Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Hey all

i'm doing the research to change my truck to a soft top. The only real down side i can see is that they can only be opened if you have the key to the rear drawers. So that only leaves the above head console with UHF and in dash head unit as potential theif targets.

Can people tell me if there are any ways around this.

also, can those with soft tops or have had them tell me if they really are targeted that much more than normal cars.

does removing the tasty items from view help alot?

no-one has ever touched mine; but it does look like a piece of shit

if I'm leaving it for a while in a carpark or something suss, I'll lock the UHF in the glovebox... out of mind out of sight I figure - but you have to assume after a period of time something left unsecured in an open car, these days, will go walkabout eventually

I think a permanently mounted, lockable case somewhere is the best way to deal with this.

yeah, but that doesn't solve the stereo conundrum

OldGold wrote:yeah, but that doesn't solve the stereo conundrum

True. I was imagining a detachable face stereo, with the face dropped into the lockable case when the car is parked... but heck, you could just mount it directly in the lockable case and run it from there

lol, I thought a similar thing, I have never replaced the stereo in mine because I know it'll just go

my best idea was to put a cheap amp somewhere inconspicuous, which is possible, they are small, and run an RCA in lead with a headphone/line out jack up to the dash and use an iPod or something instead. That way you can just stick it in your pocket or lockbox when you leave the car.

Can get MP3 players with lineouts as well as headphones?

OldGold wrote:lol, I thought a similar thing, I have never replaced the stereo in mine because I know it'll just go

my best idea was to put a cheap amp somewhere inconspicuous, which is possible, they are small, and run an RCA in lead with a headphone/line out jack up to the dash and use an iPod or something instead. That way you can just stick it in your pocket or lockbox when you leave the car.

I had exactly the same idea! Then I saw mp3 capable cd players at Strathfield for about a hundred bucks, and it just seems they are so cheap it's not worth bothering. I reckon you could make a lockable plate to cover the stereo or something if you were really keen... but who would bother to steal an el cheapo cd player these days? Surely they are not worth anything on the stolen goods market?

i have a lockable chequer plate toolbox from superheap and a TUFFY to lock everything up.

when the softop is on the UHF lives in the tuffy until its required. The removable face of the stereo lives in there too with a heap of other stuff.

it would take a bit of work for someone to get into it or remove it.. i dont have a lock on my glovebox and wouldn't bother anyway as anything with any value is in the tuffy.

Never had an issue... buying cheap stereo componenets and living in a decent suburb helps.

Never leave sh1t on display and people wont break in. Even small stuff like gold coins......

Never had a problem with the top on, i've parked in major shopping centres and such and never had a break TOUCH WOOD in the 5 years i've owned mine. It gets left at a shopping centre for an hour or a bit more a few times a week.

I've had a few things stolen when my roof was off though.

cheers

get a big dog

I had a Suzuki LJ50 soft top for a while. Most of the time it was topless. Large lockable steel box in the rear, stereo was removable marine unit in a waterproof housing.

Never had a problem, but rarely left it anywhere other than home.

Why not think about installing a Mongoose M80 alarm with microwave sensor??

I have just had the M80s installed and it is a great system. If I start to remove the resin top in summer, I wil be adding on the microwave sensor no questions.
It is 2 stage and you it set so the first range sounds a warning beep, and if the second range is entered the full siren sounds. This can be user set to whatever 2 distances you want, so people cant reach into your car and stuff...although it is a deterrent, you still need to minimise the amount of visible objects they would steal.

chimpboy wrote:

OldGold wrote:lol, I thought a similar thing, I have never replaced the stereo in mine because I know it'll just go

my best idea was to put a cheap amp somewhere inconspicuous, which is possible, they are small, and run an RCA in lead with a headphone/line out jack up to the dash and use an iPod or something instead. That way you can just stick it in your pocket or lockbox when you leave the car.

I had exactly the same idea! Then I saw mp3 capable cd players at Strathfield for about a hundred bucks, and it just seems they are so cheap it's not worth bothering. I reckon you could make a lockable plate to cover the stereo or something if you were really keen... but who would bother to steal an el cheapo cd player these days? Surely they are not worth anything on the stolen goods market?

yeah, but an MP3 player suits a 4WD, CD players are useless offroad

where as those tuffy centre consoles available and how much? looks the goods...

Nev wrote:where as those tuffy centre consoles available and how much? looks the goods...

Try Wooders check http://www.wooders.com.au/Main.htm

you can also get over head consoles from tuffy that has 2 din slots check

http://www.tuffyproducts.com/about.html

I know wooders has a over head console in stock

i got mine when i was in Utah for work.. i think it cost me around $250USD and I managed to bring it back in my luggage so no expensive frieght fees..

bet the TSA got a shock when they went thru my luggage tho!

thanks for all your help guys

OldGold wrote:
yeah, but an MP3 player suits a 4WD, CD players are useless offroad

I disagree. I have a JVC MP3/CD player and it has never missed or skipped offroad. But I don"t usually use it when I am in the really rough stuff (i.e. low range).