so just a quick question re: recommendations security solutions for mini's.....
really want something simple, discreet and effective!

was considering just a 'hidden' battery cut-off....??
ideas and experience welcome....

cheers,
miko

I have,nt done it yet but the padlock through the handbrake sounds to me like the easiest to get to and hide, the padlock sits under the handbrake boot,you would need a drill press though its all toughened steel.

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or a set of bolt cutters under the back to snap the cable that sits out in the open and easy to get at.

Dave I dont think you can actually cut a handbrake cable with bolt cutters and if someone wanted to pinch the car,it would go like this, started it, tried to drive it, it wont go anywhere, have a quick look, eventually find the handbrake padlocked, then suddenly there a strange man standing there with an iron bar saying " I wont be gentle when I fark your corpse "

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haha ,, corpse bit. yeah i like d that idea till i thought about the cutters , i rekon they'd eat through that cable. however the thief probably aint thinking about carring around bolt cutters ,, maybe??

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PrOuDlY aSkInG qUeStIoNs FoR uR aMuEsMeNt

hmmm any real suggestions guys??
alarms?
battery cut-off?
etc etc

in my first mini I drove to work with the handbrake on. She never did brake the same after that

Hidden kill switch is always a good idea.
I read somewhere you can get one where you touch a screw or something in the dash ( a particular one that is) and the other hand on the ignition key and that is the kill switch. If you don't touch said screw now workies.


another question on topic.
Gave my only ignition key to a lock smith so he can cut me some spares. He lost it. Can someone please PM me and let me know how to hot wire a mini. I want to test the wiring I am installing.

Cheers
D

Just remember that people will be reluctant to post what they have on their own car as they will be telling potential thieves what to look for .

The basic's though are hidden or keyed switches for (electric) fuel pump cutoff , a hidden earth switch from the coil to the body and a battery cutoff switch . Just don't tell anyone where you have them or what you've fitted .

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take the ignition leads with you when you park the car

sports850, fair point....

I can see what your saying, and its a fair call.
wasn't after exact details, just a guide as too what works best
according to experience. Even just your post and floss's is
enough to set me in the right direction....

cheers all

Something I am thinking of was published in an electronics magazine - use a hidden magnetic reed switch (like used in burgular alarms in doors and windows etc) that energises a self latching relay controlling some critical circuit.


You have a magnet in a fob on your key ring that you touch to the surface behind which is the magnetic switch - the circuit completes and the key will then start the car

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David L


My greatest fear in life is that when I die my wife will sell my Mini and tools for the price I told her I paid for them!

2 things i used to do

1: remove rotor button and put in pocket. worked well especially if i thought i may have had a few to many to drink. can't fit rotor button then shouldn't drive.

2: had an array of switches 4 from memory, that needed to be turned on.
a little excessive but effective.

Boring old battery master in boot, so long as your boot locks, and then it is pretty secure.

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- 1962 Beige Delight club car, Rebuilding.
- Motorkana Special
- Minor Mishap, 1958 Morris Minor

-- Last ever Tea Lady at Longbridge--

or maybe the rotor button.
or the fuse for the ignition circuit.

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1967 Cooper S - new front bearings to do.
1965 Cooper S shell - Slow progress. No time or money!
1966 Deluxe- next rustoration!
Mk 2 & XJ6 Jags. Less said the better.

A similar one I know of was on a classic car that was serviced at a place I used to work at , the owner had a daggy old pair of leather driving gloves with a magnet sewn into them that had to sit on one side of the glovebox (where the magnetic switch was) . When he was leaving the car for a while he'd put the gloves on top of the dash

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You actually can cut handbrake cable with bolt cutters....had to do it on the weekend to remove a handbrake cable set off a trailer....

Sports850 has it all in a nutshell, well except for the wierd security devices like dogs, snakes, hooked up to a couple of 24v batteries or the house mains etc lol