Hello everyone, I'm the new owner of an '07 20K mile V8 Vantage coupe/manual with the Power Pack and Quicksilver sport exhaust. Love the car but this car also came with some *other* aftermarket stuff I really didn't think about much before I bought it, now I'm questioning whether I want it all and how easy it will be to remove:

- Lojack - I live in Indiana and according to Lojack, they don't work with law enforcement in Indiana, so the device is of almost zero value to me. Customer Support not surprisingly wouldn't tell me anything about how to remove their product from the car. I suppose it does very little harm to leave it installed, but I have read it does occasionally transmit on FM frequencies (even when not activated) and I wonder whether it is affecting my FM radio reception (I'll get to that in a bit)
- Sirius FM Modulator kit - I haven't heard good things about the quality, don't want to pay the subscription and it takes up the center console power spot. and of course there is the receiver on the dash that detracts from the car. Overall this is the one I'd like to get rid of the most.
- Passport Laser/Radar detector with front and rear external detectors - This one I'm 50/50 on. I don't really speed, however it might be nice to have a little more confidence that I'm not engaging in "spirited acceleration" in proximity to law enforcement.
- Laser jammer - No idea how effective a system like this even is, and it requires a manual toggle on/off to use. Unfortunately it looks like a small hold was made in the gauge cluster trim piece to show a green LED, so removing this would require replacement parts.
- Extra 12V port - Since Sirius was installed in the accessory spot covering the 12V outlet, an extra 12V port was installed. it just comes out of the back of the cabin on a cable. Looks very sloppy, but it is useful at the moment as there is no other way to charge a phone.

So I knew the car didn't have Bluetooth audio, and I knew I didn't want Sirius, but that's OK, I can live with my local radio. Unfortunately I finally turned on the radio on day 2 of ownership and the reception is horrible. Worse than any car I've owned. I wonder if the antenna simply isn't working, or perhaps Lojack or something else is causing disruption. I really don't want to tear apart the interior of the car to start gutting this stuff, but it just feels like I've got a lot of old-fashioned, outdated, clunky stuff draining battery power on an elegant, timelessly styled car.

Opinions?

 

Has the radio antenna been changer? This is a popular mod and depending on the shorter antenna used your reception can be compromised .

With the exception of the radar detection system I would personally remove all the other stuff.

 

I agree with removing everything except the detector and jammer. Laser jammers are illegal in some places (such as Illinois, by the way, so be careful if you ever come here--they can't stop you for suspicion of having one, but if they see it during a stop, it could be an issue), but I don't believe Indiana is one of them.

 

Many people add aftermarket stuff to their cars... all very personal. It's your car... get it the way you want it.

When I nod my cars, I try to make what I do 100% reversible back to stock. Often if I need to drill into a panel, I will purchase another panel so it can be replaced. Often these panels are rather inexpensive or can be bought used. I make sure I have the part in hand before I mod anything.

 

In Minnesota I had a jammer on my 2007 Vantage (I bought new back then) - they are illegal and I got caught - they could have confiscated my car, instead they allowed me to have it removed and given to the DOT. Like you I don't speed so no big deal anyway.

 

You should find out what jammer you have. Find the base unit under the dash or find the heads with serial numbers. The way you use that is it is left on always. When driving if you get an alarm hit the brakes to the speed limit and immediately toggle the jammer off so the LEO doesn't catch on you are jamming his laser gun.

 

This.

Hypothetically speaking, of course...

 

My Vantage came with a radar and laser jammer system. Love it!

Isn't the Sirius build in to the sound system standard and comes with lifetime subscription? I don't know since I never used it.

 

Alright guys, the Radar/Laser stuff comes up here every now and then.

OP------Remove all you dont want, Radio reception may or may not improve, so don't count on that

1. The escort Radars (many different models including the built in ones) are for the most part very good detectors. It does depend on which one you buy though. The fully installed ones are very good and function well.

2. However, Escort detectors false alarm at an alarming rate typically due to all the various sensors in cars these days for blind spots. Audi, Acura, and some GM models will drive you bonkers. This is the largest issue with any detector company out there. My Radenso false alarms extremely rarely.

3. There are TWO types of Police Radar Detector Detectors on the market and in states where they are illegal this is an issue. Radenso is the ONLY company where their detectors are immune to BOTH police detectors. Escorts, all of them, can be seen by one of the police detectors and not the others. SO BEWARE if your in one of those states.

4. Laser Jammrs------From all the testing I have reviewed, the Escort and all other laser jammers suck compared to AL Priority ones. Kinda like hit and miss. I would not remove them if they were on a car I bought, but I would not install any others but the AL Priority with any trustworthiness.

5. The effectiveness of Laser Jammers depends on the size of the front end of a vehicle and the amount of Jammers. Typical vehicle 2-3 jammers in front are needed.

6. If running the jammers ON, and the Police Laser your vehicle, you had BETTER turn yours off after 5-8 sec or the Police will absolutely know your jamming them. ALOT of jammers now have settings for when they turn on, they only do for 5-10 sec. Then let the police get a reading. Enough time to slow down, but not make the Police overly suspicious. Its a matter of how to use the Jammers as much as it is having ones that work well.

For both the items above, they can be great tools to help remind you to keep your speed within the limits and not get caught off guard. Know how they work and how to utilize them best and most owners will be satisfied for the long run. Turn them on and just go; and you will end up with a ticket at some point wondering how or why they didn't warn you in time, why they never went off, and now why you have a ticket. I have written plenty of radar detector owners tickets all most likely due to they have cheap ones, ones that dont work well, and dont know how they work.

 

Thanks for all the advice, appreciate it. Having the jammer on and having to reach under to turn it off is probably more trouble than it's worth to me. In Indiana it appears to be legal to use a jammer, but of course that's probably a guaranteed ticket to the fullest extent if caught using one.
I'll be going through the forum sticky's planning an eventual removal of the Sirius kit. The Lojack is probably going to be left alone as well, just for the simple reason it's hidden.

Thanks!