jinuoppa

Hey guys,

I need recommendations on which alarm to get, and a good place to install it. If you know of any good installer, please let me know. So far, i 've heard good things about Clifford 2.5 with proximity sensor.


Thanks a lot~

kitwetzler

This sounds stupid, but I've found the best "alarm" is just lowered your comprehensive deductible. Alarms are a lot of the time, more annoying than anything else... if someone wants to steal your car or break into it, they will.

jinuoppa

Haha... thanks for the input. That was actually my view for my previous cars. But s2k being convertible and all, i wanted to get some inputs on the sensor w/ proximity sensor and such. Right now, I just don't feel safe or comfortable walking away with the top down. How about you guys?

D-04

I agree with Kit, if they want your car they will get it. But that doesn't make an alarm a waste of money. If you sleep better at night, then it's worth it IMO.

Get in on the group buy for seat locks if you don't already have them, then get whatever alarm fits your needs/budget.

I will probably get the Matrix 2.5X with proximity later this week, installed by a local shop. To be honest, the pager is a gimmick, but I am getting it for the exact reason you mentioned, leaving my top down while running into the store. Also, I have already been hit and ran by a co-worker, which most likely would have been avoided if I had the alarm.

Other options are the Hornet 700t with invisibeam which is popular around here. You can get the kit and detailed instructions from Wlaurent and is suppose to be a pretty straightforward install.

One thing about the transponder Vipers and Cliffords is that they only come with one remote, which is BS. Another 1 way remote is like $60+ or $90+ for a 2 way. So there are a lot of hidden expenses.

jarod

I got a Clifford G5 alarm with proximity sensor and it's great. I disagree on alarms being useless. Definitely get one with a proximity sensor. It wards off would be car thieves, vandals, and potential door dingers. It certainly has warded off people that have gotten near my car. I've seen numerous examples of people getting near my car while parked and sometimes trying to peer inside. They're more brave at looking in when the top is down also, but the proximity sensor warning buzz scares the shit out of them and they walk away. That's peace of mind that I like. I'm sure this goes for would be car/radio thieves as they approach my car. Given the fact I go up to SF often, if an alarm deters a punkass thief from picking my car, the investment is well worth it.

kitwetzler

My M3 got keyed not once but TWICE when the alarm went off. getting keyed costs just as much as getting a busted window fixed or a stereo replaced.

And, when the M3 did get broken into, the alarm didn't stop the thieves... I did, with a 3.5 foot long samurai sword. (they took off running when I screamed and ran outside... probably the dumbest thing I've ever done.)

SECRET AP1

I agree with Kit, and respectfully disagree with jarod.

You will find an alarm with prox handy until you actually get vandalized.

First off, if someone wants to take a buck or two while your top is down, it's not going to hurt your pocketbook much, and the proximity alarm won't really do much but aggrevate the theif and the people in the area.

Secondly, even if it wards off innocent bystanders, what does that really do for you? who cares if someone peers into your car? unless it has some type of force field, it's not going to stop a door ding. the alarm will go off if the other person's door is within range, but it's likely that the only reason it's that close is because the other person is careless enough to let their door swing. by the time the alarm reacts to the violation of "personal car space" and the person reacts to the alarm, ding has happened.

Thirdly, there will be a time when the prox annoys someone enough for them to vandalize your car. An inanimate, non-living object owning the air space around it can sort of piss some people off. it's like people expect their cars to have a huge bubble around it. if it keeps buzzing here and there, someone is going to do something to vent their annoyance.

Reason I'm saying this is because my top has been recently slashed. i find myself either having to disable the prox will im parked in my home garage or deal with it buzzing everytime someone gets in a car next to me or a cat runs by or something. I'm going to remove the prox and only leave the impact sensor. The prox is way too much trouble and it can piss off a lot of people innocently walking by your car.

I wouldn't recommend getting one.

D-04

I know for a fact that I couldn't have kept my GSR for as long as I had if it wasn't for my alarm. Twice it stopped people from stealing my fogs (eventually removed them because it wasn't worth it). Stopped people from stealing my intercooler once and my rims twice. Also, 2 months after my alarm died, my car was finally stolen

An alarm won't protect your car, it is suppose to act as a deterrent. Think of it this way, if 50% of S2Ks have alarms and you don't then there is a good chance they will come after you first. I remember in Davis it took about 3 months for them to steal every single set of 94-95 GSR rims that didn't have wheel locks. After that was when they started going after everyone else.

As for vandalism, you want to keep that prox sensor under control, get the range right within the boundaries of the car so it doesn't false as much and only beeps when they are moving right on top of it. If it doesn't work out for you, disconnect it, the thing is only $50 or so. I think he is only interested in covering the interior, not the whole car, those can be REAL annoying.

jinuoppa

Thanks for all the input, guys~

PM sent to jarod and D-04.

I think getting the proximity sensor and just setting the range such that it protects the interior sounds good. Any recommendation on which product to get and where?

yellowbanana

I say it's your money spend it anyway you like.. I personally have an AG4 and I'm happy with it