hey guys, lately seeing all these civics getting stolen, im seriously considering an alarm..

its just i hear people say that alarms are just a huge waste of money, and they cant stop a theif from taking anything anyway..

but i want your guys opinions, if i do decide to get one, id want something nice that will actually aid in preventing theft (if possible), but i dont have a whole lot of money to spend, 500 would be about max.

so what do u guys think, with that money could i get something nice?? and if so, any reccomendations? all opinions appreciated.

98 civic coupe by the way

 

I've wondered about this too. But, here's the problem: an alarm isn't the ultimate theft deterrant. Most thieves out there know exactly what it takes to disable an alarm. So, i'd have to say that by itself, it's not exactly worth the cash. But when combined with kill switches, club, autolock, hood lock, dead bolt door actuators, it's definitely worth it.

 

Any theft deterrance item helps. Helps slow down crooks.

Whether its justifiable or not, is left for you to decide-

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by notguilty411 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">hey guys, lately seeing all these civics getting stolen, im seriously considering an alarm...its just i hear people say that alarms are just a huge waste of money, and they cant stop a theif from taking anything anyway..</TD></TR></TABLE>

Well you are like many who wonder... Is an security system really worth it?
As a pro installer I am going to say YES..most definately . We don't really
think about securing our cars until we had built them up to a certain point: new rims,engine swap,ICE etc. What many fail to undestand is that to a thief anything is
of value. So you have a stock '98 civic...hmm you dont really think that your engine is of value to anyone? Or say I wrecked my '98 civic and I need parts to make it whole again...or better yet I swap my VIN's over to the car (the typical locals...not the 'police' vins) and flip it as mine or sell it off. What do I care..it aint my car. Still dont think you need a security system?

Look this is a basically dead horse. Those who state "a thief will get anything anyway" is playing right into the mythos. Crooks look for the targets that are
easy ...and based on that statemant its a buffet for them. The more layers
of security we have the better off you are. TIME IS THE CROOKS ENEMY !!
the longer it takes...the more chances he can be caught...and they don't like that.

Here's how you even the odds:
Buy a brand name security system installed by an authorized dealer
- you really dont need the 2 way systems..1 ways work out fine.
- add air horns/horn honk- more noise the better.
- pin hood and trunks- this has been covered before.
- add digital tilt motion sensor- no lifting tilting of car : ie towaways.
- add backup battery- just in cse the pull 10 mm off main battery.
- hide alarm in any area but directly under dash ( Duh )
- mimic oem wiring ( ie black and yellow tape.flex loom = airbag )
based on your budget..this is very realistic.

Have fun

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by notguilty411 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
i hear people say that alarms are just a huge waste of money, and they cant stop a theif from taking anything anyway..
</TD></TR></TABLE>

It strikes a nerve when I hear people say "alarms and auto security measures are a huge waste because if a thief wanted your vehicle bad enough, they are going to get into it or steal it no matter what." If all people applied this retarded logic to other aspects of everyday life, then they would also disregard the usefulness of security guards, fences and walls, and even locks. For instance, I notice that alot of jewelry stores now have armed guard(s) standing by the door. If you think about it, a hoard of thugs could just storm the store, overtake the guard, and rob the store blind. Does that mean that the store is wasting their money with a guard? Of course not! The guard is a major crime deterrent. Also, if someone decided to rob the store anyways, a well-trained guard actually might even thwart the robbery. Go figure! The same scenario could be easily be applied to alarms and auto security measures.

NO security measure, whether it is auto related or whatever, is 100% effective. However, that doesn't render it "useless." The majority of car thieves will likely pass on a vehicle (or at least will have a difficult time trying to steal it) if all the proper security strategies were implemented.

To the smartasses who are going to reply with the phrase "tow truck": not every car thief is an experienced renegade repo man driving around in a flat bed or tow truck. If that is the case where you live, then you should seriously consider moving!

I believe that 98 Civics don't have an immobilizer key. If so, it could be stolen in a matter of seconds with only a couple of basic hand tools. If you followed all the measures described in the following link, you are going to make your car much more difficult to steal...
http://members.***.net/shaundr....html

Here is a story to ponder...
My brother spent over $10,000 modifying his '94 Honda Civic sedan but literally did not spend a single penny, not one, on any additional auto security. He now regrets it very much. His car was quietly stolen, while he was home, only a few feet away from his front door. This happened in a highly upscale and gated apt complex in the suburbs!




Modified by kontai69 at 3:01 PM 3/30/2005