Just wondering how many of you leave your kit parked up "out" and what security precautions you take if you do...

I've only left the R4 out at shows and once when I picked up a curry in it (btw bad idea, the acceleration crushed the curry cartons and the poppadums came out of the bag as dust)

James

Yep, mine lives outside. under a cover of course. Still building my garage after moving the car from my parents house.

Big chain though a hoop in the ground. Chain wrapped around front suspension.

Then usually has a car behind it.

Take it to shops sometimes. Steering lock and battery cut off is the only security. Unlikely someones going to steal it.

Do you mean overnight or just when out? If overnight, i dont htink many will but im going to keep an eye on this thread as i may have to leave mine out.

Haha! The only time I've leaft mine publicly unattended was when I went for a curry at my favourite place which is in one of the dodgier parts of town.

I made sure I parked right outside and the staff even agreed to keep an eye on it out of the window for me!

Only other time was rergularly leaving it all day in the car park when driving to work but that was a secure car park with guards patrolling every so often and I guessed it was safe as there were plenty of other Sevens there on a regular basis.

EDIT: We have access round the back of our back garden which makes it a little less safe generally. But when rebuilding the fence in the summer I actually built a gate section (which looked just like a fence panel) so that if I do need to keep the car here overnight it can go on the back lawn rather than at the front or in the street.


Cheers,
James

[Edited on 23/10/09 by James]

yep my garage isnt 'next door' is down the road at my aunts, so when its going to be dry it lives round the back of my house, to keep it 'safe' is kept it tucked away, it has a nice cover, then a shoddy car cover! i think it just looks like a heap under a tarp, then i take the steering wheel off, steering lock on and hidden fuel valve shut. also the place its kept is out of site of the road but within site of 4/5 houses and lit by a couple of road lights so not pitch black, and i got the ultimate locost alarm, £20 baby moniter, one in footwell, one in bedroom, add one big old motion sensor light and jobs a goodun, also i let my neighbour (keen grass track racer) know, as he has an intrest in cars it helps to have an extra eye out. only ever had a problem with a couple of drunk guys walking home but they were harmless, just curious, that was after i left a cover off. but if you have a garage thats the best place for it.

[Edited on 23/10/09 by 55ant]

Sorry just to clarify, I mean whilst out and about, ie: pub/shopping/work etc

Mine is parked right outside as we type.

Mine's been left in the works car park quite a bit, which isn't secure, also left in the supermarket car park and on the street. Never had any probs.

I have a transponder immobiliser, removable steering wheel and a handbrake lock to stop someone taking the handbrake off and letting it roll away!

I'm surprised how many of you do! Might have to try it

James

A fair few of stolen ones have been trailered away.

I wonder if it'd worth fitting a ground anchor.

Can't be too hard to come up with something effective, Locost and help prevent it just being 'lifted' off. Big fat chain around a chassis rail or something vital.

HTH,
James

I get very very nervous about leaving mine anywhere..... mainly because it has a very shiny body which does not like zips/buttons and sticky fingers lol!

I use one of those gizmos that goes between the handbrake and the gear lever.

It won't stop a determined villain, but it will stop people reaching in and letting off the handbrake, or similar mischief.

Just dropped mine off at softbitsforsevens for a custom tonneau.
The tonneau will have seperate sides and top with pockets over the seat tops and zip out sections for driver passenger entry.
I also have a microwave bike alarm that is going to be fitted, with voice warnings.
Wish I could change what it says though, like Piss off it's mine..............

Be interested in a spin with the top on to see what it's like

Used to park mine all over the place - at work, in town (multi-storey, open air), at the pub, outside the curry house etc.

Steering lock and ignition key were the nly security. Anyone could have let off the hand brake and moved it, but no one ever did.

I did once come back to it in a car park to find a group of lads around it egging each other on to get in it. They couldn't believe I had built it myself and even less believe it when I let them sit in it

quote:

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Originally posted by cloudy
Be interested in a spin with the top on to see what it's like

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The trick i've found is to go sideways less, reduces the area of stone intake

I'm quite happy to leave mine out if down town, etc.

Mind you, I once met the missus for lunch in the City Centre back when I still had the Caterham and when I came back to the car there was a young couple placing their kids in the seats and taking snaps of them!

I didn't say as much as the kids were genuinely excited and I didn't want to spoil their moment, but mummy and daddy could tell from my face that I was far from happy!

I dont like leaving mine anywhere unattended.

Its got its own Steel garage, with commercial grade roller shutter doors, and is locked.

As for the car, its the usual Thatcham Cat2 imobiliser, and a steering lock, and a strong arm on the steering wheel. Then there is the hidden switch as well for good measure.

Me... PARANOID... No Way

You cant have too much security.

I am thinking about using RFID chip device to secure several circuits on the car.
Then this would all be contolled by the RFID chip implanted in my wrist or thigh.
Thus only I can start the car.

