first time security , intro

Hello,
Let me first introduce my car. Its a 67 Mustang coupe that has under gone a complete 100% tear down and rotisserie restoration. The shell is currently at the paint shop where they are doing the final sanding for me and paint. It is being transformed into a 68 Shelby coupe and just some of the additional modifications can be seen in my sig below. A year of my time and about 3 times my original budget into it!

Now unfortunately it'll not have its own garage until next year and with it being used as a daily driver I absolutely need to invest in a good security system for it. I know that if a professional wants the car it'll very likely be gone regardless of alarms and all the security in the world. However I'd like to think I can make their job a bit more difficult.

To start with ALL the original wiring was removed and I'm installing a new custom setup from Ron Francis Wiring. The fuse panel, battery and solenoid are being moved to the trunk (in an enclosed aluminum lock box) along with a remote powered disconnect with a trickle power for stereo memory and alarm. All wiring is being run through sealed loom and has a new layout which differs from the original.

I have also modified a small hidden 0 Lux camera into the car with motion activation. This is positioned so that whenever someone is in the front seat their picture is taken. The camera is setup and wired into a wireless system that connects to our home and work wireless. Any photos it takes get sent to my mail account as well as to my cell phone.

Once the car is completed it'll have the advanced recovery Lo-Jack system installed. This is simply a no brainer in my opinion.

For fun I bought a new Auto Taser which resembles the much cheaper CLUB. This attaches to your steering wheel and when activated via remote arcs 50,000 volts through out its length. If you haven't seen one of these Google it and checkout the online vids. Again.. this was mainly for fun but it is another security feature.

New to car security/alarm systems and I'm amazed at all the add-on accessories which are available. I've been looking at the Viper 5901 (5702V) setup. The main reason is the 1 Mile remote range. Not an issue at home however at work the car will be parked out front in a double space and my office is 2nd floor other side of the building. I'm in hopes that with the 1 mile range the paging remote will work fine.

As for add-ons I was looking at the following from Directed. Am I going overboard? Really.. I don't know if this is overkill or not.
(520T) 12 Volt Backup Battery and Sensor
(8623) Ball Bearing Tilt Switch (trunk/hood)
(513T) Mini Piezo Siren
(515T) Siren with Backup Battery
(625T) 2 x 12V Flashing Red LED Security Warning Light
(506T) Glass Break Audio Sensor
(507T) Digital Tilt Sensor
(508T) Invisibeam Field Disturbance Sensor
(545T) Nite Lite System

The 513T piezo siren I'm guessing is a much higher pitch and acts as a disorienting feature. My plan was to mount this under the dash through the center speaker area. This would bounce off the windshield and through out the cabin. The 515T acts as a secondary alarm mounted elsewhere in the car. 506T, 507T and 508T all seem like a good idea.

Any comments, suggestions are additions would be appreciated here. In regards to the Viper 5901.. can the Remote Start feature be disabled to not function? Since its going into a 4-speed manual I really don't want the Remote Start feature.

Thanks!

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1967 Mustang: Built 351w Roller, 4-Speed Toploader, Coil-over Front Suspension, Power R&P,
9+ Currie w/TrueTrac 3:25, Ron Francis Wiring, 4-Wheel Disk Brakes, Vintage Air Heat & A/C,
& so much more!

Sounds like a sweet car and a very fun little project!  Welcome to the12volt.

I, personally, think you are going a bit overboard and here is why:

(520T) 12 Volt Backup Battery and Sensor - Overall, not a bad idea, but when used in conjunction with a siren with back up battery one of them is essentially worthless as they will both do the same thing.  I would skip this item.

(8623) Ball Bearing Tilt Switch (trunk/hood) - If you don't have factory switches then this might not be a bad idea.  Just make sure they won't "false sense" if you park on hills often.  I park my car in a slanted drive way and most tilt sensors won't work - your application may vary.

(513T) Mini Piezo Siren - I've never been a fan of these.  To a thief they arn't going to "disorientate" or slow them down in any way.  I've been inside cars with multiple piezos installed and while it was uncomfortable it wasn't that big of a deal.

