Options for theft deterrance

I have a base model 1st gen. As these are becoming rarer and car theft in the area is climbing I'm thinking about ways to make it more difficult for somebody to drive away with it.

So, have some random questions if anybody can provide some insight.
Was a factory alarm/immobilizer ever offered on the 1st gen, specifically a '98 4x4, 4cyl, 5MT? If so, what might it take to get one added on? Maybe a control modules + wiring harness?
What's a good brand of aftermarket alarms to go with?

 

the first and best option is a locked/concealed inside storage for the vehicle. it's a lot harder to steal something that isn't seen.

the next option is to make it difficult. that means layers of disabling. battery disconnection, perhaps a hidden switch to disable the fuel pump power, or pulling spark plug wires.

alarms are what i would consider an absolute last resort, but mostly a waste of money. take a moment and think of the last time you heard a car alarm go off anywhere. i'm sure you'll never forget the moment you stopped everything, jumped up, called 911 to immediately report the incident, or grabbed your baseball bat to fend off the ne'er-do-well's off your neighbors car 2 blocks away at 2am... no? me neither. "someone needs to turn that dang alarm off!"... if your/my reaction to a beeping alarm is nothing, it's fair to assume that no one else will ever do anything about it either.

 

Garaged storage is best storage.

Anything else can be accessed by a tow bar.



Edit. A friend was storing their POS cavalier at the other property. We started calling him to get it taken care of, but it got stolen before he could get to it. Neighbor had camera footage of it - a 350 backed up to it, out popped a tow bar, and the car was hitched and gone literally 30 seconds after the truck appears in frame. Driver never even got out of the cab.

 

Does that vehicle have a clutch interlock? IE you have to push the clutch to start it?

Interrupt that circuit with a hidden switch.

If someone wants it, and it's in the 'right conditions', it can be towed away quickly and alarms or anything else won't matter.

Clubs, cameras, hidden switches like above might defeat teenage joy riders, or inept tweakers. Professional thieves, not so much.

Just be sure your insurance is paid up, has the right coverage, and the vehicle is documented in terms of condition and maintenance.

 

Lol.

Everytime I hear a car alarm go off, I think someone is getting there house door smashed in. The car alarm is just to cover the sound of the door breaking in. No one gives a shit about car alarms anymore.

With that said, if someone wants your car bad enough, they are just gonna winch it onto a flat bed.

Put a game camera in a tree near where you park the truck. At least you will get an idea who took it.

 

Kill switch for the crackheads and dumb teenagers, tracking system if someone smarter takes it for a ride, park in garage if possible for everything else.

Like everyone else said, if a pro wants it bad enough then a tow truck is just going to haul it off.

 

Thanks for the insight. I should have clarified, I never intended for the alarm as an attention grabber, more interrupt the starter or something so it might more one step more difficult to take. But yeah, could be towed away easily.

Kill switch on the clutch interlock is a great idea. I was thinking what to interrupt to prevent it from starting. It's parked indoors all time with an airtag, but I do drive to from time to time so it's in the open.

 

generally, the fuel pump relay option is the best, as it allows the vehicle to turn over like it's trying to start, but it'll never start without fuel. it's an old truck-- anyone that tries, and it just cranks and cranks is going to assume that issue is related to it's age, not your countermeasure.

disabling the starter/key/clutch/battery means the vehicle never turns over, which means they grow suspicious of the countermeasure. it also means the vehicle stays silent longer, and silence is bad. silence means extra time they have to figure out the countermeasure.