Hello there :icon16:

New to this forum and muscle cars in general and I have a question if I do decide to venture into getting a muscle car.

My father's '92 Nissan Pathfinder was recently stolen in broad daylight infront of his house and my sister's '95 Nissan Maxima was also stolen in the afternoon infront of her work.

I bring up this question of theft because it would break my heart to get a beautiful muscle car and have it stolen. I am not sure if it's something with Nissan that people seem to target or just bad luck, but I was wondering if you people who have owned muscle cars for a long time with no/or theft would be able to chime in on these questions:

Do criminals target muscle cars?
-If they do, which make?


-I would be leaving the car in a college parking lot for a couple hours, basic places like the store parking lot, work for 8 hours a day, etc etc.

How do you protect yourself from theft?
-What are the best precautions to take?

Is there a website where I can get theft reports on all cars going back to the old muscle cars?

I am 18 years old and in the spring will be getting a car. Any type of muscle car you guys/gals recommend I start with?


Anyone who can help with these questions will be much appreciated, I just want my car to still be there when I go get some ice cream or something :mad:

One could write a book in answering those questions.
All muscle cars are targets. Anything you would really like to drive they want to steal. You could drive a Buick Electra 225 or a Gremlin and be safe, but would you really enjoy that?

Generally, different thieves steal for different reasons. If you have a valuable car, they will take it to chop it up into parts, or (less likely) monkey around with the VIN and re sell the whole thing. You would never see it again. This is much more likely with a muscle car than another type.

Other thieves steal a car to joyride, which usually involves using it to commit other crimes, ie gas station thefts, and then they dump the car somewhere after a few hours.
In these cases you get the thing back, but its damaged. This is much less likely with a muscle car because they attract too much attention.

If they really want your car they will get it regardless. What you have to do is make it so difficult they will leave it alone and get some one elses car.

1. Install a hidden switch. I like to use a toggle switch under the dashboard wired into the ground wire on the ignition coil. This is the wire that runs from the distributor to the coil. This wire can just be hooked up to the chassis ground through the toggle. This is handy because even if the thieves hotwire the car, it won't start.

2. Chain down the steering wheel.
The Club does this but Clubs are weak because a thief can cut through the steering wheel rim in 30 sec. So, use a hardened (grade 70 or 80 transport chain) looped around the steering wheel spokes and hub. Run it around the column or around the brake pedal.
The crooks will move on because this is an unconventional approach and requires too much thought and experimentation to overcome, They do not have the time to experiment and will move on.

3. Get a car alarm.
Yes everyone ignores car alarms going off but thieves hate noise and they are effective deterrents. Get one with a motion detector so it goes off if they tow it away.

4. Chain down the hood, and padlock it to the frame. This protects against hot wiring and disabling your alarm.

5. DO NOT BRAG ABOUT YOUR CAR!! Dont advertise about how swell your car is or what kind of theft deterrents you have, even to your friends. Word gets around to the bad folks in town that you have something special and how to get it.
Also, don't go for massively flashy wheels, stereos paint jobs etc that attract attention on the street. Thieves have been known to stay on the look out for flashy cars and follow you home, find out where you live and boost your car in the middle of the night.

6. Store it out of sight overnight. Put it in your garage and close the door, or use a car cover (without the GTO or Chevelle logo!!)
Do not polish it and leave it on display in the driveway for all to see and admire.
As far as what type of muscle car to get, well, which ones do you like?

All of the above are very good suggestions. I agree that every car is vulnerable to being stolen. Muscle cars are actually easier to steal because they lack many of the security features (car alarms, micro-chips in the keys, lockable hoods) of modern cars. My advice, drive what you want and take common-sense precautions. But no car is unstealable.

My modern car has a resistor in the key, and a car alarm, and it's definatley a muscle car. :)

Fact is, if someone wants my car, they're gonna get it. About the only way that I could deter them would be to take my ignition module out from underneath my hood every time I left it somewhere. That is too impractical and time consuming in my opinion to do every time my SS is out of my garage. My brother's car was stolen recently, alarm and all.

If they want it, they'll get it. Point is, it's not gonna stop me from enjoying the hell out of my car. I'm not gonna live in a bubble wondering who's looking at my car the wrong way...

My modern car has a resistor in the key, and a car alarm, and it's definatley a muscle car. :)

Fact is, if someone wants my car, they're gonna get it. About the only way that I could deter them would be to take my ignition module out from underneath my hood every time I left it somewhere. That is too impractical and time consuming in my opinion to do every time my SS is out of my garage. My brother's car was stolen recently, alarm and all.

If they want it, they'll get it. Point is, it's not gonna stop me from enjoying the hell out of my car. I'm not gonna live in a bubble wondering who's looking at my car the wrong way...
Well, I specialize in car electronics both new and old. I have done plenty of cars and have seen plenty get stolen. Like mentioned above, it doesn't matter what kind of car or what you have on it, if someone wants it bad enough, they'll get it.

Anyway, what I usually do is this. I install a Python 2-way remote alarm coupled with batter back up, motion sensor, pain generator inside car(extremely loud siren), backup batter siren, hoodlock, and last but not least, a ghost switch for both the alarm and also simple starting of the car.

A ghost switch is a factory switch that's inside the car and in plain view. If your remote fails but you need to start the car, you have to remember that "switch" and cycle it what ever number of times we set it up for. Also, another switch will be used to start the car. So, you might have to put your foot on the brake inorder for the starter to engage no matter what the alarm is doing.

All of this and with the 2-way remote to let you know the car is being messed with makes it almost bullet proof. IF they get past all of that, I say let them have it. :eek7:

And what does all of that run installed?

And what does all of that run installed?

Depending if you go with keyless entry, trunk pop, or any special switches for anything, you'd be pushing $500. The nice thing though is that DEI will pay your insurance deductable if the car is actually stolen!