Morris Minor Owners Club

I use an old bar lock which goes between the steering wheel and the foot pedal. Is this enough? Any suggestions? I have a series 2 steering wheel and later minor 1000 gear stick. Thanks

I think these are easy to break - by simply stamping on the pedal. It either opens the lock - or breaks the wheel - thieves don't care! Secret switch is the best answer......

my dad handed me a bar like that and said 'put it under your clutch pedal, it'll stop thieves rolling your car away'. i attached it as he suggested, then showed him how easy it was to put it in neutral and take the handbrake off!

amongst my hidden switches i do use that bar, but not under the pedal. i hook the pedal end around the passenger seat frame. then the other end to the steering wheel as normal. the bar then conveniently passes under the handbrake when the handbrake is up, stopping any would be roller-away-er taking the handbrake off.

it may not be impenetrable, but it offers more visual deterence than secret switches!

I might try the last suggestion - my crook lock (which is supposed to hook around steering wheel and clutch pedal) doesn't work because the pedal comes out of the floor. Hooking it around the seat sounds like a good idea.

anything that hooks around the steering wheel is a poor deterrent to someone that has stolen cars before.

My sister had one of these on her car - the thieves left it on the floor where she was parked, so she used it again on the replacement car - which was stolen 3 months later from the same work carpark...

Without wishing to advertise it, these things are not that hard to remove. If I was a car theif I'd prefer to target an old car with one of those to another car with something else on it.

Ask yourself... how hard is it to remove and replace the steering wheel....

I'm looking at security things & bits for my car, so the steering wheel locks aren't rated much?!

I had a visit from the police the other day as someong (who, incidentally was parked in y numbered parking space outside my home) had their car stolen so obviously I am a little more worried that I was a week ago!

I suppose it depends on how often ou use the car. A car laid up over winter would benefit from a wheel clamp as well as the other suggestions.

Rotor arm off and a secret switch and a handbrake gear leaver lock as a visual deterant are my prefered option

I think I am going to be making a pedal lock for Dans car at some point soon...

I have no idea what a secret switch is

I'll be using her daily, I have considered a wheel clamp...

KatiePotatie wrote:I have no idea what a secret switch is

a secret switch is some sort of isolator, whether it isolates the battery, the ignition or the fuel pump. and you hide the switch so only you know it's there.

isolating the fuel pump means that if they start the car, they will get as far as the fuel in the carb will take them, and then they'll splutter to a halt about half a mile away. and they'll just think it's broken down or run out of petrol (which it kind of has!)

isolating the battery means they won't be able to do anything, but the fact that nothing works may alert a thief to the fact the battery has been isolated.

isolating the ignition is good, as if they get as far as attempting to start the engine, it'll turn over like normal, but won't fire. Giving the impression that it just wont start. they'll just think 'what a bit of bad luck, i try to steal the duff car' and move on hopefully.

Matt wrote:I think I am going to be making a pedal lock for Dans car at some point soon...

what's the point? if you lock off the clutch pedal, all someone has to do is put it in neutral and take the handbrake off and they can tow/roll the car away, or onto a trailer or something.

chrisryder wrote:

KatiePotatie wrote:I have no idea what a secret switch is

a secret switch is some sort of isolator, whether it isolates the battery, the ignition or the fuel pump. and you hide the switch so only you know it's there.

isolating the fuel pump means that if they start the car, they will get as far as the fuel in the carb will take them, and then they'll splutter to a halt about half a mile away. and they'll just think it's broken down or run out of petrol (which it kind of has!)

isolating the battery means they won't be able to do anything, but the fact that nothing works may alert a thief to the fact the battery has been isolated.

isolating the ignition is good, as if they get as far as attempting to start the engine, it'll turn over like normal, but won't fire. Giving the impression that it just wont start. they'll just think 'what a bit of bad luck, i try to steal the duff car' and move on hopefully.

Ahhhh my paying attention on GCSE physics all those years ago will come in handy then ;)

chrisryder wrote:

KatiePotatie wrote:I have no idea what a secret switch is

a secret switch is some sort of isolator, whether it isolates the battery, the ignition or the fuel pump. and you hide the switch so only you know it's there.

isolating the fuel pump means that if they start the car, they will get as far as the fuel in the carb will take them, and then they'll splutter to a halt about half a mile away. and they'll just think it's broken down or run out of petrol (which it kind of has!)

isolating the battery means they won't be able to do anything, but the fact that nothing works may alert a thief to the fact the battery has been isolated.

isolating the ignition is good, as if they get as far as attempting to start the engine, it'll turn over like normal, but won't fire. Giving the impression that it just wont start. they'll just think 'what a bit of bad luck, i try to steal the duff car' and move on hopefully.

Erm... Should we be discussing the technicalities on an open forum?

Matt wrote:I think I am going to be making a pedal lock for Dans car at some point soon...

what's the point? if you lock off the clutch pedal, all someone has to do is put it in neutral and take the handbrake off and they can tow/roll the car away, or onto a trailer or something.[/quote]