Guest dave29 Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 hi all. im looking at getting a good alarm fitted to my cabby....not only to lower the insurance but also protect it from thieving skum bags lol.the features i want on it are....... cat one or two.aint sure which is the best :blush:imobilizer.aux ouptuts for various things on the car.anti tilt/glass smash sensor/proximity sensor ect ect.what is the best to go for both price wise and security wise. cheers guys.also how much am i looking at paying for its fitted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarineIguana Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 I was gonna ask this question too as I need at least cat1 fitted to mine for the insurance want it just to do locking, immobilising and maybe remote start Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dave29 Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 I was gonna ask this question too as I need at least cat1 fitted to mine for the insurance want it just to do locking, immobilising and maybe remote start so cat 1 is the best then?..... i thought remote start invalidated the insurance cover?.aint 100% how true that is like.it can be dodgie like lol. my mate had remote start on his car n forgot he left it in first gear n nearly crashed it into a parked car lol.wouldnt mind it on mine but wouldnt wana make my insurance void.im more concerned about imobilization. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarineIguana Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 I just don't want to sit there warming up the turbo to be honest takes a good few minutes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest davstt Posted October 20, 2010 Share Posted October 20, 2010 cat 1 is insurance approved immobiliser ,cat 2 is insurance approved immobiliser/alarm , ihave always found toad to be a very good alarm system ,had clifford in the past think they are way over priced and over rated ,remote start is a good gimmic but thats all it is really, microwave sensors are excellent on cabbys ,also the dual zone version is very good as it features a warn away deterant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dave29 Posted October 20, 2010 Share Posted October 20, 2010 I just don't want to sit there warming up the turbo to be honest takes a good few minutes lol. the alarm thats on my cabby has remote start n a turbo warm up feature but its not wired up.i wouldnt know where to start to be honest but it would be a good trick i guess.only thing is i need to press the throttle on mine to start it most of the time so it wouldnt work on mine lol.is there any review sites out there that feature alarms so i can pick one out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mossyxrt Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 (edited) toads are good, i have always used them (prob because i use to install them lol) but you can add lots of features, and as said above the best thing is dual microwave, as ultra sonics give alot of false alarms with air movement from the roof, and yes remote start will void the alarm from insurance,i belive theres no safty feature for a manual car yet, only auto's,but can still be fitted, and if you find a good fitter you can get the alarm to set with a turbo timer fitted,also there garaunted for life,and anti hijack doesnt cut in unless you start car with door closed, so it knows your in it, unlike clifford that will lock everytime the door shuts when running, cat 1 - toad ai606 alarm & 2 point immobiliser (batt back up siren) cat 2 - transponder 2 point immobiliser (belive called sterling now) hope this helps a bit Edited February 17, 2011 by mossyxrt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest robpxr3 Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 Always used Autowatch units myself, ive installed their units on all the Escorts ive had! Just completed an install on my blue cabby. Agree with the dual zone microwave, however ive got the ultrasonics in both my cabs and no false alarms as yet. One good feature with the Autowatch unit is you can arm the alarm and disable the ultrasonics, handy if you park the car up with the roof down but still want the alarm to sound if the door is opened. Most people i know with Clifford units have had problems ! Had an Orion with a Clifford years ago and it never worked properly lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shaneb677 Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 hi all. im looking at getting a good alarm fitted to my cabby....not only to lower the insurance but also protect it from thieving skum bags lol.the features i want on it are....... cat one or two.aint sure which is the best :blush:imobilizer.aux ouptuts for various things on the car.anti tilt/glass smash sensor/proximity sensor ect ect.what is the best to go for both price wise and security wise. cheers guys.also how much am i looking at paying for its fitted. there is no good alarm for a cabby if they want to take it they will........... but you can wire it up to a street lamp and leave the car tempting them in opertunity to nick it and electricute the fuc#ers they should be put of for a while lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iansoutham Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 (edited) If you want security for a cabriolet, then an alarm with external protection (doors, bonnet and boot), dual-zone proximity sensing (for when the roof is down), glass break sensor (optional for visible sound systems really) and an extra back-up siren is all you need. If you have fancy wheels, a tilt-sensor would be a good idea, but make sure it is one that can be set to 2-degree activation, not only 1-degree or every big truck that passes close by will move the body enough to set the alarm off. Anything else is optional and purely down to the owner. I have fitted Cliffords and Toads as an approved installer on a part-time basis, before you had to spend a fortune just to get a VSIB certificate stamp, and I always said the same to customers: do you want form or function? Form: Clifford is ideal, lots of add-ons available, with easy integration and diagnostics due to the Cliffnet facility. These alarms ONLY go wrong if installed quickly and sloppily. A good installer is worth their weight in gold with these alarms. I only know of 4 installers I would call "good". I was one of them as I took my time, do the job properly, do not rush and make sure the car comes back a few days later for any "tweaks", and most the others have retired from the alarm industry due to the number of cowboys. To give you an idea, most mobile installers will fit a Cat 1 alarm in 2 hours, my system in my 4be took the best part of 3 days. Function: Toad ai606. Does what it says on the tin, again, add-ons are avilable. The ai606 actually is easier to fit than the basic alarms (like the ai101CL) and offers slightly more protection and upgradability. This alarm is for people that want to simply press