This is what you need.

Trunk Monkey 4
Theft retrieval system.

http://www.trunkmonkeyad.com/

http://www.trunkmonkeyad.com/4wmv.htm

Get a garage? Get a shotgun? Get a mean dog?

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- Brian


1989 500SEL Euro
1966 250SE Cabriolet
1958 BMW Isetta 600

Way back in the old days, you could buy a spring mount for your Cadillac that was wired into the horn circuit. Grab the hood ornament and the horns would sound.

Since I'm a cheap bastid, I took a microswitch and wired mine into the alarm on my old Caddy. I've not looked into mounting options on the Benz, but I'm sure I could figure something similar out.

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1989 300 SEL that mostly works, but needs TLC

Somewhere in the dark recesses of what's left of my memory...
An article or story [urbanic legend?] of wiring the star to a "Step-Up" hooked to
the battery ,with a grounding strap under the chassis.

3000 volts @ 1/20th Amp . Scary shock value only.

Booby trapping a hood ornament . . . that's about as funny as the look that's going to be on your face when the plaintiff's attorney, representing the injured person who is suing for damages, is telling the jurors that you're the owner a Mercedes-Benz and wanted to protect your car's $30 hood ornament . . .

I am not an electronics guy...but there a couple of fun ways to wire up safely.

1.) touch circuit...when anyone touches the star...your horn goes off. Problem is if they use a cloth or gloves...no human touch...no horn.

2.) magnetic switch...like door and window alarm switches...one on the bottom of the star..and one static mounted on the outer star frame attachment. This means that if your star is moved at all...by a car cover, car wash..whatever...it will sound off.

3.) break away wire...attached anywhere on the bottom of the star...and serves as a switching ground..when the star is pulled...the wire comes unplugged...horn goes off...of course this means the star is in their hands...but you get horn action before they are gone.

If this was happening to me...the first time...yeah..just replace it...the second time...now I think it may happen again. I like choice number 2...an alarm circuit should scare the baddies away. Between money, and your time..it will cost about 3 stars

just thought of something else...you can attach a cable to the star (the spring maybe) rather cheaply, and loop it somewhere under the star to the hood. They might be able to get it part way up...but that would be it. They would have to ruin the star to get it off.

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1990 300TE....all comments are about this car...in case I forget in the actual post

Boy I could see that! Then he uses the star attached to a wire to engrave obscenities in your hood!

It would be sooo worth it!

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Paul Hansen

1997 S500 (100,000mi)

Hey it's your money and future . . . I'm waiting to see if any of these "tough talkers" is going to put their money where their mouth is.