???

 

Clifford AG4.

 

 

MSRP $599

Sells for $700-$750

 

one thats installed properly....i made my $80 brain, after spending a total (including brain) of $300 and some install time, do absolutly everything i could think of, and hopefully well. That's also canadian $ so $185 USD roughly.

Please don't go buy the most expensive one, and then skimp the install....after all this preeching though...i like the AG4 as well but don't agree with its cost (buy it if you can find it cheap...it really is nice)

-Rage

 

There is no such thing as a BEST ALARM. There are alarms out there better than others but there is no such thing as a best alarm.

The Clifford AG4 is a very good alarm but a Viper500esp can do the same thing w/add ons and offer the same level of protection if properly installed and time taken to hide the alarm.

 

wheres a good place to buy Clifford's AG4 online?

edit: also, what would be any disadvantages of having Circuit City install an alarm? CC doesn't have any Clifford products but has Viper 500 ESP for $399, that a good price?


[Modified by mntdewred, 8:09 PM 8/22/2002]

 

Try ebay for the AG4. But expect to pay atleast $400-600 for install. Disadvantage of CC doing the install is that they aren't as concerned with properly hiding the components or blending the alarm wiring throughout the vehicle. They get paid to get the jobs done fast so they can collect their bonus. More times than not you get the alarm thrown up under the drivers side of the dash with all the wires in plain view. When I used to work there, I would get scolded daily for hiding the brains behind the instrument cluster or rear side panels, let alone under the carpet below a seat. You are better off going to a smaller shop that doesn't need to bang out fifty cars in a day to break even, that way they can spend more time doing a thorough job. Oh ,and $399 is way too much for a 500ESP, I hope you meant the 550ESP.

 

True, you could get a Viper 500ESP to perform at almost the same level as the AG4, but at what expense. And I could only imagine the amount of wires/brains hidden under the dash. You would have to add a remote start brain, window control module, wireless immobilizer (if you could even get one to work with that brain), normally open starter and ignition kills. Also, not like it has much to do with security, but, you also have to add the headlight feature and wiper control. Seems like more hassle than it is worth. Just buy an AG4.

 

Hey kwhitelaw, I agree with you totally. Years ago, when I use to install for Circuit City, QUANITITY of installs was more important than QUALITY of installs. They would bang installs out the door in no time. If 2 came back with problems that were completed that day, the company didnt care. They were just looking at the number of installs done is greater.

Yes, remember the manager getting mad at me for taking the time to remove a battery in a GM truck to hide the siren beneath the tray during an alarm installation.

What really pissed me off was the damn sales guys not doing their job. They get to work in the air-conditioned room while I sweat my butt off pinned underneath a dash slaving away. The customer would come back saying the alarm I installed was not working right. It turns out they didnt know how to operate it because the idiot sales guys just basically takes their money and hands them their keys.


I am happy to say, now Im able to make the sale, answer any questions the customer may have, complete the transaction, take my time to install the system professionally, and demostrate it to the customer.

Sometimes I may take up to 45 minutes to an hour alone showing the customer every possible scenario that may occur with their new COMPUSTAR system.

How do turn features on and off. What the icons mean. How to put it in Valet mode. What to do for the Emergency override in case they have lost of broken their remote, etc, etc.

Sure, it takes me longer to take care of each customer. I am able to take my time and perform the install neatly and secure. When the customer leaves, I feel good about the install and that the customer knows how to use their system.

Usually this results in the customer rarely coming back........except for more repeat business.......NOT PROBLEMS!!!

 

Yeah, I never really liked having Best Buy or Circuit City touch my cars. Had them both install CD players in previous cars, but after they mounted them wrong and have wires come off, I went back to them to have the players removed for free and I went home and installed it myself the right way.

