this is my first convertable car, and i really don't want to have to put the top up every time i park the car. Is there a theft risk parking a convertable with its top down? How secure are the cars facctory alarm and disabling systems? Anyone have a kill switch or the likes?


I'm not worried about sterio stuff more the car its self

 

Personally I wouldn't leave my car parked with the top down for a long time. If I'm just stepping in for a few minutes then I leave it down, otherwise it goes up. Just too much risk of someone stealing it or throwing something in it. I installed an Autopage alarm system in my car, when it goes off it kills the ignition and it has a pager that tells me that it went off. It also tells me if they open my door, hood, and trunk. There is also a sensor available that can be used when the top is down that detects if someone reaches into your car, but I didn't get it due to the price being a little too high for me. Check with a Circuit City or a local alarm shop to see what they have to offer.

 

Yes there is a risk, the dirtbag has very easy access to all areas of the car.
Dont be a dumbass, put the top up.

Total no brainer here, but its your car.

 

Probably depends upon where you live (and the local bird population ) Plenty of places I park, I leave it down. If I'm in an area with potential dirtbags, I put it up.

 

Put it up no matter what. It takes 10 seconds to put up, another 5 to secure it, and you're done. The only time I park and leave it down is when I'm gonna be no more than 15 feet away from it.

 

Best post in this thread.

 

Location, location, location. Common sense is the key to your question. Obviously in a mall parking lot, it goes up! 50% chance you will find something IN your car that wasn't there earlier. On the other hand, if you are visiting parents or friends in a really nice neighborhood somewhere for an hour or so, it doesn't seem like much risk unless a bird takes aim from above. Also, if you happen to be with a lot of other nice cars at some event, yours most likely won't be a target of anything. Again, just feel the area out and decide if you want to spend a few moments taking off the boot cover and putting the top up.

 

speaking of the boot cover. what do you guys do with that thing when the top is up? i had to try cramming it in the back seat when i brought the car home. does it cleaverly stash in the trunk or something? when that boot is on it appears to really make the top raising process a bit longer.

 

It should have a bag that came with it that fits in the trunk. I usually take it off and lay it in the backseat if i'm just putting the top up for a short time.

 

INSURANCE-------I have owned convertibles all my life, and have found them to be much less than secure no matter what. The only way to keep someone out of a convertible is with an alarm with a proxemity detector for the interior. ANd that doesnt keep them out, it just makes a lot of noise when they break the perimeter. Otherwise just insure it and leave the inside stock, no big stereo system etc. That way nothing in the car is worth as much as if they rip the top to get in.

Now to give examples. I locked up a Miata in the drive once. There was a bag sitting on the passenger seat so the crooks cut a big *** hole in the top to seal the bag. the bag has old sweaty gym stuff in it. So I lost $1000 top for a bag of gym clothes.

Second time was in the M3 convertible. I never locked it because of the above example. Then my wife drives it to the mall during Christmas shopping and locks it all up. Again she left a Sears bag on the seat full of broken tools I wanted her to exchange for me. AGAIN some dirt bag cuts the top to steal $30 worth of broken sockets and screwdrivers. That one cost me $2000 and I installed it myself, would have been a lot more.

So there is nothing in my cars EVER that is worth as much as a new top, so I just leave the tops down, and insure the car against being stolen. Even now on my t-top car I leave it open all the time. If they want the car bad enough, that is why I have agreed value insureance.

Anything valuable gets locked in the trunk and the release is disabled.

 

Doesn't your insurance pay for a new top? Mine does.

 

I have a $1500 deductable. I am not claiming anything of that small amount. Not worth the price hike or cancellation of insurance over such a small amount. Like I said, the car is insured for agreed value. If someone steels it I am better off than if they cut my top. Especially for a bag worth $30 or less.

Anyway, thats the deal with that.

 

Agreed, there is nothing on the inside of my car that costs more than the top/top replacement, so i leave it down as well. I just roll up the windows, as that is the only perk of having such large doors, is it makes it pretty interesting to try and reach into the front of the car without someone noticing

 

Took me a while to figure this one out, but yes. There is a clever way of stowing the boot without it taking any storage space. You can only store it like this when the top is up. It will NOT work with the top down and make sure you do NOT lower the top when it is stored this way as it could break your rear glass:

When the top is up, you can lower the plastic valence that seperates the trunk from the passenger area. With this piece out of the way put the boot inside its storage bag. The bag will then fit in that recess where the top lays down. The velcrow on the back of the bag will secure it to the carpet so it will not slide out of that storage area.

As far as top up or down: If you're not in a place where you can visually see the car, do not leave it down. I had my top down at a bowling alley once, left it like that for a few hours and came out to find a whole bottle of Heiniken emptied out into my back seat and the bottle thrown in there as well.

 

Hmm not only a jerk move i would not have expected but a waist of a good beer as well. I'll have to feel it out and just accept the lowered security whatever i do. So its not really a security risk as far as the car dissapearing but more of vandalism.

 

Just for the hell of it !

Wouldn't you just love to park your Vert with the top down windows up & a pkg. laying on the seat at the mall or something while you are at a hidden vantage point waiting & watching. Kinda a like a sting operation. And when the sleeze bag attempts to reach in you POP him with a pellet rifle from a distance while your friend video's the culprit in action. Just once wouldn't you just LOVE to catch them ******* red handed & beat the **** out of em ?

 

In my Trans Am, right in front of the deep trunk section is like a little shelf. The top doesn't come down all the way onto it, so I keep the bag with the boot there full time, never been a problem.

 

I've been looking at it. The first thing i would like to do is install a kill switch for that trunk popper. The trunk popper negates the security of my tailgate compleatly. From there i woul dlike to put in a manuel ignition kill switch.


The pellet rifle thing might be a fun way to spend a weekend!

 

Huh... your truck popper is disabled once you press the lock button on the key fob... at least mine is,

not only that but i decided to leave the auto alarm on, it sucks at home, cause i am always running to get the keys, but it is great for those quick runs into autozone

 

i like this idea. at the same time, i imagine the concept of a sniper at the mall is not something today's america can sanely deal with.