(515T) Siren with Backup Battery - I've always liked these and would recomend this part if you are worried about your battery cables being cut.  In your vehicle only you can determine if that is a real risk - from your description of the electrical system I would think the last thing someone would do is disconnect the battery!

(625T) 2 x 12V Flashing Red LED Security Warning Light - visual deterrents are key.  The more visual deterrents you use the less likely someone is to mess with your car.  Just make sure the installer doesn't mess up that interior when mounting them!

(506T) Glass Break Audio Sensor - I've always thought this was a "gimick" sensor.  I don't know if they work, because I installed so few of them and no one ever came back with a broken window to provide feed back.  If the rest of the system is working I don't see a point for this - if anything it's only going to set the alarm off a few seconds earlier then one of the other sensors (door / trunk / hood / shock)

(507T) Digital Tilt Sensor - Jacking cars up and throwing them on trailors is getting more and more popular - this sensor would help protect against that.  I've never personally installed one of these so I don't know how well they work.

(508T) Invisibeam Field Disturbance Sensor - If you live in a location that has "seasons" the 508T may need periodically adjusted throughout the year.  Otherwise you will get false alarms or the 508 won't be sensitive enough.  Other then that these things are pretty cool and will prevent anyone from getting close enough to break in to your car.

(545T) Nite Lite System - Again, I've never installed one of these but they look cool.  Not really a "security" product but something that would be fun to have.

Good luck with the rest of the rebuild and don't worry about the budget overage - if you don't go over the budget you cut corners somewhere!

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Kevin Pierson

As usual I agree with Kevin,my experience with tilt sensors is that they are useless they tend to false alarm, also forget a glass break with a 508d because the outer zone (warn away) usually triggers the glass break!  You then spend hours adjusting the glass break's sensitivity DOWN until it no longer works!  I agree with Kevin's siren comments except I would stay with internal sounder and add air horns. Kevin are you getting any sleep yet?

Ok so narrowed it down to the following:

Viper 5901 (5702V)
(508T) Invisibeam Field Disturbance Sensor
     * Really like this add-on.
(515T) Siren with Backup Battery
     * I'm leaning towards this over the basic 520T. Primary in engine bay high up on firewall and this inside the rear quarter panel.
     * Are these still loud outside if mounted inside the trunk or quarter panel?
(520T) 12 Volt Backup Battery and Sensor
     * Does this power anything other then the alarm siren?
(507T) Digital Tilt Sensor
     * Hopefully this helps keep our wheels and our car in one place.

Not Security...
(625T) 2 x 12V Flashing Red LED Security Warning Light
     * Visual warning to those 'joy-rider' thieves.
(545T) Nite Lite System
     * Not security but a nice safety add-on.

(530T) Power Window Automation System.
     * Already have this module from when I purchased power windows for the car.

Now.. I'll be installing the system myself pretty much at time to wiring the car. Is there any issues with the add-on modules i have selected? I called Viper who basically said you could only use so many modules and would offer no additional info. Simply told me I'd have to contact my dealer/installer to install questions.

Should all the above work with the 5901 or will I run out of 'plugs'. I have no idea myself until I order and get (I hope) install instructions.

Thanks for any guidance or suggestions!


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1967 Mustang: Built 351w Roller, 4-Speed Toploader, Coil-over Front Suspension, Power R&P,
9+ Currie w/TrueTrac 3:25, Ron Francis Wiring, 4-Wheel Disk Brakes, Vintage Air Heat & A/C,
& so much more!

I don't see any potential problems - you should be good to go. 

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Kevin Pierson

Thanks muchly.

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1967 Mustang: Built 351w Roller, 4-Speed Toploader, Coil-over Front Suspension, Power R&P,
9+ Currie w/TrueTrac 3:25, Ron Francis Wiring, 4-Wheel Disk Brakes, Vintage Air Heat & A/C,
& so much more!

