Am a rookie S2K convertable owner. Looking for advice on the best security alarm for my car?It would be really FAT if someone started me in the right direction. All advice welcomed.

 

Trained rottweiler. Smells them coming, barks to alert the would be thief that the car is protected and if they stick their hand in, it takes a bite out of crime.

What is FAT? File Allocation Table?

 

walkabt:

I think that is probably the best option to keep thieves away, but may get a little too expensive on the homeowners insurance, pet food, and vet bills.

On a more serious note, how easy is it to install an alarm system, such as the Alpine? Is it a "do-it-yourself" job, or must one go to an installer to do it right?

 

I installed the WLAURENT alarm. I was his first customer

I am very happy with the system. It uses the same remotes, so nobody knows what you have installed, it includes shock and a dual zone motion alarm and can be installed in about 2-4 hours. Plus, it comes with instructions to install in our car since William and I mapped it out for everyone who buys it.

The Alpine might take you a while to know where to install. The first alarm, his car, took us 4 hours. Mine was 2 hours that afternoon when we knew where to install the connections.

Plus it is less expensive and you know where it was installed, not some guy at the local car stereo place.

Seminole2001, another AZ member, has this installed too.

 

I really like my Compustar alarm. It is a two-way pager system that will alert you if someone is messing with your car. There is a definate range issue with these types of alarms. The compustart Spread Spectrum unit has a range of 1 1/4 miles. The viper alarm is only 1/4 of a mile.

Frankly, the Viper is probably a more user friendly alarm, but I went for the range of the Compustar.

 

I second what WLAURENT has to offer since
I don't want to spend $800-1000,
don't need 3 point ignition kill
and fancy remote ignition turn-on.
It works savely and expectedly.

 

Personally I went with all of the bells and whistles.
2 stage shock sensor
2 stage proximity sensor
battery back up
door pins
trunk pins
hood pin
horn honk
plus 3 sirens.

Install was easy, but it helps that I do this for a living. Im not letting anyone with my baby.

 

If your looking for a top of the line Clifford Avantguard .

http://www.clifford.com/products/cp_ag4.htm

 

Before getting an alarm, you have to consider your needs as well as how and where you'll use it.

In my 7+ years of experience in car audio and security, too many people pick an alarm simply because of cost or name, but it has nothing to do with what they're trying to protect or how it fits their lifestyle.

Ask yourself this, where do you park your car most? Do you leave windows open/top down a lot? How much traffic (cars or people walking by) will you have when the alarm is armed? Will you or someone be in earshot of the car if the alarm goes off? What are you trying to protect or prevent most?

My point is, if your car spends most of it's time in a garage or controlled access area, you probably won't need an alarm loaded with bells and whistles. On the other hand, if you mostly park in an area where you and no one else will hear it if it goes off, you should look into a system that can page or contact you if the alarm goes off. If you're concerned with someone stealing goodies from under your hood, make sure that the alarm will go off if the hood is opened- most alarms DO NOT come with that feature.

You should spend time working with the shop or installer to make sure they're helping you pick out and set the right system. Let them know how and where you'll be using it mostly and what you're trying to protect. It's YOUR money that you're investing to protect YOUR car. If a shop won't listen or won't guide you towards a security system that fits your needs or lifestyle, go somewhere else.