Cheap Anti-Theft Mod
#11
I am somewhat reluctant to admit this, but back around 1980 or so, I went a party with my friend Bob, noticed a kick-ass '70 Mach 1 ...so I parked next to it.
I found out the best-looking girl there ( Corey Cleveland...never forget her!) was driving it.
We went outside to look over each others cars, her boyfriend staying right there. She was a car-girl, he was a car- wannabe...not too car knowledgable.
While looking under her hood (!), he took her aside to ( I assume) chastise her for talking to me. I took the opportunity to sneakily pull the coil wire out of the top of the distributor and just rest it barely on top of the hole.
We looked at my car next, and I kept up the car-related flirting knowing it would aggravate her date.
Back inside, we kept talking but her boyfriend kept wedging his way in-between ( go figure).
He finally convinced her to leave, and...her car would not start. Boyfriend was useless, a couple other guys poked around.
Crank, crank, crank...no fire. Boyfriend chimes in "it probably needs a jump, who's got cables?"
Everybody laughed right in his beet-red face.

After they all gave up she called her dad on the house phone, she said he would come and pick her up.
I asked if I could take a look, she said sure. I poked around a bit, pushed the coil wire in and said "give it a try".
It fired right up.
She called her dad back said she got it running, and she didn't need a ride.

She told her boyfriend she was going strsight home, and he needed to get a ride home from his buddy, who was leaving right then. He left giving me the stink-eye.

I suggested I follow her home to make sure it didn't break down on the way, she took the bait.
I asked her to go get a bite with me first...she took that bait too.

We ended up at "The House if Pies" on Westhiemer in Houston, sat there eating, drinking cokes debating "Clevelands" vs "Limas" and other car stuff.

Boyfriend was gone, we were a thing for several months...very nice.

She sold the Mach, bought an awesome '70 Hemi Cuda convertible and left me to go hang out with the Mopar crowd.

It is still amazing to me...40 odd years later...that these cars could be had for pennies back then as "used cars" that only kids would want.
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#12
That tale is 4* cool!!
BTW I 100% agree that a 10g wire will run the coil/ignition system, but the problem presented by my suggestion is getting the starter to turn.

I still recon that is a cool way to get a hot girl.
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#13
Yep, she was a fun girl. I always made the comment to her that since her name wss "Cleveland" that it was somewhat preordained that she drive a Ford.
Her little sister ( Crissy) drove an orange 73-ish Trans-Am...a nice 4speed car. She traded that in on a silver '75 455 Trans-Am 4speed, thinking it was a step up.
Too bad for her...the 455 was a turd...the older 400 could run rings around it.

Nice girls, but uber-popular! Hard to hang on to 'em.
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#14
The problem presented is not a problem if the kill switch is located between the battery and the solenoid. It would only present an issue if the kill switch is between the solenoid and the starter motor. In that scenario, a jumper cable would be needed. Anything that can be done to slow down a thief is helpful. It's just that the starting systems in these older cars are not complex, and most car thieves know the various systems ( GM, Ford, Mopar). They will come prepared to do battle. If they are not successful in stealing your car, 9 times out of 10 you will end up with smashed-out windows, broken-apart steering columns, smashed-out grilles, and holes punched through door skins. It's the world we live in nowadays. Most cars stolen now aren't antiques, they like daily drivers they can part out. In fact, in almost every car theft I've dealt with, the owner GAVE the perp the keys - he just never returned the car! We do, however deal with a lot of smash-and-grabs. (They just want what you left on the front seat in plain view)
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#15
gxr02190, My switch is located between the battery and the whole of the car. Yep the coil can be fired up quite easily but turning the starter is much harder. Yes jump start leads would by-pass the switch but again it is just making it so akward that the badies go away to a softer target.

I checked out your uninformative bio - Are you in law inforcement? You have some really mean SoB's in your part of the world!! Most of our crims are too indiferent to damage a car for nothing - they just move on to the next.
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#16
Yes I am a law enforcement officer. We have (as lots of states do) a drug abuse problem here that is spiraling out of control. Thefts are becoming more and more common as these addicts need to support their drug habits. Smash and grabs (auto) and home burglary are the crimes of choice here. Seeing as much of this as I have, I am still amazed by the lack of decency and respect these thugs have for other people's property. Their high is more important to them than anything you cherish. We need to boot out our slap-on-the-wrist liberal judges and start passing down some real jail time. But.... enough on my rant....Angry Cheers, GXR Drink_to_that
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#17
Preachin' to the choir, brother. Preachin' to the choir.
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#18
One 3-foot ( or so) jumper wire for the battery to coil is all you need on old Fords. An old straightened coat-hanger will even work.Simply cross a couple of screwdrivers, or a pair of pliers across the solenoid...and the starter cranks. If the engine will fire and run without feathering the gas pedal, your off.

Defeating the steering lock ( if equipped) is another issue, but not terribly difficult.
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#19
As I said - Makes it hard - Not impossible. Nothing is totally thief proof. I have had to bypass aftermarket imoblisers for people before now. Genrally takes 3 to 5 minutes.
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