C3 Convertible Cross Country: Security?

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

frank - 28 Aug 2004 16:39 GMT

Hi,

Within the next few months I'll begin restoring my '71 ragtop. Eventually,
I'd like to take it cross country. However, I've been wondering about
security issues: have any of you had problems during long cruises? How do
you keep you valuables secure?

I don't have a luggage rack and, at this point, have no intention of
getting one. Do you reccomend one?

I recently rented a Mustang convertible and travelled round the Mt.
Rushmore/Deadwood/Sturgis/Devil's Tower area. It was nice to know that
valuables were, if not well-secured, at least out of sight in the trunk.

I've heard that a car-cover can at least keep the interior, and luggage,
hidden from curious criminal eyes, and possibly prevent break-ins.
Opinions?

Many thanks

C3 '71 Convertible, black on red, 350/270, 4 speed

Signature

hfk
hfk_list@--REMOVE-THIS--cox.net
MS Messenger ID: hfk_anon@--REMOVE-THIS--cox.net

Reply to this Message

Tom in Missouri - 28 Aug 2004 19:12 GMT

A lot depends on what you are taking and how you are packing.

When I went to Nashville for the 50 Year, we went in a convertible that had
the top down most of the time. The only valuable was my camera, and I took
that with me.

If you take so much stuff you need a luggage rack, and you are not camping,
then you have taken too much stuff.

I traveled out west on a motorcycle some, and on it, you have most of your
stuff in the open. I was camping, and so I had a bag of clothes in the
trunk, sleeping bags and tent on the luggage rack, and jacket, camera, and
raingear in the saddle bags. Eventually, when I got in the scenic area, the
camera was strapped to the tent and sleeping bag so I could get to it in a
hurry for those great shots you don't want to miss.

Again, the only valuable was the camera, and I took it with me when I left
the bike.

Now if your idea of traveling is downtown LA or East St. Louis, or such,
then your car isn't safe, let alone the stuff inside.

> Hi,
>
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
>
> C3 '71 Convertible, black on red, 350/270, 4 speed

Reply to this Message

Fred - 28 Aug 2004 20:00 GMT

<< Eventually, when I got in the scenic area, the camera was strapped to the
tent and sleeping bag so I could get to it in a hurry for those great shots
you don't want to miss. >>

I custom made a small rack that sits right above the cycle fuel tank
(attached to the frame of the bike), and kept my camera in a small tankbag
ontop of the rack (didn't want to scratch the tank). It's great having the
camera right in front of you in a tankbag, extremely accessible. In some
cases I had the camera ready so that I could even pick it up out of the
tankbag and click off a few shots while riding along. And yes, the camera
always remains strapped to your body when you leave the bike for even a
moment.

<< Now if your idea of traveling is downtown LA or East St. Louis, or such,
then your car isn't safe, let alone the stuff inside. >>

When going on cross country trips, simply make it a point to stay in decent
locations. Plan out your trip ahead of time and make sure that you never
need to stay in any congested citified areas. Of course crime can occur in
the backwoods also, but it is more likely to occur in city areas. But I
will mention, once in northern California (10 years ago), I left a
convertible (with top down) alone at a scenic rest stop (in the middle of
nowhere with nobody around) for not more than 3 minutes and all the contents
in the interior were stolen (knapsack, jacket, etc). I guess you can never
truly let your guard down, even in the sticks.

I just came back from a 4,700 mile trip in a Mustang GT convertible last
week... half our stuff was in the backseat being that the trunk is so darned
small (we had to carry helmets and other bike gear being that the plan was
to borrow some bikes along the way and do some riding, which we did). Each
night we carried anything valuable into the hotel room (a pain, but not so
bad really, good exercise after driving all day), and left any other
not-so-valuable stuff in the trunk. Always keep the interior empty or
someone most likely WILL break in to get whatever they can see.

One night I got tired early (after driving for about 800 miles straight) and
reluctantly decided to investigate a hotel in an area not too far from
Detroit. When I saw the bullet-proof glass at the counter of the local
Super 8, I knew I had to go at least another hundred more miles or so before
I was gonna get a chance to sleep, and off I went until I found a decent
place to stop... (that particular day wasn't planned well obviously, should
have stopped earlier in the day before hitting the bad areas so as not to be
forced to go beyond the bad areas.... it's very bad when you're tired and
are forced to keep driving... but I'd rather drive on than risk getting
robbed or having the car stolen or wrecked).

Reply to this Message

Tom in Missouri - 29 Aug 2004 01:37 GMT

The trick to all of this is to not be stupid. If you are in a bad area,
then odds are you are going to lose stuff. If you keep it in view of many,
like the front desk, under the lights, by your window, etc., then it will
probably be too open for someone to bother.

When stopping to eat, I made sure I got a spot to park the bike in plain
view of the restaurant and tried to get a seat by the window to see it.

When stopped at an attraction, tried to park where everyone was passing it,
so that anyone standing around it would be noticed, unlike parked on the far
end of the lot.

