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Grenadier



Member Since: 23 Jul 2014
Location: The foot of Mont Blanc...
Posts: 5804

France 2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Corris Grey
Stopping Defender Thefts
As we've seen, yet another Defender stolen and stripped in Knaresborough. Have been mulling over this for a while and wondering what would be the best way to stop a tea-leaf.

Many measures seem to help, but we well know that there's almost always a way of getting around a pedal box, removed spark plug, removed steering wheel etc. Furthermore that for want of fitting a full sized, urban city centre style retractable bollard, the pop up posts can simply be driven through.

So thinking along the same lines, but with a bit more oomph, it occurred to me that a bar of of some sort, braced against the Defender and using the strength of the it's chassis and bumper, with the far end locked into the ground, all set at an optimally strong 45 degrees, was the way to go. A determined thief will get rough anything, but a pair of solid, reinforced bars, locked onto the bumper would offer a huge obstacle as they could not be driven through/over, they could not be reversed away from to go around, they would take an age (and make a lot of noise) being cut, and dependant on the locking mechanism itself, might be wholly unbreakable.

So here's my design.

A steel bar with a pivoting bracket, set into the Tarmac within its own reinforced coffin, which would have two 'troughs' from which 2 x 2m bars would extend. The bars would also be reinforced carbon steel and would have a cross bar (not shown on drawing) to prevent lateral pull/push forces. At the end of the bar would be a square bracket, open at the bottom. This square bracket would fit onto the Defender bumper (different brackets available for different style bumpers). It would slot down in the gap behind the bumper. A bar would then be pushed through eyelets (either two bars, laid front to back, one on each bar or a single bar laid left to right connecting both bars) and would be locked in place by a locking mechanism (yet to be confirmed. One option is that the bar would somehow be long enough to reach the footwell of the cabin and in much the same vein as the old Defenders a small hand-sized hatch would allow access to the lock. Enough for a hand, too small for an angle grinder, hacksaw or set of bolt cutters. The bars could be lifted and laid flat when the defender was to be driven from the driveway. Ideally the Defender and siting of the bars would be such that the back of the Defender would be as close to flush against a wall as possible, preventing reversing to pull away from the bars or momentum to drive through them. Obviously a version could be created that fixed to the back of the Defender with the nose pointing into the driveway.

Hopefully the strength of the bars, their material, angle and way they were fixed to the bumper would ensure the Defender could not be driven forward, reversed or moved sideways. The bars would be too tough to angle grind and the lock be sturdy enough (and inaccessible enough) to ensure it acted as enough of a deterrent as possible for all but the most committed
thief.

What are your thoughts? Would it work? Any other ideas? Thumbs Up

Here's a photo of an outline sketch:


Click image to enlarge
 Monsieur Le Grenadier

I've not been everywhere, but it's on my list.....

2011 Puma 110DC - Corris Grey
Post #486920 30th Dec 2015 4:22pm
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Mash



Member Since: 09 Feb 2015
Location: Guernsey
Posts: 1674

Guernsey 1998 Defender 90 300 Tdi HT Nato Green
You would need some huge shear bolts to secure the bumper, unless you can encorporate a n extension on the brackets to cover them. 90 wolf - Jasmin http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic39408.html
90 V8 - Maggie http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic42564.html
110 TD5 - Buggsy http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic59029.html
52HG25 lightweight https://www.defender2.net/forum/topic72342.html
D3 Hse - Fiona
Capri 2l S - Anna

Think I might have a problem............
Post #486927 30th Dec 2015 4:29pm
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Grenadier



Member Since: 23 Jul 2014
Location: The foot of Mont Blanc...
Posts: 5804

France 2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Corris Grey
Agreed. Thumbs Up Monsieur Le Grenadier

I've not been everywhere, but it's on my list.....

2011 Puma 110DC - Corris Grey
Post #486928 30th Dec 2015 4:30pm
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Riccarton



Member Since: 10 Aug 2015
Location: Gods' Own Country
Posts: 280

Scotland 2012 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 HT Zambezi Silver
I think you may also need to revise the 45 degree figure. 45 degrees is actually quite steep and a tea-leaf trying his look may be able to force the Defender up and over the mechanism ripping the front bumper off as he goes.

I feel the heartache and disgust that we should need to do anything like this but the scum of our society think their behaviour is acceptable.