and button and walk away. On any alarm, I refuse to fit ultrasonic sensors. They false-alarm too much and too easily. Even a sharp drop in temperature overnight with an airvent open can trigger an alarm on some models. A good glass-break sensor is much better every day of the week. In addition, do not go advertising your alarm or radio system. You draw attention to yourself. A good mechanical security device is just as good for detering thieves that want the car, not the contents. A DiscLok is a good start, stay away from StopLoks and all the other ones than do not cover the majority of the steering wheel. A good thief will remove them in seconds. Trust me, I've seen them do it (a good alarm installer knows many thieves to find out how they steal cars so as to make them less nickable.... know your enemy). If leaving the car in a garage or somewhere "hidden", a wheel clamp is a wise investment. Make sure it is one that goes round the back of the wheel as far as possible. Cheap £30 ones aren't worth the metal they are made of. Same as size, too big a clamp is just as bad as a cheap one. You want to make sure that the car cannot be rolled away, nothing more. And, remember that, at the end of the day, if you make it too secure, they will either "grab" it with a lorry or set light to it. One final word on the matter, people often get "insurance-approved" alarms to lower the insurance without finding out how much it actually lowers it by. Fit a £350 alarm and lower the insurance by £50. You might as well save that £50 by spending the difference of that £350 on a non-insurance alarm that provides more security. You will probably still have change left as well to pay the extra £50 on the insurance. Edited April 30, 2011 by iansoutham Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shandy Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 It's good to hear someone talking about fitting an alarm properly rather than a rush job. I've seen quite a few bodge jobs that have been fitted for a quick buck. I've always had Cliffords and never had a problem. Make sure the fitter is an approved by the alarm company which will get you the certificate for your insurance. Beware of cheap alarms on eBay. They may not be UK spec and won't have a guarantee or be Thatcham approved. Plus it may cost more in the long run to have it fitted. Car security has become so advanced that you house is more likely to be broken into to get the keys or they tow the car away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Steve Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 Im going for a clifford on my cab i think Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Alanman Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 My 2p worth. I fitted a Toad Ai606 to my Cossie a few years ago and as an alarm / imobilisor I couldnt fault it. Perfectly good system, simple and not too expensive. Clare on the other hand fitted the Clifford Copncept 650p. This system is what was recomended by a local security company near us. Its perfect for the cabs, not sure what its call but basically when the cab's roof is down you can set it with a perimiter so anyone walk past the car or leans in it will firstly warn them with a cherp and if that dont deter them it will set the alarm off. We use this at shows, it make people keep their distance. This alarm has the capability of add ons like engine start or basically anything. We have ours opening and closing the boot lid (our best mod ever lol). This alarm also had 'black jacks' which is for car jacking. If the car door is opened you have something like 20 or 30 seconds to key in the correct code or the engine stops. So if your sat at a set of lights and someone car jacks you, the idea is that you let them take it, they drive off in your car unaware and 20 seconds down the road all the lights and hazzards flashing then 30 seconds the car just cuts out. They say that the theif will simply get out and run off leaving the keys in the car. You walk down and colect your car with no damage or no broken nose cos you've tried to fight for your car. Thats the theory anyway. It sounded good. lol. I agree what's been said, the Clifford took the fitter ALL DAY to fit to the cab. A rushed / cheap job is asking for trouble. Anyway. I've had both the Toad Ai606 and the Clifford Concept 650p and I would recomend either although the Clifford has more toys. lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Alanman Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 In my professional capacity: Insurance companies are not particulally bothered what the make of the alarm / immobiliser is as long as its 'thatcham approved'. In addition to that, the alarm MUST be fitted by a VSIB appoved installer. You could spend £500 on a thatcham approved sytem but if its fitted by a mate will not count as an approved system. Also my fitter for the cab would NOT install the 'engine start'. He flatly refused and said if he did he would not have been able to certify the system. Not sure if it was his personal choice or the official line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Lee81 Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 I have a toad ai606 on my cossy cab and can only fault it on the fact it draws alot more juice than a clifford meaning that your battery will go flat within 2 to 3 weeks of no use. So if your not using your cab much bare this in mind. The clifford avantguard 5 i have on my other cab hardly draws anything. The car can be left for 2 months and it will work and start. Clifford alarms can be had for not much money. I used to import these from the states( when the pound was actually worth a lot of dollars) and sell them. Dunno what exchange rates are now but i used the sell the avantguard 5 for around £300 and i was getting them for £190. The avantguard is/ was the top of the range with loads of features including remote start. As long as you have them fitted by a clifford approved dealer you will get warrenty and a certicate. I had mine done in leicester and they charged me £250 for fitting which took 2 days. So all in £550 to the public. The same alarm bought and fitted at the time was around £1400 from most firms. No wonder i sold over 400 of these within 3 months lol. The remote start was a bit of a problem as the clifford dealer wont issue a certicate in the uk with it fitted but you can link it up quite easily yourself. Its safe because in order to arm it you have the press the remote while your in the car with the engine running. remove the key, get out and lock the vehical. The engine will then turn off. So it knows its out of gear. So you have to forward plan. Only other thing is remote start doesn't work well on cvh cars as the systems were designed to have the car start with part throttle which if you aint in the car you can't do so its a bit hit n miss weather it will start from cold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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