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Armed Guards or Watch Dogs?

Silver Creek Sunbeam

Gold Level Sponsor
So my Alpine is ‘in good nick’ mechanically at this point, which has me giving thought to longer trips, i.e the Invasion in South Carolina, which would possibly be a two hotel trip for me due to the distance. Six plus hours may be a pretty big undertaking for the first long trip in my little car.

In any case, my questions are as follows:

1) For those who drive (not trailer) your cars to distant events, do you have concerns about your car in public/hotel parking lots?

2) If your answer to #1 was ‘yes’, how do you address those concerns, as in do you take any extra security precautions with your car or have you developed a set of do’s and don’t that you try to follow…outside of park under a light?

3) Do you have any additional advice…or even better stories…about attending distant shows?

As always, thanks for any input.
 

DanR

Diamond Level Sponsor
Tod, First question I have is do you have a hard top?

Here is a map from you to Columbia, SC I believe you can drive it in 4 to 5 hrs easily.

Bet you can hook up with some others from your rea that will be driving also. Steve Pace, Ton Johnson, Greg Feist, Allan Ballard , to name a few that live in the Atlanta area.

During your stay at the Host Motel the cars are under surveillance.
 
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Silver Creek Sunbeam

Gold Level Sponsor
That time frame would be correct except for the fact that I try to avoid interstates in my Alpine.
In GA at least, if you’re not running 80 mph you might as well be parked.
I don’t mind the interstate in my regular vehicle but in my Alpine I would liken it to a combination of Mad Max and Death Race 2000. Lol

A travel group would be fun but after seeing what he did in the auto cross last summer, I don’t think I could keep up with Steve Pace. Lol
I guess it would be a safety in numbers kind of thing with a convoy making a bigger footprint.

My questions were relevant to the Invasion but I’m curious about hotel stays in general also…say if mine was the only uncommon car on the lot.

I do have a hardtop.
 

Paul A

Alpine Registry Curator
Platinum Level Sponsor
I have always driven to events, never trailered the cars. I have driven both with a hardtop and/or a soft top and have never had any difficulties or challenges in hotel/motel lots. I have driven as far as 4800 miles and been on the road for up to two weeks with no challenges. I try to avoid interstates when possible. I do bring a car cover and use it occasionally. Enjoy the trip!
 

DanR

Diamond Level Sponsor
Tod, in the map..... Hwy 72 is a good road to travel at least from Athens over toward the SC line. I travel that road a lot when going to british car events, especially in Norcross.
 

loose_electron

Donation Time
When I rewired my car, I put a kill switch system in. That said, cars of the era are extremely easy to hot wire.

I don't think that the typical Motel 6 with your car parked in front of the room you are staying in is going to be a target for thieves, you are too close to your car. Besides, a Sunbeam is such an oddity in the modern world that it is not going to be seen as a good car to steal.

Here in San Diego, one of the problems we have is Jeeps and 4x4 trucks get stolen a lot, driven across the border and disappear into the bowels of Mexico.
 

Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
We have taken trips that put us on the road for two weeks at a time. Never an iota of security problems. The car draws a lot of curious lookers, and they approach the vehicle looking for clues to it's identity. People are so aware that I've had numerous requests to allow photographs! Most consider the car to be a rare curiosity and approach it with a protective mindset. We never secure the car, do not have keys for the doors and boot as we feel that locking up a ragtop is simply asking for a slashed top to repair after the car is retrieved. We (old codgers) look at the car as an easy mark to hot wire, I think its simplicity would styme today's youthful thief.

Bill
 

Silver Creek Sunbeam

Gold Level Sponsor
We have taken trips that put us on the road for two weeks at a time. Never an iota of security problems. The car draws a lot of curious lookers, and they approach the vehicle looking for clues to it's identity. People are so aware that I've had numerous requests to allow photographs! Most consider the car to be a rare curiosity and approach it with a protective mindset. We never secure the car, do not have keys for the doors and boot as we feel that locking up a ragtop is simply asking for a slashed top to repair after the car is retrieved. We (old codgers) look at the car as an easy mark to hot wire, I think its simplicity would styme today's youthful thief.

Bill
Most new generation thieves are also missing an important part of the necessary skill set…knowing how to drive a stick. Lol
 

Silver Creek Sunbeam

Gold Level Sponsor
When I rewired my car, I put a kill switch system in. That said, cars of the era are extremely easy to hot wire.

I don't think that the typical Motel 6 with your car parked in front of the room you are staying in is going to be a target for thieves, you are too close to your car. Besides, a Sunbeam is such an oddity in the modern world that it is not going to be seen as a good car to steal.

Here in San Diego, one of the problems we have is Jeeps and 4x4 trucks get stolen a lot, driven across the border and disappear into the bowels of Mexico.
I have a hidden cutoff for my car as well. I wired it in when I installed my electric fuel pump.
 

