Alarm system recommendations?

[Timothy B.]

I feel I should add some sort of alarm to my 67 convertible and would like to ask the forum for recommendations on type and brand. I want something that won't be visible, simple to install and doesn't require permanent mods to anything on the car. Suggestions?

[Jim T.]

Re: Alarm system recommendations?

The LOJACK system seems the best to me. Convertibles just don't have a lot of security with the convertible top. Had one stolen in 69. Horns and sirens might ward off some thieves, you just don't know who is coming after it.

[Kevin M.]

Re: Alarm system recommendations?

LOJACK on mine.

Kevin

[Verle R.]

Re: Alarm system recommendations?

A fully mature male Rotweiller in the cockpit is very reliable. :-)

Verle

[Christopher R.]

Re: Alarm system recommendations?

Don't LOJACK black boxes need to be hidden? Don't they also need to transmit either out of the existing radio antenna or their own antenna? Without telling me any secrets, how do they do that? I ask this question because it gets to the changing/altering/cutting the car to do the installation.

[Eugene B.]

Re: Alarm system recommendations?

Tim,
I'm not an expert yet, but I am also looking at car alarms for later down the road. My first choice was LoJack, but they do not provide coverage in my area.

I suggest that you check out the Viper GPS Tracking System alarm. It has national coverage, calls your cell phone, sends Email, allows tracking via your computer, etc. Cost for system and monitoring is less than LoJack and it has more features.

You can check it out at http://www.directed.com

Good luck,
Gene

[Rick S.]

Re: Alarm system recommendations?

I have been retired for 7 yrs but at that time most police departments had given up on allowing their cars to be equipped with Lojack tracking devices. Also, most police agencies were not impressed with the ability to locate a stolen car. A clue was to see how many police cars had 4 antenna in a square on the roof of their cars. My observations in the Detroit area are they are few and far between unless you look specifically at Detroit P.D. cars. Almost no suburban police cars sport those antenna on their cars. IMHO.
Rick

[Rick S.]

Addendum

Also, there is a saying, "Todays technogolgy, tomorrows antique", which I think applies to Lojack. I haven't followed alarm systems since I retired because of Onstar on my daily drivers but Lojack only got you "close" to the target and it drove you crazy with its flashing lights and beeps, trying to find the target. Most street cops said "forget it". I would investigate something else!
Rick

[John H.]

Re: Addendum

Doesn't matter much in Detroit anyway - so many cars are stolen every day and stripped bare within an hour (or are "friendly thefts" that get torched for the insurance), another ten thousand cops wouldn't make a difference. $5,000.00 insurance premiums for plain ordinary daily-driven cars aren't unusual within the city limits.