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MG TD TF 1500 - Theft deterrents?

Do you do anything interesting?

The E-Brake stumps just about everyone and the pull-to-start nonsense will keep them guessing, but I have heard a simple "this'll slow 'em down" method.... Hiding a small switch under the dash to cut power to the fuel pump. Simple.

Any others you employ or have seriously thought about?
MAndrus

"theft"
efh Haskell

As most of us know, some MGBs had a impact fuel shut off switch on the inside firewall, my 72 has one and all you have to do is reach under the dash and pull the button out which shuts down power to the pump. Designed to shut power of during an impact or roll over, it works very well. PJ
Paul S Jennings

The fuel cut off works for me,but if in a hotel overnight, the the steering wheel goes in with me.(No key in splined extention.)
Mind you I did get some strange looks while touring in Spain.
Ray TF 2884
Ray Lee

I read that airport using airport transfers tonbridge parking lots had the most car thefts, so on one long business trip I pulled the coil wire on my vintage red convertible. My trip got extended so I asked my wife(former) to go to the airport and get the car to save on the $20/day parking bill. I was in charge of a 24 hour test at SAC headquarters so when the test was over I crashed at the motel after a long day and was awoken by a call from a VERY irate wife, asking if I had done something to the car so it wouldn't start! Ooops... BTW she is gone, now. Thank God!

Chuck

PS I would never leave my TD in an airport parking lot, with or without a coil wire :)
cj schmit

Had to smile. How many people would even know how to start one if they were given the keys. How many do you think could open the hood?

JWP Policastro

The flyaway hand brake is about the best theft deterrent going, along with the pull to start set up. adding a switch to shut off the fuel pump is something that every thief will look for - however - there is a strange looking switch on the left side of the dash that is there for controlling fog lights, that doesn't even look like a switch, which can be used to shut the fuel pump off when parked. If you have fog lights that use that switch, it is a simple matter to rewire the fog lights to a toggle switch under the dash and use the intended switch for turning off the fuel pump - at least that would make the intended thief's work a bit harder. Cheers - Dave
D W DuBois

I had a security device on my motorcycle so when I sold that I put the device on the MG. It's anRFID keylock, you need an RFID fob to unlock it... No key needed. It's hidden under the dashboard and if you don't unlock it, nothing works. Sure you can still hotwire the car, but still... Better than nothing. It's called an mlock made by motogadget, a German company.
Geoffrey M Baker

Hell, they won't even know how to run the starter.
L Rutt

Geoffry, can this mlock be for either negative or positive ground, I can tell on the website.
T Maine

I suspect only negative ground...it also requires RF suppression. My car was already converted to neg ground so I just switched to RF suppressing plugs.
Geoffrey M Baker

I have a fuel pump cut-off switches on all (4) of my running cars, old and modern. They're hidden well, but easily accessible. Certainly not 100% fool proof, but probably 95%.
Tyler
Tyler Irwin

The other theft deterrent I use is a heavy chain locked through the bumper. The other end connects to a bar which runs through the brick wall in the carport.
Again, if they want to steal it, about 45 seconds with a battery powered angle grinder would do it. But every bit helps!
Geoffrey M Baker

Fuel cut off for me. Been doing it for years. Had an Austin stolen once...they abandon it when the floats went dry.
David Sheward 55 TF1500 # 7427

I remove the rotor arm, it gives peace of mind.
Cliff Harvey

If I park my TD for any length of time I replace the rotor arm with one which failed. this give a zero intrusion anti theft device, no extra switches, no extra wires. The thief would have a hard time finding the problem.

John

52 TD
J Scragg

IMHO:
About the only thing someone could do with a stolen "T" car.
Break and use/sell for parts.
Fill an "order" for out of country to someplace it could be re-titled, no questions asked. (South America maybe?)

If somebody wants it bad enough...they will get it.
If they try and it won't start, they may come back with a trailer.

My "theory" :
If it starts and runs but they only get a couple hundred feet away from where they took it there is a good chance they will abandon the car for fear of being caught.

The idiots that took my Austin did just that and were seen by a passer by that saw them run into a bar. His description was enough for the police to arrest them. In that the one moron had items taken from the car in his pocket, identified by me, was enough for a conviction. They were not very smart. He had the license plate registration in his pocket! LOL
David Sheward 55 TF1500 # 7427

A friend had their classic bug stolen from a parking lot while she was shopping and found the body three weeks later, minus most of the parts, presumably sold on eBay. Anything you can do that slows a thief down helps. In my case they would have to open the bonnet and do some fast rewiring... Which might be enough to avoid the situation described above...
Geoffrey M Baker

A simple hidden toggle switch across the points is an excellent deterrent.

This also works with Pertronics ignition.
Don Harmer

This thread was discussed between 27/02/2015 and 01/03/2015

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