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Look after our defenders


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Hi & Welcome to Defender ownership!

Glad to hear you've still got it.  There seems to be a great deal of interest in Defenders - particularly since LR stopped building them.  Sadly, this hasn't gone unnoticed by the less honest members of society.

There are so many different security devices on offer, some are easier to use than others............      All you can hope is that you can make it diffucult enough to steal that it'll discourage any attempts and they'll not bother with yours

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Hi, sorry to hear about your problems, I have a number of things on my Defender to try and combat this situation and as result of a conversation with a mate of mine who's a copper I have a wheel clamp attached to a rear wheel most of the time. His view (and he works in a stolen car section) they make an awful lot of noise cutting lumps of metal off the outside of the car.

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Plenty of threads on security devices on here, the X-Eng pedal & gearstick locks are nice bits of kit and well regarded.

I'd also wonder about some CCTV to help catch whoever's doing it - ebay cameras are cheap as chips these days, might help the police with their enquiries.

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I've recently upped the security on my 110. I think you have to accept the fact that if someone wants your Land Rover and they are determined enough then they will take it. However, you can slow their job down increasing their chances of getting disturbed/caught and also make your Land Rover a less attractive target by using good quality visable deterants. As said above the X-Eng stuff available from the link below are good:

https://foundry4x4.co.uk/index.php?route=product/category&path=65_1756

I think the two things to get that are a good starting point are the column lock and the gear lever lock.

I've taken a multi layed approach to my security. I have the above two products, a battery isolator, X-Eng pedal lock, the plates that sit behind the door hinges to prevent the doors being stolen. I also have CCTV as suggested above. I also plan to install the centinel drive post.

Other ideas are trackers and immobilisers.

Other things to do that don't cost money are to always park in a public, well lit area.

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I've got several high-definition CCTV infrared night-vision cameras pointed at my 90 and its environs, and where it lives is also gated/fenced - so if the alarms go off I let the dog out.

To be honest I view door-security on Defenders to be the biggest 'fail' - filling the Torx-sockets in the hinge bolts with body-filler then pushing a ball-bearing into it [to stop lowlives digging the filler out] is a cheap-and-effective fix.

Then check that your alarm actually works: I've seen several Defenders where the door courtesy-light switches [which also trigger the alarm] have been corroded/gunged-up so even if the door was opened the lights/alarm didn't trigger.

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  • 1 month later...

Dumb question, but why would they steal the bonnet? 

Maybe this is the ultimate anti theft device??

https://jalopnik.com/a-flamethrower-option-for-your-bmw-was-once-a-totally-r-1547017088

or

https://blog.beforward.jp/car-review/remember-bmw-blaster-south-africas-flamethrowing-car.html

I am not an advocate of violence, but I once owned a VW GTI that was broken into 3 times for the stereo.

Be safe.

C

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OK. Mine has the tyre mounting bits and is not as bulbous, which I prefer.

Thanks for the clarification. And door stealing must be for corrosion to replace doors?

Makes me appreciate no one knowing what I am driving here. The general public just call it an 'Old Jeep' or a Land Cruiser. I just nod and smile.

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22 hours ago, dailysleaze said:

I always wondered how bonnets got Puma bonnets stolen so easily, until I saw it being done in under a minute:

 

So the thief won't mind making noise by using a drill to take out the screws, but as soon as he has to swap to a drill-bit to drill out the rivets underneath he gives up? really?

I hate to see all those reports of theft on here, I really feel bad for you guys over there in the Birth place of our beloved cars, is it mostly gangs from foreign countries? Or just stupid countrymen of yours?

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Is the Puma bonnet catch any different from the older vehicles? Surely you can simply stick your fingers / screw driver through the front grill and move the latch (obviously dependent on style of grill). I've had to do this a number of times due to the cable seizing. Much quicker and quieter than the method shown.

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On 27/02/2018 at 11:50 PM, Soren Frimodt said:

So the thief won't mind making noise by using a drill to take out the screws, but as soon as he has to swap to a drill-bit to drill out the rivets underneath he gives up? really?

I hate to see all those reports of theft on here, I really feel bad for you guys over there in the Birth place of our beloved cars, is it mostly gangs from foreign countries? Or just stupid countrymen of yours?

As far as I remember, the latch is the same as earlier models, so yes, there is a simpler way that doesn't need that plastic panel removing.

I had security hinges on our 09 90.  they were pretty good - stopped the rattles and squeaks too, but once the torx screw heads were filled, it was difficult to remove.  I have seen people use bicycle locks or loops of stainless wire from bonnet frame to engine lifting eye, which works but could be a nuisance when doing maintenance.  Less of a nuisance than the bonnet going missing.

The steel plates for the inside of the door hinges (TMD) look useful.  I'll be fitting some of those.  I fancy the X-Eng pedal lock, too.  

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