Perhaps an air bag mounted in the seat cushion that's triggered by the car being driven away without the correct key could be a win / win situation. i.e. very little damage to the car and maximum damage to the git trying to steal it. It might make your bum nervous driving it down a bumpy road though Laughing
Post #486935 30th Dec 2015 5:02pm
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Mash



Member Since: 09 Feb 2015
Location: Guernsey
Posts: 1674

Guernsey 1998 Defender 90 300 Tdi HT Nato Green
A seat base takes seconds to swap with a special one Whistle


 90 wolf - Jasmin http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic39408.html
90 V8 - Maggie http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic42564.html
110 TD5 - Buggsy http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic59029.html
52HG25 lightweight https://www.defender2.net/forum/topic72342.html
D3 Hse - Fiona
Capri 2l S - Anna

Think I might have a problem............
Post #486944 30th Dec 2015 5:19pm
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Natlas



Member Since: 20 Mar 2013
Location: West Sussex
Posts: 460

United Kingdom 2013 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 XS CSW Aintree Green
Great idea Mash, would definitely need a 'Danger' warning sign to stand any chance of getting away with it and perhaps a smaller cartridge to reduce the likelihood of death (and reduce the mess in the landy!) Smile
Trouble is, if anyone ever did get caught by one of these it would be the first thing the other drongoes checked for next time so we wouldn't get enough of them Whistle 2.2 90 XS
88" Series One
Old Norton Smile
Minerva
Post #486950 30th Dec 2015 5:34pm
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borderterrier



Member Since: 09 Dec 2011
Location: Surrey
Posts: 1677

United Kingdom 2013 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 XS CSW Aintree Green
Unfortunately danger sign or not, you wouldn't get away with a shotgun cartridge under the seat. At that range even a .410 would kill or severely injure if initiated. Scrote or not, you would go to prison for that!
Post #486955 30th Dec 2015 5:40pm
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borderterrier



Member Since: 09 Dec 2011
Location: Surrey
Posts: 1677

United Kingdom 2013 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 XS CSW Aintree Green
Forget getting a FAC again too!
Post #486958 30th Dec 2015 5:41pm
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Mash



Member Since: 09 Feb 2015
Location: Guernsey
Posts: 1674

Guernsey 1998 Defender 90 300 Tdi HT Nato Green
Blanks would be enough to scare them and enough to wake the owner. 90 wolf - Jasmin http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic39408.html
90 V8 - Maggie http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic42564.html
110 TD5 - Buggsy http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic59029.html
52HG25 lightweight https://www.defender2.net/forum/topic72342.html
D3 Hse - Fiona
Capri 2l S - Anna

Think I might have a problem............
Post #486965 30th Dec 2015 5:56pm
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WhiskyJackR



Member Since: 25 Nov 2014
Location: Lizard
Posts: 159

United Kingdom 
Wow, if it worried me that much I'd just sell it! Any farther South and I'll need to trade the Defender in for a Landing Craft Smile
Post #487116 30th Dec 2015 11:51pm
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rustyboxx



Member Since: 08 Oct 2012
Location: Poole
Posts: 548

United Kingdom 2015 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 CSW Montalcino Red
Phosgene gas would be my preferred deterrent that is triggered by unauthorised entry into the vehicle. Put danger of death warning signs on the vehicle and leave it up to the would-be thieves to commit suicide. Job's a good 'un Wink 2015 90 XS CSW TDCi - Beautiful
2007 110 XS DCPU - An itch that needed scratching
2005 90 Td5 XS CSW - Utterly brilliant
2001 Discovery 2 ES Auto - A phase I went through
1996 90 Tdi CSW - Uber reliable
1989 90 2.5 Petrol Hardtop - My first proper Landy
1985 Range Rover Vogue V8 -Troublesome
Post #487125 31st Dec 2015 12:57am
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DonH2000



Member Since: 12 Jan 2015
Location: North Kent
Posts: 551

United Kingdom 2009 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Santorini Black
Mash wrote:
You would need some huge shear bolts to secure the bumper, unless you can encorporate a n extension on the brackets to cover them.


I think I would be inclined to weld this onto the bumper! That would sort both problems out!!!!!!! Whistle Whistle Whistle Cheers Don.
Post #491097 11th Jan 2016 5:37pm
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