Page 26 - Transporter Talk 146 - May/June 2017

Transporter Talk No 146
DON’T PANIC! ASK THE MECHANIC...
This feature answers technical questions from our club members. It doesn’t matter how silly or tricky the question seems, The Mechanic can come to your rescue and you may be helping out other members.
VEHICLE SECURITY
With classic car vehicle theft on the rise classic car security systems are more important than ever.
The Mechanic has noticed some members asking some questions on the Club Facebook page about van security and what di erent people use, so has decided to cover some options for security to help members understand what products and services are available to keep your van as safe as possible.
Starting with the basics, your vans already has some built in security features from the factory that you should utilise and ensure are working e ectively before even worrying about additional security measures.
Firstly check that all of the doors lock securely, including the tailgate or rear doors in later transporters. Full lock sets can be inexpensive and a doddle to t, depending on the model. If the doors aren’t locking as expected, there is plenty of adjustability with the striker plates and latches, don’t be afraid to give it a go.
All van windows, whether they are manual windup, electric windup, louver or sliding, should close fully and latch where possible. Anything short of this is an invite to an opportunistic thief.
All types of Transporter have a standard steering lock tted which is activated by turning the steering wheel with the ignition key removed. This stops anyone from being able to turn the steering wheel and drive o without the ignition key. The ignition key and barrel is another standard security feature that should be present, older vehicles can be modi ed over the years to work in several ways depending on whether there have been problems in the past, but the ignition lock is something extremely basic that you want to ensure is working.
Some other very basic things to consider are where you keep your van parked when not in use. Do you have a secure location such as a garage or a lockup? Do you use a driveway or park on the road? If you have a safer place available to you, use it.
Now we have covered the basics, we can move on to additional security devices. There are various additional security devices available for vehicles and they can be mechanical or electrical and very a ordable or expensive, depending on the product and the application.
A basic additional security device that many will have used at some point is the steering wheel lock/clamp. These are a mechanical device that ts to the steering wheel to prevent the wheel from being turned in the event of you vehicle
26