see a good source of parts in my mind's eye now: on the curb outside chop shops. The truck somehow gets delivered, the guy witht he cigar in his mouth looks at the perp, walks away and the vehicle gets left on the curb!

Obviously, as a reply to the original poster, some of this is in jest, but the point remains I think. Locks keep honest people out and these just aren't high on the list of most stolen cars.

[TeriAnn]

,
That's certainly an interesting take on not locking your car! But don't you keep any tools in it or spare parts? I'd hate to lose my tool bag. I do keep it under the seat though.

I looked at the price of replacement door windows and decided I'd save money by letting them take whatever they want that is sitting inside than to replace the windows. In 29 years no one has bothered to break into my Land Rover.

Worried about your tools? find a few cheapo rusty tools and leave them on the floor in plain sight. Show them something not worth stealing and they may not look farther for better tools.

I've done that sort of misdirection on photo trips. On trips I buy one of those cheap single use cameras and keep it in plain sight in my Land Rover while large format and medium format camera systems are packed out of sight.

Who's going to break in to steal junk?

If a pro wants my Land Rover it will be gone no matter what I do.

If someone wants to joy ride they will have to know how to hot wire it. The bonnet is locked so they will need to bring a screwdriver to open the instrument panel then know which wire is which. Then they will need to know where the starter button is located and how to drive it. Plus they need to know where the extra switch for the electric fuel pump is located. A lot of work and specialized knowledge for a spur of the moment casual joy ride.

I figure my only real danger might be from other Series folks of someone who just wants to break things. So far I've found that Series folks, as a whole, are decent people who are unlikely to strip other Series folk's Land Rovers.

Maybe I've just been lucky. I've long since figured that there must be a Goddess that looked after fools and innocents who has spent a lot of time watching over for me.

[LH Drive]

In South Texas and maybe other states that have alot of private Hunting leases. Older 4X4 trucks like jeeps, early broncos, scouts, patrols, fj40s and possibly Series Rovers would always get stolen after you just spent a fourtune making it trail ready. When and Where would you ever find it in someones private 500 acre hunting ranch. They don't even have to register it since it would never see a paved road. My friend had his CJ5 taken from his garage in the middle of the day while at work 3 weeks before opening deer season. He never found it. I used to remove all 4 wheels on my Scout when I would leave town for a week. That would make it look like it did'nt run and I was still working on it.

[Tim Smith]

...Older 4X4 trucks like jeeps, early broncos, scouts, patrols, fj40s and possibly Series Rovers would always get stolen after you just spent a fourtune making it trail ready...

So you're saying that the car thieves in South Texas have good tastes?

Whew, that gives me the chills! :p