g741.org

Now that my M-37 is finally insured and on the road, I've realized what I forgot about. Securing the vehicle.
I have held off on buying the VPW replacement door handle with lock/key for now...chained the steering wheel like the army and locked the doors. I also have a keyed ignition.

What creative (or normal) ways have you guys come up with for keeping unwanted people out of the cab when it's parked?

Well, in my part of the world (outside of Seattle) most people wouldn't have a clue on how to drive a stick shift, wouldn't know how to start it with the foot starter, would be lost if they couldn't find a key hole to jam a screw driver in and wouldn't be interested in any vehicle without a radio in the dash. I also have a hidden battery disconnect switch inside.

As for locking the doors, I lock one door before I get out, then open the front windshield and reach in and lock the other door and then close the windshield.
People never seem to realize you can open the front windshield so they are puzzled by two locked doors with no key. It usually keeps the stuff inside safe (no problems so far).

Most people seem very leery of getting too close to the truck anyway (they think the military still owns it), so that helps.

That's what I do about security anyway. At home it is in a garage, so no problems there.

There is only so much you can do; it does have a canvas top after all, which is easily cut.

52 M-42

Right on the money 52 m42. I like playing: if you can start it you can drive it

52 M-42 wrote:Most people seem very leery of getting too close to the truck anyway (they think the military still owns it), so that helps.
52 M-42

what also helps is the crowd that's often found milling around the truck when you come back from the shops.

I had concerns when I lived at the top of a steep hill with a store at the bottom. I often thought I would wake to find my truck sitting inside the store. the fix was to chain the clutch pedal to the steering wheel

52 M-42 wrote: As for locking the doors, I lock one door before I get out, then open the front windshield and reach in and lock the other door and then close the windshield.
People never seem to realize you can open the front windshield so they are puzzled by two locked doors with no key. It usually keeps the stuff inside safe (no problems so far).


52 M-42

This is actually what I've done so far besides chaining the steering wheel! Glad to know that it seems to work for the long run.

I saw somewhere online that somebody had added locks to those under the bed compartments...was thinking about doing this to keep my tow chains and other recovery tools safe...

I'm in the same camp as 52 M-42. Anyone less than 50 doesn't seem to comprehend a foot starter. I figure most over 50 are too tired to steal stuff anymore. The real test for me will be tomorrow when my kids take it to high school for the first time. I'm putting my faith in the battery cutoff & foot starter switch for now. That and we live on an island..

-jim lee

The USMC trucks that I have all have had a couple pieces of angle iron welded on and above the tool box doors, a hole drilled in them, and a padlock inserted to secure items in the box.
A photo of the arrangement may be found on my website at:
http://www.garbee.net/~cabell/december/ ... CN0505.JPG

I also chain the steering wheel...and have a battery cut off switch.

In addition to locking the under bed toolbox, one can use a padlock to secure the passenger seat bottom in place (hasp attached to seat bottom board and to the metal seat box)

I'm more worried about the curious than I am someone taking the truck for a ride. I recently had a friend's son ask about the "extra pedal"...

CGarbee wrote:The USMC trucks that I have all have had a couple pieces of angle iron welded on and above the tool box doors, a hole drilled in them, and a padlock inserted to secure items in the box.
A photo of the arrangement may be found on my website at:
http://www.garbee.net/~cabell/december/ ... CN0505.JPG

I also chain the steering wheel...and have a battery cut off switch.

In addition to locking the under bed toolbox, one can use a padlock to secure the passenger seat bottom in place (hasp attached to seat bottom board and to the metal seat box)

I'm more worried about the curious than I am someone taking the truck for a ride. I recently had a friend's son ask about the "extra pedal"...

I like that! I have some space flat stock....maybe I'll rig that up in the future.

Yeah I am worried about some curious person (teenager actually) getting in the truck and messing with the controls possibly making it move

A 150 lb dog sitting in the truck would keep most people away. She's friendly !