Anti-Theft Window Crank Device ?

[Intuit]

'94 LX (4 door)
Anyone know of a visible theft deterrant for manual crank windows ?

Call it the economy, but a few years ago I found it necessary to get an alarm. (with a hood/trunk switch and shock sensor) Never thought it necessary for an unassuming stock Escort. But in more recent years the older vehicles are what they're most apt to target because they're least likely to have alarms.

So some years later, theives now try and force the rear windows down. So far they've always failed, but it's best that I try to nip this in the butt before the attempts damage my window seals, track and crank (if not already); or results in another theft.

Windows closed, the crank handles are mounted at about the 8 o'clock position and rotate down from there. I've thought of two possible solutions but there's just the matter of implementation. Before I cover them, does anyone know of any premanufactured solutions ?

Thanks.

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As a heads-up, you'll need <a reliable> hood switch because they simply reach through the grill and pop the hood to cut the battery cables. You'll need the shock sensor because they've been known to fix-up old toe trucks and steal cars right off the streets. So don't skimp-out... or end up paying later.

[Davescort97]

My experience is that if someone want's your car badly enough there is always a way around theft deterrents. I had my Escort broken into to get a radar detector I had stupidly left on the dash. They weren't even innovative to get into my car, they just broke out the rear window and up with the door button on the drivers side. Anymore now I don't leave anything of value in the car and the radio is just an AM FM The window cost more than the radar detector. If you want in my car open the door. Please don't break anything.

[Intuit]

Hehe. Anything broken and it'll literally cost more to have it professionally repaired than what you could sell the vehicle for. (even though it has been *very* well maintained) Yeah the common-sense thing is headed. No 'advertising' done here.

The idea behind a visible theft deterrant is to get them to move on to the other easier targets. It's hard to see that red light from the passenger side and apparently there are a few criminals (nobody said they had to be smart) who are dumb enough not to actually look for it. Once noticed they generally move on. The alternative is to try and work around it and busting windows is out when the shock sensor is an unknown component.

Apparently there are some who will look for the red light, then see the window cranks, then try to force the rear window down.

Blaring horns and siren (have both) get noticed in parking lots and on the quiet suburban streets where I park.

Last time in the body shop places basically had four different prices. One for Government. One for Insurance. One for Business. One for Private citizen. No telling what it would've cost Government to fix it. Insurance price was $800. Business unknown. My price was $600. Exact same work, just different profit margins. Did enough shopping around and found one cool biz/guy that did it well, for $400. But that was after he found out insurance wasn't paying for it. (his insurance price was 6) Wasn't exactly doing it for any loss either... just not a kill. Was an extremely minor repair.

[Arnoldtheskier]

Visable theft deterrent.

Leave the window down a bit..JUST ENOUGH so that when you leave the car for a few minutes..

Your 110lb black dog can get his snout out HAHA

I actually often think it is better to leave the doors unlocked and just not keep anything at all of value in it. I think that if a thief finds the doors unlocked..after not seeing anything in it..they will leave. Thieves have been known to kick,smash stuff,break off mirrors and stuff when they get discouraged by the alarm

[Davescort97]

I hear where you are coming from. Cincinatti isn't Garfield, Arkansas. Criime here is nearly nonexistant. Nobody has had their car stolen for as long as I can remember. Here we like Blues, Bikes and Barbecue. Oh, yeah. We like watermelon, too.

[Intuit]

Problem is, crime comes in from surrounding areas and only after everyone has long gone to bed to get up for work the next morning. Otherwise it's not exactly Dodge City or anything. They generally don't vandalized and only do what is required in the way of damage. From what I can tell they're motivated only by their bottom-line.

Another reason they target older vehicles by the way is because they also often lack locks for the rear fold-down seats; which allow easy, convenient access to the trunk.

Anyway here were the two ideas I wanted to mention:

1) Imagine two rulers in parallel, glued together but made of a durable plastic or metal. Now cut a U-shape to cup the handle of the crank. Next, bend the bottom into an L-shape that would slip into the gap between the frame and door. Cut the "device" to proper length. This device would hold the crank-handle in place and be a bright red; extra-visible to anyone looking in.

2) 2nd idea would be potentially less visible and make a permanent modification to the vehicle. Not to mention it would create a breach in the door's vapor-barrier. With the window in the closed position, imagine a hole being made just below the window crank'. In that hole, you would either retract or exend a short rod designed to block the movement of the window cranks.

[ogrethemage]

You know....a model T coil hooked up to the body would be a nice deterrent....of course a thief stupid enough to touch the vehicle would probably be killed instantly creating another problem on your hands where you might have to deal with the police....hmmmm....oh well, just a suggestion.