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Hey Guys,

I live in Stockton, California, which has one of the highest rates of auto theft of ANY city in the US... certainly per person. It's really bad here. Highly targeted vehicles are Hondas and Acuras. Great.

I'm looking for someone's thoughts on what the best alarm is. Actually, anti-theft devices.

This includes anything from the Club, to conventional alarms, to Lo-Jack. Preventing my car from getting stolen is obviously preferable to getting it stolen, but if it is stolen I'd like to get it back in one piece.

Ideally, I'd like something like a deterrent, alarm, battery quick-disconnect, remote stop (just like a remote start, only turns it off) and if worse comes to worse, a way to find the car and get it back.

Or, just a really good alarm. Anyone know anything, have any ideas? I'm interested to hear your input.

Also, one more thing, has anyone heard about that "club" type device for the brake pedal? You can't saw the brake pedal off like you could saw the steering wheel off, you can't cut the brake lines and still have an effective car... it sounds good in theory, but I know thieves really can be crafty.

Thanks guys

 
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No matter what you do if someone wants your car they will get it. If you get an alarm make sure it has a unique sound and/or 2 way remote so you know when its your car going off. Then go and inspect your car EVERYTIME the alarm goes off. Some theives like to jimmy a door enough to make the dome light go on to drain your battery.

I use a compustar myself. I've also had an alpine in a previous car. All the DEI stuff seems to sound the same to me so I'd probaby wouldn't get one of those.

 
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our car needs its own keys for it to start so the only way the theives are taking it is with a tow truck... thats what honda told me

but here are a few of the best anti theft ideas i got and you dont need to pay anything for them

1) just like some people do with their bikes, unbolt a wheel or two off

2) park the car in better neighborhoods

3) sleep in you car

4) pay someone else to sleep in your car

5) join the local gang, they wont steal a fellow gang member's car

6) leave the car unlocked, with the keys in it, and a bag of a unknown white powder on the passenger seat, most theives dont want to mess with drug dealers

 
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Viper Alarms

 
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If youre going to put an alarm in it, go Clifford AvantGuard 5. Probably the best "alarm" you can put in. No matter how bad someone wants something, especially in SoCal, its going to be gone.

 
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our cars can be stolen but it takes alot of time to do so.....

 
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I don't imagine theres any way to stop someone w. a flatbed or tow truck from steeling your car, short to maybe welding an I-beam onto the frame and attaching it to something supremely immobile, like a foundation of a building or something to that effect.

Barring that, I've got a CompuStar and it works okay so far, a 2 way version, barring the odd false alarm and the fact that generally in underground parkades I get no reception at all, it seems to work pretty well.

If you take a cue from semi-trailer drivers, they've started to put GPS units in their trucks that track them as they go, usually thieves rip them out, well-concealed, maybe w. a small, separate power supply, that wouldn't be expected in a car like a Civic.

 
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my girlfriends cousin who is a huge meth head in stockton said the best thing to use is one of those brake pedal locks. as far as an alarm goes get viper or clifford. as far as viper goes i know the brain is the same in every model as far as non options go. but the meth head also said any flashing l.e.d. is a good way to get him to pass on your car.

 
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we all know that if i thief wants to take your car he will no matter what, you all dont have to keep repeating it in every quote. Damn.. anyways Viper 791XV is a very good alarm.

 
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Viper python is what I have. It's pretty good imo.

 
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viper 791XV

 
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i have the clifford 2.5rsx i think. the key pad is like the viper 791xv.

 
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go to ur local car alarm installation shop and ask them to install an ignition kill switch. have them hide the switch or toggle and ur car will NEVER be able to start without the switch depressed. the only way to steal it would be flatbed.......

 
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You could always put a GPS Tracking system in it so should it ever be stolen, just hop on the internet and see where it is. Of course you never know what people might do when they steal a civic, strip it or ship it? If they strip it, it would probably only take about 10 minutes for a group to have the entire car apart and that GPS taken care of. The thing with buying an alarm is, make sure the siren is LOUD and DIFFERENT. If you get an alarm with the standard 6 tone siren, nobody will ever care if they hear it going off, and soon you wont either if theres a few false trippings. The nice thing about the Clifford is there are several tones you can pick and you program the entire system via PC (Im talking the AvantGuard models). They do come at a premium and are a giant pain in the *** to install, but it will always work. When people hear a siren thats loud and different than the standard 6 tone, they tend to pay more attention to what might be happening.

 
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the brain in a viper 791 and viper 350hv are exactly the same. the only difference is how many auxilary ports it has and remote start. you can add the long range ant. to a 350 and have the lcd remote. so as far as the alarm part of it goes they are exactly the same. and personally if i am enjoying a movie i would rather enjoy the movie than wonder if my shock sensor is a kid bumping it or.... plus we all act like we are big and bad but I am 6'2'' 250 have been wrestling for over 7 years have been boxing for 3 and i still dont want to run out of the mall to fight some guy who is meth'd out of his mind. Your best bet is to just make your car look as hard to get as you can. get the alarm that pleases you. get an extra shock sensor and have them install in the trunk. also get a glass break sensor and a battery back up siren tucked under the car. however a battery back up siren wont work if you have a cap and or a grounding kit.

 
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the brake pedal column locks are very good theft deterents, when im extricating a patient from a car crash the brake pedal column is the hardest to cut, I have to grab a special hydraulic tool just to cut it.

but like everyone else said it wont stop a flatbed from backing up and taking your car then defeating all those security measures you had installed in the privacy of their own shop.