The 520t is completely unnecessary, next I must learn to spell the previous word. No you won't hear them inside the trunk, especially if it's carpeted or lined.  Good luck.

technically you can use as many different sensors as you want by just wiring them together. but, the problem you will run into is that alarm only has one or two sensor input ports for add on sensors. so if you are using more sensors than available ports then you wont be able to tell which sensor triggered the alarm because they are all on the same port.

i personally like glass break sensors, they are useful against thieves that can gently break your glass with a screw driver which wont set off the shock sensor. it wont stop someone from stealing your car but it will stop someone from stealing your radio or anything that you can reach through a window and rip out without opening a door.

the proximity sensor is also one of the best things you can get but its not a good idea to set the range too far out or you will get false alarms all the time from people just walking by. this sensor is awesome if you have a convertible or if you leave the windows open.

the most important thing to consider if you want to give a thief a hard time is not how many sensors you have, its the quality and originality of the install. so a few things to consider when you do the install are:
hide or camouflage all wires. dont just mummify them with tape because that is obvious to anyone who steals cars. use the wire harnesses that are already there and run your new wires on the side of the harness that you cant see.

mount the brain in a spot that isnt an obvious spot

dont leave loose wires just hanging, cut any extra wires and tape them up.

hide the main fuse for the brain and disguise the main power wire

hide the antenna, the look and design of the antenna can give a thief important clues about the type of security system so when he does break in he already knows what hes looking for.

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howie.. My trunk and interior cabin has SecondSkin Damplifier Pro (DP) installed for sound and heat dampening so I know it wouldn't be affective mounted in the trunk. However 1 area I was thinking of installing the (515) Siren with Backup Battery was inside the drivers quarter panel. I intentionally left the inside area here (see pic and X location below) uncovered and is only like 20 gauge sheetmetal which is very thin.. unfortunately. The inner 'white' area will be covered with DP and a vinyl covered steel quarter trim panel. This would keep the sound from entering the cabin and directed outwards. The location is pretty much unreachable once the car is together.. unless they rip the outside quarter panel off!

Most installations mount the main siren high in the engine bay however our hood doesn't lock.. only has hood pins. This makes cutting the main siren quite easy. Are there better main siren mounting locations?

If the 515 backup siren/battery is loud enough I think this would be a great hidden/unreachable area for it. Think it would be loud enough here or still a waste of money & time?

Again.. this might be overkill however I really don't mind that. If its useless and will not be heard then there is no point to it. Thanks and I appreciate all the comments so far folks!



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1967 Mustang: Built 351w Roller, 4-Speed Toploader, Coil-over Front Suspension, Power R&P,
9+ Currie w/TrueTrac 3:25, Ron Francis Wiring, 4-Wheel Disk Brakes, Vintage Air Heat & A/C,
& so much more!

soundnsecurity.. Thanks for the info and tips. I'm rewiring the car with a complete custom wiring harness and not following the original runs. Original harness & layout will never be used again. A number of wires from the Viper alarm (and others) will be cut, spliced with new printed wire.. could be labeled fuel pump, rear defrost, power trunk, etc. All wires will be run through a quality loom and not necessarily labeled properly. Nothing will be where a thief would think it is on a stock car.

The main 'brain' is being hidden inside the car in a location not easily accessible.. almost a sealed vented box so when the car is assembled it'll be quite a bit of work to get to it again. I'll have about 2 months from the time I finish the wiring until the interior gets completely installed so I should have all the bugs worked out.

I decided against the glass sensor in thinking that the (508T) Invisibeam Field Disturbance Sensor should pickup anything reaching inside when properly adjusted.

As for the antenna.. Can these be hidden or do they need line of site? ie.. window mounted or can they be mounted between fiberglass or between the headliner and roof? Meant to ask this before.. thanks for reminding me.

