MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG TD TF 1500 - mechanical security locking system

Hello, has somebody an effective and reliable mechanical locking system in the car? If you are on tour and a garage is not available what can we do? I found in the I-net a locking system for the gear shifter, looks fine but not available for a TD.
http://www.bear-lock.pl/enblokada.php
I know also there are GPS based systems available to find the car, but this is not the solution because the car was then already stolen.
May be we can make a special design for our car I'm thinking about a locking system on the popular 5 Speed Ford gearbox.
Cheers,
Guenter
Guenter

Guenter
Some years ago a MG TD in a trailer, setting out side a hotel/ motel room (I believe in Illinois, south of Chicago) was stolen. I believe it is still listed as stolen on the MG data base at T-talk. My suggestion would be to use the battery cut off switch and keep a good eye on the car when traveling. If a thief wants your car bad enough, they will get it unless you keep a good watch over it. Park it in front of your room and sleep light! John
John Hambleton

Guenter - Just set the hand brake. No one who is not familiar with the early MGs is able to release the flyoff hand brake. Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

A cut off switch to the coil will also keep the car from starting. I have had one on mine. On Off switch just under the dash out of sight.
TRM Maine

A neat trick, is to intercept the fuel line and divert it to a cut-off valve under the seat.

In my case on the TF (only), I don't have my seat runners fastened at the rear, so I can tilt the seat forward and access the fuel cut-off valve.

Gord Clark
Rockburn, Qué.

Gordon A Clark

$.50 security system:
Hidden toggle switch on the fuel pump.
If they want the car bad enough they WILL get it.
If it doesn't start they will come back with a trailer.
These cars are so easy to hot-wire, the key is a joke.
My theroy, (and it has worked before!), if they hot-wire it and get going down the road they won't get far on the fuel in the carb bowels. When it dies in the middle of the road they are not going to mess around tring to fix it.
I have put this on every LBC I have owned since the early 70's (my old Spitfire did not have a key...just a push button). My Austin was stolen ...they drove it about a block before it died, they ran, (and were caught) I got in my car, hit the switch and drove it away.
David Sheward

In 1947 post war Britain when new cars were difficult to come by, my dad fitted a simple on/off hidden switch to the coil's electrical circuit. He always got in the habit of using it each time he parked it, even in the garage.

Coming out one morning to use the car, he found the garage door had been forced open and the car gone. When he called the police they told him a car had been apparently abandoned at the bottom of the hill they lived on. No damage.
G.E. Love

The simplest ways are

1) install an electric or fuel cutoff (or both) hidden - and make them hard to find!

2) take a length of cable and a lock with you and tie your MG to a fence or post. I use this when I'm away for any length of time, my MG is in the carport.

3) A neat trick I have on my motorcycle and am considering using on my MG.... I have an RFID (radio frequency device) ignition switch for my bike, it is completely hidden (you can hide behind anything non-metallic) and you wave the fob in front of it and it turns the bike on. These are called m-locks and are made by motogadget in Germany (www.motogadget.de) and I see no reason they could not be installed on any 12v system, in parallel with the existing ignition switch. It would need a separate relay on an MG and of course these are negative ground devices but you might be able to wire to a positive ground system if you are careful, I'm not sure.

4) as someone else pointed out, there are various GPS systems (most require a monthly fee)
Geoff Baker

hello, as n alternative to all the comments here, if you remove the rotor it will not be driven away. regards, tom
tom peterson

Excellent points and comments, thank you all!
I like Geoff Baker's Motogadget m-lock I'll install it in the glove box.
http://www.motogadget.com/us/frameset.html
Thank you, great BBS group!
Cheers,
Guenter
Guenter

Guenter, if you hide it behind anything it must be pretty thin. Personally, if I was adding one (which I will do some day) I think I'd just mount it on the back side of the dash hear the bottom, some where on the drivers side, then a quick swipe under the dash would activate it.

If you mount in the glove box, you might have to route out a circle in the rear of the glove box door to mount it close enough to the surface so that it will receive the signal.

But I can attest the thing works well. I have it mounted on one of my motorcycle toolboxes. Although it is visible, nobody who isn't familiar with the device would have a clue how it worked.

Other possible mounting places.... under the carpet, inside a seat, inside a door behind the trim.

Below is the mlock installed on my battery cover.


Geoff Baker

For those of us who are mathmatically challenged, what is the US cost of one of those M lock devices. the website says 12900. whatever that is...
TRM Maine

Mr. TRM the 129 are Euros that means 187 US$ plus shipping
Guenter
Guenter

Sorry I overlooked that you must not pay the German Tax, means your price is reduced by 19%. In that case you have to pay $151.50 only.

I'm not sure what the US customs will claim.

