(I don't know if this is in the right forum, but this forum always seems to provide good, serious replies, so I'll try it here)

So, after a great deal of looking, we finally found a vintage 1980's Toyota Vanwagon "pocket van" in good shape with under 200K to use as a 3rd vehicle for moderate use city hauling, etc (looks like this)



They are crazy durable (the Toyota 2.2 is actually a forklift engine that in it's automotive application is designed to get like 300/400K miles), 30+ mpg fuel economy and small enough to traverse our cities streets without trouble. This is one of those vehicles you still see puttering around the Caribbean or in Afghanistan with eleventy gajillion miles on it.

Problem is, they are probably the easiest car of all time to steal (literally, a butter knife is all you need). Can anyone suggest a decent anti-theft device (active or passive) that would foil a moderately skilled thief?

By the time it's done being restored I'll have a bit of $ in it and I'd really rather not have it get clipped.

Thanks for any suggestions.

I can't really speak to how well it works, but LoJack is always advertising on tv. Not exactly what you seem to want as this is a vehicle recovery service more than theft prevention. Otherwise I think 20 heavily armed, ceramic ninjas cleverly hidden and waiting to spring out and go medieval would work well.

While surfing for steering wheel locks, I came across this:

http://www.lockpicks.com/


WTFFFFFFFFF

See if you can get the ignition lock itself replaced. Also make it really really conspicuous; paint logos and pictures on it that will be a pretty good deterent. As for anti-theft what do you mean? Do you want something like the lojack where its recoverable or do you just want something that makes noise or alerts you in someway. In my opinion your best bet is to start by replacing the ignition lock cylinder.

prob put it on the gas pedal or clutch on a manual.

I'm pretty sure the looks of the vehicle alone are an anti-theft device.

just install a kill switch yourself

move to a an all white neighborhood.