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car alarm or bike alarm?
stuart_g - 28/12/07 at 10:15 AM

What is the general opinion. I am building a bec and want to put an alarm/immobilizer on it.
I think a bike alarm would be better as it doesn't have a lot of features that a car alarm has that you wouldn't use, such as central locking, window closing, e.t.c.

I want to put a decent quality cat1 alarm on it if possible, how do you go about getting it installed by a registered installer. My car is not at a stage of being able to be taken anywhere to have it fitted but I'm at the point of needing to get the wiring done and therefore need the alarm fitted. It would be a lot of trouble to get it done later.

I am competent enough to install the alarm myself and also seen ads for mobile fitting service, anyone used any of these.


Guinness - 28/12/07 at 10:30 AM

I fitted a motorbike alarm post sva.

My advice would be to do it later. I know it sounds more hassle, but if you haven't got your wiring 100% now, doing any sort of fault finding with an alarm / immobiliser on it is going to be tricky! Plus disarming the alarm every time you want to start the engine is going to be a pain during the build / at SVA.

Get the car running, get it SVA'd, do a few miles in it, to check that everything works as it should, then fit an alarm.

My motorbike alarm immobilises the fuel pump, ignition and something else, has a siren, flashes the hazards and has a tilt alarm. It also has a helmet loop which is handy. It's about the size of a packet of cigs and has about a dozen wires in it.

I wouldn't bother with the mobile fitting guys. They are not going to recognise much in your loom. Get the alarm you want to use now, read the installation instructions, label your loom with the wires it needs and then when you come to install it later it should be much easier.

HTH

Mike


gingerprince - 28/12/07 at 11:46 AM

If you're worried about the CAT1 for insurance purposes, I think I remember reading that you can fit it yourself (to CAT1 standards of course) and then have the installation inspected to get your certificate - this way you can wire it in at your leisure and still have it count for insurance purposes. Though I'm not sure what difference a CAT1 alarm makes on a kit car insurance? It's cheap enough without


stuart_g - 28/12/07 at 11:51 AM

quote:
Originally posted by gingerprince
If you're worried about the CAT1 for insurance purposes, I think I remember reading that you can fit it yourself (to CAT1 standards of course) and then have the installation inspected to get your certificate - this way you can wire it in at your leisure and still have it count for insurance purposes. Though I'm not sure what difference a CAT1 alarm makes on a kit car insurance? It's cheap enough without


It wasn't the cost of the insurance I am concerned with it is the quality of the alarm/immob and the protection it provides. I might just fit one and not bother with the certificate.

[Edited on 28/12/07 by stuart_g]