The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Anti-theft, how to secure 1950 Chevy 3100 1/2 Ton

I'm working on a 1950 3100 1/2 ton Thriftmaster. The doors do not have keyed door locks, the ignition is a simple key switch that's easy to bypass (hot wire) and the starter is the old foot push peddle. Once I get the truck back on the road, Im wondering what ways there are for securing the truck against theft. The trck is not fancy by any means. It's just a good old truck that looks decent for it's age. By the way, my wife's great grand parents were the original owners, so I have to keep it safe and secure.

Battery cut-off switch in a hidden location, shuts off all power.

I am also planning on a hidden ignition kill switch. This day and age a gps might be the answer in addition.

unscrew the starter pedal or pull the stick out of the shift tower . store it under roof out of sight. when out and about with it dont wander too far from it. most of all insure it with with a replacement policy. no matter what you do if they want it bad enough they will get it. it takes less time to hook up a hook or a chain and drag it away then it does to get in start it and drive it away or you could just get this http://store.winner-intl.com/the-original-club-p2.aspx

What GPS device would be a good choice?

I googled "gps stolen car tracker" and got a number of hit including good reading from Edmunds.

I remember one of the old hot rod guys telling me whenever he left his car parked somewhere for a while he had a mock coil wire made from vacuum tube. I thought that was pretty clever his original went with him.

That was a good read, thanks for the link.

Security will be especially helped if you use the keyed version.

It only takes a minute to pull the wheel off and replace it.

I use door locks and a hidden battery disconnect which also cuts the fuel supply.

Plus they are all insured.............

I watched part of a custom motorcycle show a few years ago where a guy explained how to use a cell phone as a GPS on a bike. He added a phone to his cell phone plan, got the cheapest phone he could get, turned off the ringer, wrapped the phone in electrical tape and hid it on his bike. It was left on and wired to his battery so it was always charged. If he called his phone it activated the gps so the police could find it. It only added a few bucks to his cell phone plan.

My truck is parked during the week ( used mostly saterday and sunday) in my carport in the spring, summer, fall and what I do is use the club( a locking bar on the steering wheel) AND remove the rotor out of the distributor. In the evenings I have my regular truck blocking it in.

That was on "Two Guys Garage"

I don't like to give ideas on how to do this sorta thing on the net. Don't want to tell others our tricks.

Thanks for all the info and opinions. This gives me some ideas. I had been thinking about the battery cut-off. Since the truck has the push peddle starter, I'd like to be able to shut down the starter to protect it if someone tried to start the truck. Iwonder if there's such a thing as a keyed cut-off switch? I also like some of the other ideas that I hadn't thought about.

Here is a keyed version.

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Economy-Battery-Disconnect-Switch,2381.html

That's probably a good version but it looks like you can use a screwdriver to operate it. This one has a key that will fit in your pocket and you absolutely have to have the key to operate. Never had any stolen loaders or cranes when we used this cutoff. Plus it has some pretty heavy duty specs. http://www.colehersee.com/home/item/cat/207/2484-02/

Where could you hide something like that where it would be hard to find? Once found, all a thief would need would be a short jumper to render it useless.

Around here a stomp starter IS a theft deterrent. Every show or cruise-in I go to at least one person asks what the extra pedal on the floor is.

A professional thief will steal a targeted truck no matter what. These ideas are to stop opportunists.

X 2!

The stomp starter is likely the best theft control feature on these trucks.

Locking the hood can help slow a would-be-thief down.

I'm sure locking driver and passenger doors could be had if you swap the doors from a 1950-1955.1 truck. You would also get wing windows.

The fact of the matter is these trucks can be taken if desired. Best defence is to insure them properly.

My 59 gmc isn't a pretty truck. It is freequently left parked in San Francisco with both dors unlocked and the windows rolled down... even overnight. Paint a couple of body panels primer color and nobody will want it!

On my '49, it was in a boxed section of my Camaro clip. It wasn't easy to get in but I only had to do it once. Once it was in, there was NO access to the backside of the switch.

How many thieves carry a short jumper with them unless they are premeditating.

If somebody wants your truck bad enough, they will find a way to take it. The idea is to make it as hard as possible for them to do that. Thieves don't like hanging around long. So trying to diagnose a dummy coil wire or no power to starter usually makes them move along to an easier target.