Tough locks

[ChallengerHK]

Can anyone point me in the direction of a lock or locking system that's very resistant to torching or bolt cutters? Is there such a thing?

[Super Blue 72]

What are you trying to lock?    Like one of those steering wheel to brake locks?

[ChallengerHK]

I'm trying to devise a way of locking up the car, believe it or not. That other car that was stolen, the purple 73, has left me a bit freaked, and has exacerbated the fear I've always had of the same thing happening to mine.

I started thinking about what would be really theft resistant. Alarms, for instance, I don't think are worth much. They'll freak out amateurs, but pros will disable them before they even touch the door. (As Axel Foley said, I've been known to fracture a law or two, and in my misspent youth I bypassed more than one such system.) Steering wheels locks...cut with bolt cutters. Fuel and electric shutoff...winch the car onto a rollback.

So, what I came up with is this. Dig a hole in a garage floor and sink a huge steel post into it. Fill the post with concrete, and pour concrete around it. Weld some big honking chains to that post, something on the order of two inch links. BAck car up to post, wrap links around the rear axle, and secure. They can yank on the car all day long, but it's not going anywhere.

...except, the weak link in this is "how does the chain get attached to the car securely?"

[Chryco Psycho]

American & Multi lock make a Puck style lock with a sliding pin behind the body . What you would attach it to I have no clue , even bolting to the frame it is not much thicker than sheet metal , easily cut with w torch

[ChallengerHK]

I was thinking about welding something to the axle housing itself. They could still cut through it, but it would take time, and in general these guys like to get in, snag and get out.

I had thought about the puck style because of resistance to bolt cutters, but I think they could still be torched pretty easily, right?

[GoodysGotaCuda]

Unfortunately there isn't a very "fool-proof" way to do something like this. There is always some way around it if the person has enough time. I'd first start with a heavy swing gate myself.

Depending on your garage, you could have a bolt down heavy steel tubing/square swing gate that will hinder progress. It won't let the car out without a ton of noise an ruckus. It could be ripped from the floor after a truck pull or two, but it won't be easy.

Disabling fuel, spark, etc is all pretty easy and very easy to make a car completely immobile without specific parts or knowledge of the car. Keeping a car from getting onto a roll-back isn't the easiest thing to conquer. If you are really concerned, the best thing you can start with is to be certain the car is properly insured for it's value..even if they don't "get" the car, they can destroy it in the process.

The front K-member and rear differential are probably the strongest points to the entire car given they are unibodies. Very high grade chain poured into the floor and wrapped around the differential is going to be a pain to deal with. But could eventually be cut with enough time...which is where a garage alarm system would be most beneficial. You can shut a car up much quicker than a building in most cases.

While you say they could "yank on the car all day long and it's not going anywhere" is where I get into them destroying the car in the process. A big enough truck and a tied down differential could probably lead to ripping the rear axle out of the car in pretty short work.  However they'd have to get in, disable a shop alarm, get through a gate, try to winch it, realize it's chained down, proceed to try and get the car...all before someone gets to it.

My car is far from as "secure" as it could ever be, but it's insured well enough that can sleep at night.

[GoodysGotaCuda]

I had thought about the puck style because of resistance to bolt cutters, but I think they could still be torched pretty easily, right?

When you talk of "torch" and steel (as long as it's an oxy/acyl torch), there isn't much that isn't "easy"...

[ChallengerHK]

You make some great points, Goody.

I agree that anyone who was really serious could pull whatever I had right out of the ground. Hook a bulldozer up to it and yank. Either the chain or the car (most likely) is going to dramatically fail. But I think, again, that they want an easy mark. They especially don't want to draw attention to themselves. So if I make it exceptionally difficult to get, my guess is that they'll take a hammer and smash the glass, maybe dent every panel, and take off.

As for insurance, you're kinda right there as well. The big difference is that I don't want a repalcement; I want this car 

[diyhemi.com]

When I had my ls6 camaro SS, I always worried about it being stolen in the middle of the night. Several of my friends had theirs stolen. ( two of my friends had theirs
 stolen, and their replacement cars stolen!!)

I used to go through a 20 minute process every time I got home to "secure" the car. Removed passenger coil packs, disable stand alone fuel system, chain rear axle to garage post, wedge car in sideways in garage then park truck up against it.

It got to be such a pain and I lost so much sleep over it, that I sold the car. That was back in the college days, and yes I miss the car, lol.

[ChallengerHK]

I hear you there. If it got so bad that I couldn't enjoy the car then it would be counterproductive.

[Chryco Psycho]

being a former locksmith , nothing is secure . wire 220 v to the door knob & a wet mat in front of the door at least you will know was trying to steal it !!
 I knew of a bank break in , banks are pretty secure , the site next door was under construction so they hotwired the D9 Cat not hard to do , the cat went through the wall & into the safe relatively easily , not even sure it tripped that alarm as the doors & windows are alarmed !!

[1970 RT Challenger 1970]

The M18 Claymore Mine! 

[TorOrange]

Here is what I'm thinking about doing when I get me a cuda.

Hidden switches
Steering wheel to all pedals lock
Custom wheel boot on each wheel
Car cover with wires stitched in and 3 locks at the bottom
12 gauge 
A tracking system connected to my phone
and finally a viper car alarm

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=viper+car+alarm&oq=viper+car+alarm&aq=f&aqi=g10&aql=&gs_nf=1&gs_l=youtube.3..0l10.28362.30607.0.30816.15.15.0.4.4.0.184.1409.4j7.11.0.

[ChallengerHK]

Well, even if there's not an answer, you guys are making me feel better about my insanity. 

[brads70]

Get a pitbull infected with Aids!    For long term storage ( winter) what about up on jack stands with the wheels off and at a different location?