Cheers,
Guenter
Guenter

taking the rotor out seems pretty good, or possibly the main fuse.
l rutt

Gunter - on other anti theft for a TD, using what is already there - In your avatar, I don't see a fog light mounted on your car, but all TDs came with a fog light switch. Just wire the fuel pump through the fog light switch (it doesn't even look like a switch and who would have an anti theft switch in plain sight on the dash. Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

Geoff,
"take a length of cable and a lock with you and tie your MG to a fence or post" ...I'm still laughing !!
MG's in bondage.
Visions of an MG "lock-rack" simular to those at the local school yard. Too funny.
Guees we could all just take the engine with us when we park ...that should do it.
I still vote for the element of surprise when the floats run dry. It's cheap, easy, and effective.
Face it if were dealing with more than 4 people they will just pick it up and walk away with it.
Cheers,
David
David Sheward

While touring in Spain I removed the steering wheel every night (no key in the stub shaft) this caused great amusement for the local children, I also have an isolating switch on the fuel pump. To be stolen at home would have been bad enough but over a thousand miles from home in a foreign country unthinkable.
Ray
TF 2884
Ray Lee

Ray,
my next tour scheduled will go to the south of England and I believe I must not do such a spectacula action. The enclosed statistic let me hope.
Cheers,
Guenter


Guenter

David, we Tucsonans are extremely proud to be the capital of auto theft in the US.... #1 GO TUCSON!

Proximity to chop shops over the border would be the main reason I suppose...

so yes, when I am away from the house for a few days I lock the MG via a cable lock and a cable to a eyebolt in a brick wall. It isn't much, but every obvious deterrent helps!

But as others have pointed out, if someone really wants to steal it, they will steal it. 30 seconds with a battery powered angle grinder and any lock is gone... up on a truck in another sixty seconds with experienced thieves at work...

I wish I had a garage to lock it in, but I don't.
Geoff Baker

The only folks who would know how to start a “normal” T-type or an “A” would be someone who knows MGs. The usual joy-riding kid is not going to know how to start one, unless they see you do it. If they know LBCs and want to steal yours, they’re going to get it.
David Werblow

Geoff,
I know just what you mean ...Dad lived in Tucson...whearabouts of his 59 Caddy still unknown.

And if you got it back ...chances are it would be sporting a "pink & purple tuck & roll" !

Curious ...cable through the spokes or frame?
David Sheward

David, I wrap around the frame or front bumper, I don't have wire wheels.

Personally, the best deterrent is the simple fact that Ttypes are rare but not valuable, which means the market for resale is small. Pros are looking for modern cars with easy resale capability (Honda's and Toyotas) or of course exotics, but then they want Porsches or better... hardly worth a pro stealing a Ttype like mine which they can only get maybe 10k at best...

And joyriders wouldn't know how to start it anyway.

But if it makes you sleep better at night, do it!
Geoff Baker

Hello Guenter,

I locked my car fourth:

an electrical switch
a motorcycle cable throuth the spokes at the rear wheels around the spring
a lock for the steering wheel and
a locking for the handbrake

If you want more informations, call me on 02761 65992

I read you want to go to England this year. I also want do do so. When do you ride?

Klaus
Harthof Klaus

Damn....I keep leaving my keys in the car......
gblawson(gordon)

A simple solution, in addition to a fuel pump switch. is to add a switch to ground across the points tus defeating the opening of the points which is what couses the coil to fire the spark.

A fuel shutoff valve near the tank is also effective.

The key ignition switch is so easily hot wired at the fuse block, where you have hot always (horn fuse), and ignition switched fuses adjacent. You can use the horn fuse to do it. Unplug the horn fuse and insert it between the horn clip and the ignition fuse clip. A great emergency key if ignition key is lost
Don Harmer

I've used this device for many years. It's powered by AA batteries and makes a deafening noise when slightly moved, after it is set.
I've travelled all over Europe using this alarm. The first time I went to France in '92 after completing the rebuild, I parked the TD outside of our motel room covered only by the tonneau but with the alarm on. In the middle of the night the alarm went off when some young men 'wanted to have a look under the cover'.
About an hour later it went off again when the noise from a passing Harley set it off!
Mike.


Mike Christie

Mike, and all the other hotel guests love you, right? Getting up 2 times a night was not really a recreation vacation for you.

Thanks you all for comments. My plan now is clear:
1. I have already an electronic device in the car. If somebody comes to close to the car it will react as follow: "Protected by security system, stand back!"
2. I'll install a hidden fuel pump interruption switch.
This should be enough for the short moments, drinking a coffee or make a visit in a lovely town.

For Overnight stay I will make decision in situ. If I'll have a bad feeling I'll use some sort of mechanical device bay be such as Klaus described, a motorcycle cable through the spokes at the rear wheels around the spring.

Guenter

This thread was discussed between 13/01/2010 and 25/01/2010

MG TD TF 1500 index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG TD TF 1500 BBS is active now.