On 8/4/05, Ben S <phlogiston420@gmail.com> wrote:

> per my other post of this morning (regarding my poor van being broken
> into twice in a week) i am looking to install an alarm. do any vans
> come with a pin switch to detect the sliding door opening? how about
> the rear door? is there any place to order these from?
> 
> thanks.
> 
> Ben.

 Ben,
 Vans with power locks did come with sliding door contacts. However, you are 
probably better off with similar contacts sold at hotrod supply houses or 
specialty places like www. autoloc.com <http://autoloc.com>. 
 Sorry to hear about your break-ins. If you were so inclined, you can use a 
Morse cable system to replace your door lock rod. That's what they use in 
Porsche 928's. The problem with that is they may still be able to reach the 
lock lever unless you put a piece of sheet metal to block that path. You can 
also use an unsightly but relatively effective hasp and padlock on the 
outside of the doors. Ultimately, the interior is just as secure as the 
glass in your windows.
 Alarms are useless if there is nobody paying attention. How many times have 
you heard a neighbor's car alarm go off and keep going on your merry way? 
It's almost like the proverbial tree falling in the forest. Does anyone 
hear? In this case, the alarm is screaming. Does anybody care? IMHO the best 
way to secure a vehicle in Oakland is by driving it out of there. Second 
best would be a garage. Parking it in a better neighborhood does not help 
much. Thieves steal from affluent neighborhoods more so than poor areas.
 I realize that did not help much. You really need to just find a more 
secure place to store your van especially when you are out of town. 
 Cheers,

BenT