Defender 200Tdi with no alarms or anti-theft - recommendations ?

Hello Everyone,

I have a 1994 200Tdi 90 with no alarms or anti theft devices - built in an age before such devices were ‘needed’ or built into the vehicle.

As we live in a time where Defenders are an attractive and easy to steal vehicle ( true story - my local police station had their Defender ‘stripped’ whilst parked right in front of their station - a bit embarrassing for our local police). So I’m looking to purchase something or many items to prevent my girl from ending up in a parts bin.

Any advise greatly appreciated. I lock her up in my garage but a 1994 200Tdi Defender has no computer components at all , so no engine immobiliser , central locking or even an alarm onboard.

Are there any recommended ‘anti theft’ kits available for a totally mechanical vehicle ?

It’s all to easy to get in a Defender of that age, I once locked myself out of the vehicle whilst the engine still running - (crazy situation but true) though I got back into the vehicle within 2 minutes with washing up liquid on the rubber seals going through the rear quarter windows and then opening the rear door. Frightening easy to do !

So what would you recommend? All advise greatly appreciated thank you .

I would start having a look at this https://4wdrive.co.uk/
They have plenty of tools to help. Steering lock, peddal lock, hardening access with secuity door and bonnet fixings, tracking systems for all kinds of defenders etc.

Previous defender was a V8 which I locked myself out of whilst starting up at a railway station. Choke out, engine warming up and starting to chug with rich fuel mixture. Thought the thing woud catch fire.
Was able to open the door with a sharp stick found on the roadside. Yes, frightening easy to do !

There's is a big fred on security (cant find it) so have a search around.

I like pedal lock plates.
Secret "off" switches are easily DIYed and hidden. Removable steering wheels.
Keeping in out of sight to public view.
Trackers can be had for reasonable price and subs these days although that's after the fact.

Anything visible is a good deterrent, but if they can tow it or lift it and really want it they will have it sadly.

J

The deterents that you can get will only deter, a determined/knowledgeable thief with thieve.
Most of the simple electronic immobilers available on the market can be fitted to a defender. They are a small metal box containing a couple of relays with many black wires which connect/interupt the starter relay power and the cut-off solenoid.
They fit neatly inside the binnacle and are normally de-activated by detecting a wireless fob having detected the door opening.
Relatively easy to fit and prevent the car starting without the fob Under a £100 some less than £50 ...
You can get a lock that fits between the steering wheel and a pedal ....

There are also loads of other bits available - hinge security tabs - so the tea-leaves can't unscrew and remove the doors, window guard/grills so they can't get in through the quarter lights.

Locked in a garage connected to an electric fence generator (I know a farmer who does this to his quads) ....
CCTV camera - not expensive these days
Overnight accomodation for an untrained Lion
Axle chained to the floor.

Overnight accomodation for an untrained Lion
Is it that bad in Lanark ?

Aye, 2 murders in 2 weeks ...

I suppose a tiger is as good a anti theft device as a lion !

Don't bother with an immobiliser on a Tdi Defender, they won't work, the engine electrics are too simple and easy to bypass.
The only things I would consider is a disc lock that covers the whole steering wheel or a pedal lock that covers all the pedals.
The downside with these is that you have a heavy lump of steel rattling around the back of your motor, but they are the only thing that has a reasonable burn time to defeat.

My defender looks a mess. It's a patchwork of different coloured panels from donor vehicals.

Most panels are now good / dent free etc.

I do 2k paint for work, so, for me, a respray is just the labor and a few quid on paint.

I'm probably going to leave it looking like somthing out of a breakers yard in the hopes that it attracts less of the magpies looking for shiny things.

I have one of the steering wheel locks, and (not yet fitted) one of the pedal locks also.


Talking theft -

Mine won't start at the moment. It's either a dead lift pump, an air leak, or someone's robbed all my fuel - I've not investigated further.

It made me think - the high ground clearance would make fuel theft so easy on a 110 tank. I guess noone knows how much fuel you have in it (esp me, as the gauge on mine doesn't work!) but at £2 / ltr, an 80ltr tank is £160 for someone with a single 17mm socket.

(Might be 19, I forget)

Galladog said:

I suppose a tiger is as good a anti theft device as a lion !

Click to expand...

I thought so ... anyway its free stop complainin' ...