I need a Kill Switch - Any Ideas

[alvald83]

I just finished partially restoring my truck, which looks pretty good. Now i am thinking about putting some type of kill switch on it, since i just drive it about once a week. I don't really want an alarm but a kill switch would be nice.

[fordman]

i think the most effective would be a kill wire to the coil. you would want to kill the power from the starter realy and the ignition switch resistor wire both. no where to put it. i am unsure. maybe a toggle up under the dash.

[BobbyFord]

On these older Ford vehicles, it used to be that thieves would run a wire with an inline ballast resistor from the battery post to the hot side of the coil. A hood lock probably wouldn't be a bad idea.
Recently around here some expensive restored older vehicles have been stolen by a ring with a flatbed. Not much you can do to prevent that.
Here is another option, a GPS system that reports your vehicle's location to your cell phone or computer in the event that it is stolen:
http://www.cars-electronics.com/gps-tra ... p1190.html
There are other similiar products available.

[big block]

electric fuel pump with hidden switch at least they wont get far if they get it running // but to someone that really knows cars there is no easy fix wes

[Calfdemon]

I wired a kill in my 72 bump. I bought a button (off, push and hold on, release off) as opposed to a switch and wired it to my neutral safety switch wire. That way, you have to push the hidden button and hold it while starting the truck. Basically, unless the button is pushed, the truck thinks it is not in Park or Neutral and the ignition will not turn over. Once it is started, you can release the button as it only checks for the completed circut when starting the truck. I mounted the button under the dash just to the right of the steering column so I know right where it is. I hold the button with my right hand while starting the truck with my left. Works awesome and all of the wiring was directly under the dash. I just spliced it into the wire right before the neutral safety switch and then hid it all with electrical tape. The only way anyone can bypass it (inside the cab) is if they know its there and know what they are looking for.

Very easy switch to install and I had it done in about 10 minutes.

[cdeal28078]

Wouldn't a wire from the battery to the coil illuminate that switch? I agree with a hood lock but think insurance is the best bet. Other than some kind of GPS and a pager like Bobby says.
If they want it they will get it. No need to make it easy though. I think a fuel shut off would be best for a thief trying to drive off with it. Let him get about a 1/4 mile and run out of gas. Most will just leave it and run as they don't want any attention.
Clint

[Calfdemon]

You mean eliminate?

Yeah, I suppose that would be a way to bypass it. But most of your car thiefs now-a-days just jump in and try to hotwire it from the cab. I am not too worried about it anyway as bumps are not a hot commodity when it comes to cars to steal.

[bigmerc2003]

I saw a guy who had a kill switch seat! There was a button in the seat so that you had to sit in a certain place to have the truck start. With the old fords you need to move the starter solenoid and put a kill switch on the lead wire from the ignition switch, if they cant get to the solenoid they cant bypass it.

[fitzwell]

You mean eliminate?

I am not too worried about it anyway as bumps are not a hot commodity when it comes to cars to steal.

Maybe not in cali, but they are hot in these parts... across the Mexico border & gone forever.

Anything you can do to slow 'em down helps the cause. Most thievs don't want to spend 5-10 minutes trying to steal something.

[sargentrs]

Mine was stolen in March 2006. I drove into the Wally World parking lot at 5:30pm and at 5:45 he backed her out and took off. Must've been watching me when I pulled in. Got him on the security camera but couldn't get an ID on him. May 2007 the police called me and told me they found her in a wrecking yard about an hour and a half away. The guy almost made it to the Tennessee state line when he ran a stop sign and they pulled him over at about 7:30 that same day. He had an out of state warrant against him and they arrested him but my truck's tags came up clean so they hauled her to the yard. The cop hadn't even got the report filed yet! A year later somebody wanted to buy the rear end out from under her for a rod they were building and the yard owner ran the plates again and she came up stolen. Cost me $185 in storage fees but I got her back!

[george worley]

I have a electric fuel pump with a kill switch hidden under the dash. With the pump off the carb runs out of gas in about 1/8 mile. You could take the rotor out of the dist. Not very many theives have a extra rotor for a Ford in their pocket,

[big block]

boy havent heard the rotor trick mentioned for 25 years i used to remove the rotor out of a baha bug i had to many years ago!! very effective most thieves wont think of that one and they wont be carring one !!i used to just carry it with me if i parked her in a (bad) spot. wes

[sargentrs]

That's a great idea! I cranked on my truck for 30 mins one time, after a tuneup, before I realized I had left the rotor out. Duhhhhhhhh!