[Steve Barcak]

As far as the 'not much you can do...'. Well, there is plenty you can do. I only drive vintage Pontiacs and they stay overnight everytime I do. I have no late model and do not want one. I park my Pontiacs everywhere and so far, have visited 47 states with them. This includes junkyards and all kinds of places. Not boasting, just trying to let you know that these thoughts are on my mind daily for decades, not just on occasion. Because of that, I spend a lot of time thinking of ways to make it harder to steal my Pontiac. Here are a few ideas to share.

Here are some simple things to start, you can get more elaborate if you want to.

Have different levels of defence.
1st level, always use a club. I like them because they are visible and the theif will know he has to at least overcome that.

Always park your car pulled in and up to a wall if possible. Pull it up really close so, it would be hard for someone to work in front of the car, get the hood open etc.

Always turn your front tires all the way in one direction. This makes it harder for a wrecker to take it.

Do not use the factory lock pulls inside on your doors, they are too easy to get into with a simple coat hanger. I had to break into a friends TA a few weeks ago because he locked his keys in his car. He was shocked at how fast I got into his car! Use the ones that make it hard to get into.

Realize there are different kinds of thieves out there. Some want your whole car, some just want the stereo, some just want to damage your car, etc. Try to make it harder for each to achieve their goals.


Hope this helps you and those who read this. There are so few of us now who drive vintage Pontiacs exclusively, you have to think about how to protect your car.


Next level- have at least one kill switch. One can have one for fuel, one for starter, one for ignition, etc. Personally, I like to use what I call a master kill. It shuts off everything in the system except for , say, power windows and stereo memory. If a thief sees the power windows are working, they are less likely to break the glass and will not think of the rest of the system shut off.

Next level- if you can put your battery in your trunk, it is even better.

Do some things to disable your car that is not too time consuming. take out your battery, take out your coil, etc. This will prevent someone from driving it away easily and you will sleep better.

Be smart- make sure you have enough comprehensive insurance on your car. It is not expensive and I cannot tell you how many short sighted friends I know who do not have it, or do not have enough of it.

My biggest fear is a wrecker taking the car, not someone actually being able to start it up and drive it away. Someone with a snatcher can easily steal most any car. That is what you need to think about.

Enjoy your Pontiac like I do, Everyday and everyplace.