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I have a 97 Civic DX that got stolen a few days ago. Shaved key had them in the doors and starting the car in no time. They drove it about 3 miles away to a dirt lot and striped the wheels, stereo, battery, and everything else (My jacket, book, radar detector, computer tools, etc.). Just finished getting some steelies on, and before I put a new system in, wondering what you guys think is the best theft deterrent. The alarm that was in the car when I bought it was broken, but I do have some connecters wired to kill the starter. Read that putting in a hidden switch was a good idea. What about alarm options? Thanks.

EDIT: I have a steering wheel lock, just was not on at the time of the theft.

 
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I took out the door lock part of the actuator on the passenger and driver sides so if they do get a key in there it's not going to turn anything. Hidden ignition switches are always a good idea. When you get your new head unit get a face plate cover and tuck it in the trunk somewhere safe. I also got the window visors to prevent them from prying the window open. As far as alarm goes I got a viper alarm that makes the remote buzz if the alarm goes off and sends me a detailed text message to my phone. I also wired the dome light to flash like a strobe light when the alarm goes off.. to at the very least give the thief a headache if he does manage to get in.

Tint is also a good deterrent. And a really nice set of wheel-locks. I also disconnected my hood latch (from the interior) and relocated it to a secret spot so they can't pop the hood to disconnect the alarm/battery etc. I also got a GPS tracking device hidden underneath the carpet under the seat that updates every 30 minutes the specific coordinates and location to my phone via email, and I can access the device anytime by calling a specific number.

... so if you're looking for ideas.. those are all the deterrents I got.. lol

 
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best theft deterrent is not to keep anything valuable in the car. i hate to break it to you, but its good to know how thieves work. getting into a locked door without breaking the window usually takes about 20 seconds with a small ice scraper and a coat hanger. no damage done at all, and you dont spend precious time fooling with the lock cylinder or getting glass everywhere. i wont tell you exactly how its done, but it can be done fast. if there is an alarm that goes off when they open the door (after popping the lock), that will take another 10 seconds to silence by simply popping the hood and ripping out the siren wires (95% of alarm installs have the siren visibly installed in the engine bay where it is super easy to yank the wires. nice thieves may just cut the wire if they brought wire cutter/strippers). it is also very obvious which fuse on the battery is for the alarm and again, easy to remove (all fuses must be installed within 12 inches of the + battery terminal for safety reasons, so there is really no way around this). so now 30 seconds later, they are in your car with the alarm silently going off. they can either steal whatever they see (and also pop the trunk to check there too), or spend another 30-60 secs to bypass the alarm starter kill which is very easy to do. then proceed to hotwire the ignition and drive away. most thieves are not looking to steal the whole car, unless it is to move the car to a better location so they can steal whats inside. so in conclusion, there is nothing you can really do that will prevent thieves from getting in your car. these are things that i know as an amateur diy car guy. imagine how much more a professional thief knows! oh and to put your mind at ease, that steering wheel club wouldve only slowed them down another 10 secs. and you would now have a cut up steering wheel.

 
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Fuel switch, starter switch, tazer rigged up to seat with safety of course. That way when you are paged by alarm. Go to your car and he's laying there. Have your way with him.

 
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if only its that simple haha

 
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I keep my car in an alarmed garage most of the time, other than that I have theft insurance. If I was a car thief I would be ashamed to steal a car worth less than $50,000.