Locking system

[Danno]

I'm not quite sure I understand the mechanics of the door locks on this car, has anyone put in keyless entry on their fiat? I can't imagine anyone has bothered with power locks, as it's such a small car you can reach across easily, but if paired with the keyless entry and likely an alarm/security system, then it'd be pretty cool.

[So Cal Mark]

my theory is that if you lock the car, anyone wanting entry will cut the top.

[Danno]

well, the alarm systems I've been looking at (for my other car) all have several options. one cool one that i've noticed would be great for convertibles where you DO worry about that. Now, it won't stop a criminal from cutting your top before it's too late, but it will stop him from being in it and taking anything or your car. they have some sensor that monitors the interior using ultrasonic sensors. in other words it sends out "waves" and looks for fluctuations in how the waves come back to it. so a body or arm or anything moving around in your interior would set off the alarm. Also Proximity sensors sound like a good way to go, cause like I said the interior alarm aint going off until somebody has already cut through your top leaving you with having to fix that. If they get a warning as they approach the car they might be more likely to leave it alone at that point. I guess if you have that alarm system you won't even have to lock your doors!

[Joe Clemente]

Danno,

I believe alarms with sensors are a waste of money. I would suggest exploring alternatives for anti-theft protection. I think that begins by re-evaluating the importance of such things as expensive sound systems and other "contents" of your car. If the car's contents are that important to you then if they cannot be removed and taken with you, be prepared to shell out repeatedly for insurance deductibles, because you won't stop the theft with an alarm. Ultimately though, all your stuff can be replaced. What's it worth to protect your whole car instead?

I had the latest, most comprehensive electronics installed in my Spider but I still had my stereo equipment ripped off. And, as Mark pointed out, they went through the top to get it. The alarm did absolutely nothing to deter them. By the time I got downstairs and out to the car from the alarm paging, everyone was gone. So the alarm was, in my opinion, as big a waste of money as all that stereo equipment I had. (Priorities of one's youth)

Personally, I've gone away from expensive sound systems and elaborate anti theft devices. I am more concerned with stopping someone from taking the whole car itself. That's more important to me. To that end, the best measure is cutting off the fuel supply. Defeating your ignition bypasses are not so much a challenge to thieves anymore and they generally ignore the alarm itself as do most people unfortunately. But if the motor isn't getting any fuel, they won't be going anyplace anytime soon. Not unless they tow your car away.

The only added visible deterent I like is a quick release steering wheel hub. Good luck steering with vice grips...

[Mad-Machine]

I never locked my spiders. I figured anything inside was less valuable than the top. That said, I will be installing an alarm in my 77 when I get her done. I will be using the interior detectors Danno talked about with a "pain generator" an ultrasonic device that makes it near impossible to be in the car when it goes off.

[Hjulen]

It would be nice if someone sold a remote control battery cutout switch. (especially for the later model spiders with the battery in the trunk). I dont know of anybody that makes them, but niether have I really looked...

[Joe Clemente]

Guys,

Don't waste money on sensored alarms, they won't stop thieves. Cut the fuel, and the car stays home. Fuel cutoffs are where you should invest. Buy the right insurance and you can replace everything else you may lose inside.

A pain generator Habs? How does American law work with something like that? Given the fact the US is the world's most litigious country it sounds like a potential law suit, don't you think? Might as well use a gun cause you may well end up going to jail instead of the thief

[mdrburchette]

A pain generator, huh? I'd like one that would go off when my cat decides to bed down on the soft top.

[v6spider]

I'm with Joe alarms are just a big waste of money. And I won't be putting ANY stereo in this car because:

A. I want to be able to listen for strange engine noises

and

B. Race cars don't have stereos hell they don't even have carpet (ever seen the inside of Ferrari f-40?).

So if you really want a stereo. Get a pullout one. and mount the amp in the trunk. Then that way you can still lock the trunk and leave the rest of the car unlocked. Removable steering wheel would be great as well as hidden fuel cut-off and ignition cut-off. I had 2 switches hidden on my car for just that purpose. Crooks piss me off!

[NWAspider]

I leave my doors unlocked to save my top, unfortunately I think someone went rooting around in my car, and now I'm paranoid about it getting stolen. I don't keep, anything of value inside, and don't have a new stereo, so I'm only worried about my fiat going on an unplanned trip. My question is, how would someone go about putting a fuel cutoff in a 75 spider. Is it just and interruption of the electric signal from ignition to fuel pump via switch?

[WYSpider]

NWAspider, just remove the wire from the coil to the distributor.

[NWAspider]

NWAspider, just remove the wire from the coil to the distributor.

I've never done that, I'm sure it is very effective. Although I'd really like a solution that didn't require popping my hood and tinkering around every time I arrive/ leave somewhere.

[Daniel]

Danno,

I believe alarms with sensors are a waste of money. I would suggest exploring alternatives for anti-theft protection. I think that begins by re-evaluating the importance of such things as expensive sound systems and other "contents" of your car. If the car's contents are that important to you then if they cannot be removed and taken with you, be prepared to shell out repeatedly for insurance deductibles, because you won't stop the theft with an alarm. Ultimately though, all your stuff can be replaced. What's it worth to protect your whole car instead?

Joe

I heard of other people having there stuff or cars stolen with Alarms but to say all alarms are a waste of money and
time is just not a fair assessment . What if you had a bad steak at a restaurant would you say that all steaks are
bad or all restaurants are a waste of time ?
After installing hundreds of Alarms as a professional and using them in my own Cars with a very good track record
I'd have to say this isn't the case !

Now some people do poor jobs with installation and some Alarms are just garbage . For a Spider you would want to
use a Radar Sensor for the Top as long as it is adjusted by someone who knows what they are doing when setting
this up . If someone even comes close to touching the top or reaches inside of the car with the top down the
Alarm should trigger . This is how i plan to setup my next spider and i was thinking of adding door locks as well
a Ignition Kill would be best for a Carb'd model spider and fuel cut off on FI Spiders .

On My Work Truck ( Ford Ranger ) I installed a Alarm and door locks since it didn't come with them and i've been
happy to have the alarm and door locks since 2008 .

Out of all the alarms i personal installed only heard of one car that was stolen after, the guy i installed the alarm
for was a friend he had his RX7 Stolen from him . He just got it back from the police impound the ignition switch
was missing cause they (the thief) had used a dent puller to remove it they use just a screw driver to start the
car at this point . Well Tony my friend called me and asked if i could install an alarm in his car asap he was on a
very tight budget since he spent a grip to get his car back ! I got one of the cheapest Alarms i had ever purchased
it had almost no features but door protection an LED light for the dash and a built in shock sensor, that night
a thief or they returned to and stole the car again Tony called the cops and they found his car abandoned a few
streets away he got his car back in 30 mins the police called him and told him to come and get his car where they
found it . The Next day was when i found this out when Tony had called me to thank me for helping him out with
the alarm he not only got his car back but his stuff ( Stereo MTX Box and other things ) were still in the car .
The Alarm was going off and the people in the neighborhood called the cops the guys who stole the car couldn't
turn it off so they left it there .

[Daniel]

Adding a kill switch to kill the engine some place is a good back plan if you dont mind remembering
to use it every time you park the car ...

[WYSpider]

@ NWAspider: If your electric fuel pump is in the trunk you could hook up a switch in the trunk that controls power to the pump. You would still have to pop the trunk and flip it but it would be out of sight for people messing around under the steering wheel.

For a mechanical pump why not install an inline fuel valve, like on motorcycles, in the trunk? With that shut off they could only run fuel that is currently in the line.