Alarm System Recommendation
 

Because of a possible business deal w/ my friend, I will have to go home every weekend from college which is a 300 mile round trip. Since it is cheaper for me to drive rather than rely on public transportation, I need to bring my car. Before I do this, I need to secure my car better since the factory alarm system is a joke and the city my college is in isn't going to get an award for lowest crime rate. So, what would you guys recommend? Hopefully I can muster enough cash for a junker but I need a back-up plan.

My personal opion alarms are just away to annoy neighbors, if they want your car they will get how many times do you run to your window when you hear somebodys car alarm ?

But with that said If I was going to toss soe cash around I would go with a viper

How about other measures, like a GPS tracker? Also, do they make anything that when your alarm goes off, it pages your phone? Another measures I should take?

They make different levels of the Viper kit, the one that is the best which my friend has is really nice. it has a two way pager to let you know exactly what body part was touched and also has aux buttons for stuff like remote start or windows, etc. anyways definitely get a viper hands down.

yup thats what my auto page does and i bought last years model is was half of only diff was it said 2005 not 2006 on it everything was the same.
i even got the hood pin so if they open the hood its going off.
there is lots of good kits out there

I have the top of the line Viper model. It's nice, but I wouldn't pay a retail store price on it.

I have the alarm sensor set where it doesn't go off everytime. In fact, it's only gone off once and it was because a car next to mine, opened their door and it hit my car. (No ding though)

Anyways, I only paid $200 off Ebay brand new

If you want everything installed that is included with the alarm, be expected to pay at least another $150-200 for installaion at a reputable shop.

Is it difficult to install or is it just real lengthy?

It took a very reputable shop in my area around 8 hours to install over 2 days.

There's just a lotttttttt of wiring. And if you make one wrong connection, then nothing will work. It's definitely something to leave to the pros.

What is the price of the system and how did it cost for install?

I believe Best buy and circuit city and such charge $450-500. I got it brand new on Ebay for $200.

Check around for local install rates, but expect around $200.

i wouldn't use any money on an alarm. No one takes them seriously anymore because they always go off. The only thing people would say is damn i wish he would turn that alarm off

Agreed however, the features included (disabled ignition, paging when the alarm is activated, etc.) can definately help (especially since my car was stolen before).

i have a lojack. but who believes in those. mine was already installed on the car and i just had to pay for a diagnostic check. everytime i leave my car with a shop i have to tell them how to start it.

Best Buy's price includes installation, so there's no reason to buy one on eBay and then pay to get it installed, you'll end up spending the same amount of money either way.

Thanks guys, I'll probably do some shopping around this weekend. One last question, does my factory alarm have to be disabled to install the new one or can it work inconjuction?

we have a factory alarm system? i know i dont. i can open a locked door from the inside if the windows are down. and the horn doesnt go off

I figure if my key chain has a panic button then we have an alarm. Maybe this explain why I can open my trunk w/ the "alarm" on...

if you want your alarm to be noticed, have your shop install airhorns in conjunction with the siren. Really makes people look when going off. My shop charged an extra $60 for this option.

haha my trunk opens with my after market alrm on and it does nothing untill i close it and it give me a warn away lol

circuit city $199 installed for a pyton alarm or hornet alarm and yes they disable the stocl alarm. but id just find a good shop and get it done there they will serve you better than a chain store.

i saw something on a car show where it takes a picture either inside your car or outside your car on a given time interval such as every 10 minutes then emails them to you. that way if they steal or damage your car you'll prolly have a picture of them doing it.

but i dont know that might have been a custom one time deal type thing

If I'm going to get that, I might as well get the systems available in South Africa (i.e. tazers, pepper spray, and flame throwers built into the cars).

YES im feeling the flame thrower

Sorry to resurect my own dead thread but posting a new one along the same lines is pointless.
Anyway, can someone scan some installation instructions for the Viper/Python 2 way system (not the one w/ the LCD screen but the moel below it)? I have an electrical savy friend so I want to see how bad is the install.

what do u mean? you havent installed it or its installed and u want this friend to check it??

No, I didn't install it yet so I want to make sure it's not too much of a PITA to tackle at home since I'll have my friend help. I've just been busy trying to get my parents to give me some cash for a junker (or at least take my dad's 200,000 mile F-150 of his hands) but since that failed, I gotta put the alarm in now.