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Soft top security

Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 3:21 pm
by firestang
Hopefully not far from my new zuk. Just waiting for confirmation on a new job.
I have a question about soft top security.
What do you guys do about it when you are away from the car?

I found the flexiglass site and was wondering if any of you had in experience with the setup for the vitara below ,or know of anyone that has.
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Re: Soft top security

Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 3:36 pm
by Flat_Matt
firestang wrote:I have a question about soft top security.
What do you guys do about it when you are away from the car?
Pray and hope for the best, its worked for me hehehehe

Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 3:47 pm
by suzuki boy
I had that set up on my serria but now i just have the top bit and got a ute style soft top made (off here). I dont really care about security because any one can get into any car really.

Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 4:33 pm
by firestang
Thanks guys .
I was shying away from a soft top type because of the security and i guess the durability of the top as well. But i liked the open air part of the equation. The wife is also happier with the hard top conversion, so thats a win.
With the vitara style it looks like the original roof, if its in the boby colour i guess no one would look at it a second time anyway.

Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 7:08 pm
by dank
i've got this alarm that will sense any movement in the front seat area of the cabin, really sensitive but i drowned the siren for it so its no good anyway! also a pain if its windy or when a car drives past and shakes the car! you have to muck around with it a bit to get it right but if you want to be doubly sure just take out anything of value.

soft top security

Posted: Tue May 23, 2006 11:24 pm
by RAT
I fixed the problem in my soft top vitara by building a wooden box that I then screwed into the same holes that hold the rear floor at the tail gate. I then covered the whole box with diamond plate rubber. The only way into the box is through the tail gate.

Posted: Wed May 24, 2006 8:01 am
by Longbaser
Firestang, I have bad news - in a convertible of any kind, there is NO security.

During the 20 years I have owned my softop Zook, the doors have only ever been locked when the Flexiglass canopy is on for winter. Locking them only means that a lowlife intent on getting in might do a "Jack the Ripper" job on the soft roof - there was even a recent report in here of some prick actually stealing the roof!

Although the speakers are good quality and hidden away, my radio/cassette unit is a piece of cheap-looking crap that offers no temptation to the ungodly. That's really the only security you have with a softop, leave nothing in it when you are away from the vehicle. (Though I do like the sound of Rat's lockable box.)

Flexiglass (or similar) hardtop canopies can be a pain in the bum to put on/take off but they transform a Zook of any model for winter, and in terms of security of course. There is no easy solution, I'm afraid, you just have to remember to leave nothing of value in a softop.

Cheers - Longbaser.

Posted: Wed May 24, 2006 11:20 am
by Gutless
I made up this hard top for mine. Works great, and is 100% locked from inside and out. I also intend on making a lockable centre console that houses my UHF and CD player.

Ignore the tailgate for the moment. Its not finished :oops:

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Posted: Wed May 24, 2006 11:44 am
by firestang
Thanks for the info guys. When you think about it all they have to do is break a windo on a hard top anyway.
It most likely will only be to get too and from what hopefully is my new place of emlpoy, that will most likely be a palce of medium security ;) .But i reckon the wife will take a liking to it as well. si it will end up at the shopping centre.
So far i have looked at 5 cars. Pre coily x1 , coily x2 and 2 vitara, there iare 3 soft tops in there.

And gutless ,there's nothing wrong with the tailgat , it's just got character :)

Posted: Wed May 24, 2006 12:36 pm
by grimbo
a brown and yellow Sierra :shock: Ugliest paintjob ever.

Security and Sierras aren't normally spoken of in the same sentence. Even a hardtop one is very easy to get into if they want. Your best bet is to keep any valuables out of the car. Buy a sturdy lockable trunk for anything that needs to be in the car. A detachable face stereo is a good idea too. It would be rare to have the car stolen, not the best car for joyriding in, wouldn't be able to outrun anyone.

If you have a rollcage you can try chaining the steering wheel to it, or get one of those locks that lock all the pedals together

Posted: Wed May 24, 2006 12:44 pm
by Campster123
Well if you're like the previous owner of my car you can bolt an electronic safe in the back of the car...

Posted: Thu May 25, 2006 1:17 pm
by Eff
Out of Sight, Out of mind. You will find most people will only break into a car if they can see something in there worth taking. I make sure everything in my sierra of value that cant be taken out is bolted down, i.e stereo, amp, speakers etc.
I also fitted an alarm with a microwave sensor which is good especially if people stick their hands thru the soft top. I spoke to a guy who built a steel box which filled in the whole area between the rear seat and the rear door, which he had bolted down and put locks on it. He said it came in handy especially for things like his cb's, gps, recovery gear etc that you cant always carry on you. Not a bad idea I thought.
Eff

Re: Soft top security

Posted: Thu May 25, 2006 5:07 pm
by mroffroader
[quote="firestang"]Hopefully not far from my new zuk. Just waiting for confirmation on a new job.
I have a question about soft top security.
What do you guys do about it when you are away from the car?

I found the flexiglass site and was wondering if any of you had in experience with the setup for the vitara below ,or know of anyone that has.
[img]http://www.flexiglass.com.au/images/pho ... anopy2.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.flexiglass.com.au/images/pho ... canopy.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.flexiglass.com.au/images/pho ... anopy3.jpg[/img][/quote]

what are they worth?

Re: Soft top security

Posted: Fri May 26, 2006 9:06 am
by grimbo
mroffroader wrote:what are they worth?
have you tried emailinng the actual company, they'll have a better idea than the wild guesses on here

Posted: Fri May 26, 2006 10:50 am
by dreamz
There is one of those flexiglass places around here about 6 months ago i got quoted about $1300 total rip go second hand. That was for a sierra hardtop but i guess the vitara would be about the same price.