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1967 Mustang: Built 351w Roller, 4-Speed Toploader, Coil-over Front Suspension, Power R&P,
9+ Currie w/TrueTrac 3:25, Ron Francis Wiring, 4-Wheel Disk Brakes, Vintage Air Heat & A/C,
& so much more!

personally i have the viper 791xv ( a little old ) but i hide my antenna under the headliner and it didn't seem to make a difference even after i had some dark tint installed. also let me warn you now, that 1 mile range they speak of is limited to line of sight. so if there are any obstacles in the way like buildings or trees then you can expect that range to go down a lot.

and that is true, you shouldn't need the glass break sensor if you use the proximity sensor but i like lots of defense. the glass break is so cheap there is really no reason not to have one, but any way thats just me.

and also, it might not be that good of an idea to hide the brain that well because you still want to be able to get to it without having to tear the whole car apart but thats up to you. all im saying is that you might need to periodically adjust the settings of the alarm and especially if you are using the remote start.

and it doesn't matter if you are using factory or aftermarket harnesses i was just saying in general it will come out better if you run the wires with whatever harnesses are there already.

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Some thoughts. Place the Siren where you suggested and try it.  You are in a marvelous position where you can chop and change relatively easily, the idea of burying your alarm wires in the new loom is very good, also soundnsecurity makes a good point for service accessing the brain. The best place soundwise is if you have an inner wing splash shield, get it behind the headlights.  Protected and hard to get at.

S&S.. Cool. I was hoping I could mount it to the roof before I installed the headliner. We'll be having a light tint on the windows but just enough to add some UV protection. Glad to hear it should still work. I understand the line of site bit however a 1 mile LOS should still have better range then a 1/4 mile LOS even with buildings.

I've rethought my plans for the brain and have changed its location. Still hidden well with very little access but is accessible. Thanks for pointing this out. Also yes, all the wires will be bundled together with the main car wires. I'll be running all the wires from point A to point B in the car first then removing everything carefully and securing it in loom to create my own harness. Then the harness gets installed.

howie.. Thanks for bringing up splash shields! 2 reasons.. I need to order the new shield rubbers (I keep forgetting!) and a great install area.. between the cowl splash shield and door post.

Thanks for all your help and suggestions.

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1967 Mustang: Built 351w Roller, 4-Speed Toploader, Coil-over Front Suspension, Power R&P,
9+ Currie w/TrueTrac 3:25, Ron Francis Wiring, 4-Wheel Disk Brakes, Vintage Air Heat & A/C,
& so much more!

Just found this thread. Y may want to rethink that mounting spot for the 515R. Reason being, you need to "kinda" be able to get to it. Why? If someone cuts your battery cables (doesn't sound like they'll be able to on your car), the 515R will sound and the only way to shut it up is to use the key on the back of the siren.

So what I am saying is that if you hide the 515R siren so very well, then if it ever trips, you're gonna have to tear your car apart to shut it up.

Personally, I would hide the regular siren really well and put the battery backup (515R) siren in a spot that's easier to get to. So what if they can see the 515R, what are they gonna do about it? If they cut the wires to it, it goes off. Besides, you need to be able to get to it somewhat easily to disarm it. And also to test it. The batteries in those things don't last forever, you know.

Another things is that you'll need to disarm the siren if you ever disconnect the battery cable (replace the battery) or if the battery goes dead (a dead main battery "appears" like the battery cable has been cut to the 515R). These are all times when you'll need to be able to access the siren to manually disarm it with the key.

Part of me wants to say that you can almost use a 515R to entice a thief into setting off the alarm before he's even started on the cabin of the vehicle. Also, remember that if you place the siren under the hood, they have to get past the hood pin before they've even laid eyes on your siren(s).

FTW, I'd mount the 515R in the engine compartment and put the 514N (included) siren in your rear quarter panel, as described previously.

Also, I realize it may seem redundant to run both the 520T and the 515R, but I like redundancy. If the thief cuts your siren and power to the unit and the alarm is still wailing away, he's really gonna be scratching his head. And you were asking what the 520T powers. EVERYTHING. It provides power to the main unit. Whatever the brain powers, the 520T will as well. That's why they recommend using the negative output to drive a relay for the parking lights. Otherwise, the 520T has to power them, which cuts into how long the 520T can power the system.

Hope this helps.