Usually would make a point to get it stuck in the head of whoever was at the
door, with a simple question like "will that be ok there?", just so they
would have that image of that car/bike in their heads and an image of me so
that seeing someone else would ring a bell in their head that this wasn't
right.

When possible, park with others of your own kind, i.e., park a bike among
other bikes. people usually don't mess with a bunch, having the old 'Wild
Bunch" or Hell's Angels mentality. parking a Corvette convertible next to
others usually makes one think there is a group, and that there just make be
someone watching them. Also, the other ones may have better pickings so the
thieves won't bother yours or have time to get to yours.

> << Eventually, when I got in the scenic area, the camera was strapped to the
> tent and sleeping bag so I could get to it in a hurry for those great shots
[quoted text clipped - 41 lines]
> are forced to keep driving... but I'd rather drive on than risk getting
> robbed or having the car stolen or wrecked).

Reply to this Message

W. Moore - 30 Aug 2004 17:17 GMT

Hi Fred,
This may be off topic but since you mentioned it I will ask you about the
rack you made for your bike. I worry about tank bags that might mar the
finish on a tank but the tank bag is a handy accessory if you can manage it
properly. I keep camera and that kind of stuff in the top of a tour pack
and it is easy access but one must stop and get off the bike. The tour pack
is lockable, and we all know that locks can be broken, but out of sight
helps. TIA.

Reply to this Message

Fred - 31 Aug 2004 13:39 GMT

<< Hi Fred, This may be off topic but since you mentioned it I will ask you
about the rack you made for your bike. I worry about tank bags that might
mar the finish on a tank...>>

I once used a strap-on tank bag that sat directly on the tank. As long as
the tank remained clean, the bag would not harm the tank finish at all.
But, once in a rain storm, some grit managed to get on the tank and find its
way under the bag, and then of course as the bag shifted around, some mild
scratching of the finish occured. After that experience, I custom made a
rack that bolts to locations on the frame... the rack goes directly over the
tank but does not touch the tank at all. Basically just two metal rails
that extend from near the fork tube area of the frame to right at the
beginning of where the seat is, crossing right over the middle of the tank,
and only about a half-inch above the tank at any given spot (yes, I custom
bent the rails to conform to the shape of the tank). I then added a solid
plate under my soft tank bag to give the bottom of the bag some rigidity so
it would sit nicely on the rack rails. The cool thing about the rack is
that being made out of somewhat flexible metal stock, the rack acts a bit
like a leaf spring and cushions shock to the camera. This was done on a V65
Magna. I guess fabricating such a rack may or may not be difficult to do
depending on the type of bike you have. The V65 Magna does have fairly
convenient areas to bolt on to (front tank mounts for front, and a frame
brace under the seat for rear).

(Note: small magnetic tank bags are ok since they will not "walk" (as long
as not overloaded). It's just always important that the tank is clean.)

<<...The tour pack is lockable, and we all know that locks can be broken,
but out of sight helps...>>

Yes. I do enjoy having lockable trunks on a bike. Chances are that thieves
will break into a car way before they consider breaking into a motorcycle
side trunk anyway. I borrowed a big Shadow once that had lockabe side
trunks and kept my camera in the trunk... I enjoyed that set-up. But
regardless, I always carry my camera everywhere, never leave it. Bad enough
to lose an N90, but I am often more worried about losing my pictures.

Reply to this Message

Dad - 28 Aug 2004 20:21 GMT

OOps, what's up with East St Louzy, I'm headed in there week after next.

snip

> Now if your idea of traveling is downtown LA or East St. Louis, or such,
> then your car isn't safe, let alone the stuff inside.

Reply to this Message

Tom in Missouri - 29 Aug 2004 01:21 GMT

Like many twin city set ups across the country, there was once a white town
and black town back a few hundred years ago. Durham - Raleigh for example.
The same thing happened in many single towns where the poor blacks were
forced to live in one area of town and the rich whites lived in another.
While that isn't completely true today, a lot of what was established 200
years ago continues to this day, and as such, East St. Louis has been
traditionally a poor town that had a hard time making it. It traditionally
has had the wilder side with the all night bars, strip clubs, and such that
accompanies the rougher side of town. It is one of those areas you do not
want for a zip code if you want to insure a car, any car.

Now if you are going to the casinos in East St. Louis, you have nothing to
fear. The people who run the casinos make even the bad guys in East St.
Louis tremble. No one messes with the casino crowd.

Having said that, it isn't so wild as to be dangerous to travel through. I
have walked/hitchhiked through the center before and no one bothered me. Of
course, no one would pick me up, either, so I ended up walking completely
across town. I wouldn't do that at night.

> OOps, what's up with East St Louzy, I'm headed in there week after next.
>
> snip
> > Now if your idea of traveling is downtown LA or East St. Louis, or such,
> > then your car isn't safe, let alone the stuff inside.

Reply to this Message