And at CC, I do believe I saw the Viper 500 ESP at $399, but they also had the Viper 550 ESP, so I may have crossed the two. The Viper 550 ESP had a price tag of $319. I probably didn't pay close enough attention because the guy working the sales floor was bothering me. I asked him if they would install any Clifford alarm and he said "Clifford?...They went out of business 3 years ago. You won't find any Clifford alarms around anymore. Here, let me show you the 'Clifford' of Circuit City, the Viper." I knew what he was talking about seeing how DEI bought them, but he bothered me nonetheless.

Well anyways, I went to DEI's homepage and plugged in my zipcode for the nearest Clifford dealer and I plan on going to them today to see what they can work out for me. I don't care how much it costs, I plan on getting the AG4 with whatever additional feature is available.

 

if the installer can finish the job in the same day, your not getting it done right...
period. People that do it faster only do it fast with quality on their OWN cars..or deal with the exact same car every time in which case your just getting a "template" like job, everything in the same spot etc..

Make sure to shop around, ask questions first, then hand over the cash keys and alarm to be installed.

-Rage

 

I was just at a shop thats been around for 33 years and is located right down the street from where Viper was started.

I have decided to go with Viper 550 ESP for $399. The guy said it would take 4 - 5 hours to install.

Does the price and installation hours seem right? This guy seemed very professional and told me a plethora amount of information. I was impressed.

 

Kwhitelaw... you said about everything I was about to type out.. and yes you'd have to add so many other modules to the viper to make it have the features of the AG4 it probably wouldn't be worth it.. or would cost more to install and interface the brain w/ ALL those other modules..

True, you could get a Viper 500ESP to perform at almost the same level as the AG4, but at what expense. And I could only imagine the amount of wires/brains hidden under the dash. You would have to add a remote start brain, window control module, wireless immobilizer (if you could even get one to work with that brain), normally open starter and ignition kills. Also, not like it has much to do with security, but, you also have to add the headlight feature and wiper control. Seems like more hassle than it is worth. Just buy an AG4.


EDIT: I also like the excuses the chain stores made for not honoring the customers requests... my buddy was on a budget.. so couldn't afford a good alarm w/ good install.. so I used my car to drop him off w/ his car so that I could give him a ride back home and then we could go pick up his car... keep in mind we have the SAME car (G3 teg except his is 1998)... so he asks them to mount the alarm LED on the center console (where mine is.. but we didn't show them that)... they say OK.. when he gets a call on his cell phone saying its done..

we drive back to CC to pick up his car.. the LED is placed near the steering wheel/dash (right where the brain was (easy install/wiring)... we asked why they didn't put it on the center console (near the a/c and radio controls) and they said theres not enough space for the LED there.. I told them to come look at my car and the LED was exactly where my friend asked his to be... they said "oh your friends car has more wiring back there because its 1998 and yours is 1995 so the LED doesnt have enough clearance to fit there" wtf? my friend just said f*ck it since they alread drilled a hole somewhere else.. but thats dumb how they blamed their own lazyness and trying to do an install quick... on the cars console not having enough clearance


[Modified by GSRaCeRbOI, 1:51 PM 8/23/2002]

 

so is the standard Viper 550 ESP system good? any pros vs. cons? is it worth the $399?

 

All the Vipers are pretty much equally secure, from the 500 up the only difference is the number of channels and onboard relays for easier install of certain features. The 550ESP is just a 500 with remote start built on. But yes, all DEI products are good, the big variable on any alarm is the quality of the install! Look at any alarm thread here and you'll see how much we stress the install. BTW, you may want to wait until November for the new two-way pager LCD stuff from DEI.

 

if i wait till november to get that pager system, i might not have my car to put it with.

the owner of the shop says the install will take around 4 - 5 hours and he will solder all the wires together, etc...it seems like he knows what he is doing

 

i have the compustar wssr (spread spectrum) starter/alarm combo on my ride... had some problems with bad parts, but now it works pretty great...

 

I would have to agree on the compustar, i am an instatter at a car audio store and have tried many alarms and i prefer the compustar