The owners of vintage or custom cars know that their baby is special. That’s why they spend so much money trying to acquire them. They love their baby. Each and every weekend, they can be seen polishing and spiffing the car up to its original beauty. They do all that work, just for a simple ride around the block. But, oh, all that work is worth it. Just ask them! They take great care to protect their car from the ravages of the years; they also take great care to protect their car from the ravages of thieves and vandals. Above and beyond putting the car in a garage, just what exactly does a vintage car owner do to protect his baby?

Older cars are made a bit “differently” from the newer model cars - no fuel injectors, just the good old fashioned carburetor. But those differences can often, in and of themselves, be a deterrent to the casual car thief, i.e. the kid whose just looking for a car in which to joy ride.

If you’re not a mechanic or have very little familiarity with the inner workings of your vintage car, enlist the help of a mechanic or look on the internet for guidance.

• Disable the car’s fuel system.
• Disable the linkage from the carburetor to the gas pedal
• Remove the air from the tires.
• Remove the rotor from the car’s distributor cap.
• Remove central ignition wire.
• Remove the battery.
• Unclip the solenoid wires.

If you’re the proud owner of an Edsel, Studebaker or a Packard, or even a Gremlin, for that matter, you can employ these basic tactics to thwart car theft. Keep your baby safe.