Havent done much on this idea, but its not hard to do. Having been in electronics for 40 years, and a practicing Radio Ham for 26 years.

The only 'security' that my car has is the big red isolator key in the middle of the dash. The same red key that anyone can buy for 80p from accessory shops. However, my car is utterly poo and no right-minded person would want to go near it. If they did, they probably kill themselves as it's an utter death-trap. For a while, the starter was the horn and vice-versa. I used the theory that not many burgleratorists would jump in the car and try to hoot the horn.....but would hit the BRB to try to start the car, resulting in three air-horns blowing them out of the cockpit.

I've left mine all over the place for varying amounts of time. It gets left in a multi-storey if I drive it to work, I happily take it to do the shopping at Sainsburys, and generally during the summer if it's not raining I'll use it as my daily driver and not take any special precautions.

It doesn't have any obvious security measures (there are one or two hidden features which I won't discuss here!), but probably nothing that would deter someone serious.

The only time I've locked it was when Mark and I did the GOME endurance race at Mallory Park - we stayed the night before in the cheapest (crappiest) hotel on the M1 and locked the cars to each other and the trailer to a tree, as the car park looked very dodgy!

I think if you worry too much about it it will spoil your enjoyment of using it. As said above, the biggest risk is probably of drunk people taking the handbrake off and moving it, and of parents putting their kids in it!

Tom

i havent got a problem leaving mine anywhere asda car park ( although only to get beer suplies as cant fit much in there ) after all it is insured so why worry
it aslo lives outside as garage wont be done til next year due to living next door to a bunch of aholes that tried to stop me getting planning for my garage
cheers
colin

quote:

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Originally posted by owelly
I used the theory that not many burgleratorists would jump in the car and try to hoot the horn.....but would hit the BRB to try to start the car, resulting in three air-horns blowing them out of the cockpit.

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Er. I'm not that stupid........







Yes. That's why I changed it.....

mine lives outside under a cover, have imobiliser alarm fitted and usually leave a motorbike chain lock round the front wheel and wishbone so acts as wheel clamp.

<---- Lives in the garage mostly.
When left out in public there's the regular steering lock and a battery isolator on the rear bulkhead.
I like the idea of a prominent 'Start' button wired to air horns! ...or maybe not!
John.

Mine often has to sit on the drive due to the garage being full of `other projects' - hood up , steering wheel removed and steering lock on .
I do feel a bit nervous leaving it anywhere with the top down - but so far I've had no problem's

Mine lives outside as I do not have a garage and gave up on using a cover (so rely solely on suitably placed holes in seats and floor and a tonneu to keep the worst out...have liberally coated stuff in ACF50 this year so hopefully the rot will slow down)

I live out on a spit so no one really just "passes through"
Area is pretty much OK and neighbours are V attentive

TBH I wouldn't have thought its a particularly desirable machine to nick

(bad idea to use for ramraiding - esp as its an MK with a plastic tank and would kind of stand out as a getaway or joy riders car, dificult to become anonymous with no roof/screen in a loud car)

Most of my bits are a bit rusty and in need of replacement, so hopefully the pro steal to break mercheants are also put off
(thats my excuse for it not being a blingy beauty queen!)



Was pretty paranoid about it when I first got it, but much less so now

Regards
Rob

Like Dave Jenkins ^^ I have an Autolok.
It's clipped behind the passenger seat on a couple of padded tool clips.
Takes seconds to lock the handbrake and gearlever providing a visual deterrent. (That's besides standard ignition switch/steering lock & battery master cut-out switch).
See www.klamp-it.co.uk Autolok Original £20 or so.
Cheers, Pewe

[Edited on 23/10/09 by pewe]

Mine lived outside the house for about 18months, and therefore was left everywhere outside when I was out in it.

As for security - erm, no. In fact, I think I only ever took the key out of it once...

I leave mine out quite often, at the beach, at work, overnight in a few cities.

I make sure I take out the battery isolator, a few times I'm fairly sure kids have had a play with it (Not in a nasty way, the local kids love it and are glued to it if i leave it out my house. Its the best security system ever.) and the switches will be on etc, so that stops the battery running out.

Obviously as it has no way of locking it, take anything of value out before you go. I've never had a problem, I found a homeless guy kipping against it in london once which was a quite funny.

HTH

David

Lives in a garage (usually on axle stands!), but I'm happy to leave it places when out and about, as it is insured. The hardest thing is trying to find a way of keeping a parking ticket attached to the aeroscreen!

My car lives outside under a cover all year round, and I have no bother leaving it anywhere. I do however, live out in the sticks and I know that many of the locals know who's car it is and where it lives. The only security it has is the steering wheel lock, if I put it on, and the key. Although I do leave it in 3rd or 4th to deter anyone moving it about. I leave it out in multi-storey car parks, pub car parks and outside the take away and don't worry about it. It is insured for more than I paid for it though, so I won;t be too upset if it disappears.