Warren

Bronze Level Sponsor
So would the gear shift, having had a VW bug convertible stolen I felt it. It had a bike lock around the steering wheel and I think a kill switch. One month after it was gone it was doing it's I don't care if I have a hard start relay in an alley the perp was trying to start it and the copper's either noticed a different set of plates or saw the real ones under the driver's seat. That car ended up with multiple layers of anti theft. To this day guys look at the two welded chain links between the clutch and brake that a padlock went through:) She will spend the rest of her days with me close to home.
 

Silver Creek Sunbeam

Gold Level Sponsor
I’m getting good responses and I appreciate that.

In my mind, my questions were related not to only theft but also vandalism…as in people who will cut a vinyl top, just because it’s there.
Thinking about it now, that may be a lot more likely in a mall parking than at a hotel surrounded by other travelers.
 

absunbeam

Platinum Level Sponsor
About the only issue about not locking up is that person who is bold enough to sit behind the wheel of your car just to see how it feels. At last years SUNI a drunkin KC Chiefs fan was sitting in a Mk2 from Utah in the “secure” lot with all the other Sunbeams! Owner saw him and asked him politely to get out.
 

MikeH

Diamond Level Sponsor
A neighbor had a Cobra replica that he had built. He took it to Sebring a while back. He came out of his hotel one morning to find his enclosed trailer open and tipped back. The Cobra was gone. He called the police and they informed him that it was found abandoned in the road a short distance from the hotel. He had a fuel cutout on it and when it quit, the thief or thieves bailed.
 

Silver Creek Sunbeam

Gold Level Sponsor
A neighbor had a Cobra replica that he had built. He took it to Sebring a while back. He came out of his hotel one morning to find his enclosed trailer open and tipped back. The Cobra was gone. He called the police and they informed him that it was found abandoned in the road a short distance from the hotel. He had a fuel cutout on it and when it quit, the thief or thieves bailed.
Wow...any damage?
 

MikeH

Diamond Level Sponsor
Nothing major. As I recall it might have scraped the bottom of the rear quarters coming out of the trailer and the wiring where it was hot wired.
 

bobbo

Gold Level Sponsor
We never have had an issue staying overnight at motels with either our SV or XJS. I do however make sure I have a plan to get the car home incase of a major breakdown. Coming down from Canada to SC in 2013 we ran into an issue with the hydraulic clutch on the SV. No shortage of help from friendly car enthusiests in VA and again at the CS show. Always can rely on car guys.:)
 

Warren

Bronze Level Sponsor
Yes the area for the VW clutch and brake would be really hard to get bolt cutters into. Likely the car protected in such a manner would get the brake line or lines cut then driven off with a good working e brake.
I've had rag tops since 1977.
I used to have a pull out radio.
I pulled it out put under the seat and put a stage dressing male antenna lead two speaker wires and a pretend power and ground hanging out of the hole as stage dressing to make it look like it was already stolen :)
As for hotel stays I'd probably not do them as if it's more than 300 miles the car may make it but probably not me.

But the harder you make it the more likely if they fail the car will likely get a thrashing out of spite. Better to KISS method and add a hidden GPS unit. And something to keep the honest people honest or make it look broken down ;)
 

RootesRooter

Donation Time
I'll eventually put in a proper kill switch. In the meantime, if I feel the area is sketchy, I swap the coil wire on the cap with one of the spark plug wires. Which works great until you wake up one morning with terminal brain-fade and can't remember why the damn car won't quite start.
 

Greggers

SAOCA Vice President
Platinum Level Sponsor
I did the trip from Kennesaw to both Columbia and Greenville many times over the last 10 years. I always made it in one go. And I always made it highways the whole way. Except the one year where traffic forced me onto some B roads. I usually drive up mid day Friday or very early Saturday, and it hasn’t been an issue. Knock on wood. When caravanning, we usually let the slowest car go first, so it goes something like:
  1. 4-speed
  2. overdrive
  3. V6
  4. Tiger
  5. Steve Pace
Now, as for hotels stays, that hasn’t really been an issue either. But I have both cars insured for as much as it would cost to replace them, and I will rent a car to drive home if I have to. I’ve done it covered and uncovered, locked and unlocked, and the smart years, locked with hard top (which an even mildly motivated miscreant could circumvent). I’ve seen no evidence of any wrong-doing.

The biggest issue I’ve have on the Columbia trip is the pollen. I’ve driven home almost entirely blind more often than I care to admit. I now keep Benadryl in the car for that very reason.

I’ve had more issues at the local sushi restaurant: “I’m just gonna take a photo with my daughter in the driver’s seat of your car, and then you can go.”

Oh, I can? Thanks!
 
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