Under-car noisemake...
 

Under-car noisemaker...?

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My brother has a Defender 110. I am meeting up with him this summer. I want to attach something to the bottom of it that will make an annoying noise that he will need to investigate. This would be relatively easy, the main challenge being a noise that could be heard above the cacophony that is a Defender 110.

My aim is to install something that will not make a noise immediately, but instead will make a noise later at some point down the line.  My initial though is cowbell ziptied on, but with the bell plugged up with something like potato. Eventually the potato will rot out, and it will start making the noise. Butter would work too, but wouldn't last long in summer heat.

Essentially, I want to install it, but the noise to occur at some time later. If the noise occurs when I am present, or immediately after he has seen me, he will know it was me and won't sweat it so much. Delayed uncertainly is the effect I am going for.

Any ideas?

 
Posted : 17/06/2025 8:44 pm
pondo reacted
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apart from the usual of cable tie to driveshaft or ziptying a harmonica to the chassis, i've no suggestions.

 

 
Posted : 17/06/2025 9:22 pm
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Evil. I like it. A cheap buzzer and battery, maybe inside a tin can to make it more rattly and annoying. For a switch, 2 drawing pins, one each in the opposing jaws of a wooden clothes peg. Wrap solder wire around the other end of the clothes peg to hold the jaws open and drawing pins apart. The clothes peg spring will slowly stretch and overcome the solder wire, allowing the pins to touch and operate the buzzer. Experiment with solder gauge and number of wraps to determine delay.  Spray can black and try to make it look like part of the underside of the vehicle.

Maybe hide a kipper or some frozen prawns somewhere too?

 
Posted : 17/06/2025 9:30 pm
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My immediate thought is as some random wheel weights to a single wheel.  However it is a defender so he won't ever notice a new wobble

 
Posted : 17/06/2025 9:30 pm
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It could cancel out the noise from everything else going wrong on a Defender.

 
Posted : 17/06/2025 9:37 pm
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Harmonica is the classic but I'm not sure that will beat a defender for noise.

 
Posted : 17/06/2025 11:23 pm
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Defender that makes noise is one that is considered working.

I think your plan would be more effective if it was any other type of vehicle.

 
Posted : 18/06/2025 12:44 am
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Posted by: timber

Defender that makes noise is one that is considered working.

Took me a second or two to parse that… 🤣👌🏻

 
Posted : 18/06/2025 1:43 am
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Glitter in the vents.

Rust coloured for preference 

 
Posted : 18/06/2025 7:37 am
smokey_jo reacted
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Hide a cheap mobile phone with a suitable ringtone.

Non-smartphone should last a few days

 
Posted : 18/06/2025 7:46 am
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It reminds me of the builder who was so messed about by the customer that he left an old smoke alarm inside a stud wall.  6 months later the annoying bleep started.

Revenge is a dish best served cold.

 
Posted : 18/06/2025 8:15 am
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Posted by: BigJohn

It reminds me of the builder who was so messed about by the customer that he left an old smoke alarm inside a stud wall.  6 months later the annoying bleep started.

Revenge is a dish best served cold.

That is pure evil/genius.

Continuing the potato idea, what about an emergency whistle blocked up with something like potato, so that it'll start making noise at some point down the line? Assuming the Defender can get up enough speed to generate wind through the whistle.

 

 
Posted : 18/06/2025 8:32 am
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Some type of battery powered alarm clock with unusual sound choices?

This one says it has 10 different sounds, but doesn't demo them all - Amazon - this one has water sounds - amazon

 
Posted : 18/06/2025 10:35 am
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Biscuit tin with a few marbles in it zip tied underneath, packed with something that'll rot down.

 
Posted : 18/06/2025 10:38 am
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Two scenarios that could result from this prank -

Your brother hears the noise, stops abruptly and causes a huge accident with many deaths, or,

Your brother hears the noise, stops abruptly, jumps out and gets slammed into by a lorry/pick up truck, and killed.

 

 
Posted : 18/06/2025 10:46 am
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Biscuit tin with a few marbles in it

That's just what a defenders sound like anyway!

 
Posted : 18/06/2025 11:15 am
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I love a prank... but, what did your brother do?!

 
Posted : 18/06/2025 11:33 am
hardtailonly reacted
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I love a prank... but, what did your brother do?!

He bought a Defender

 
Posted : 18/06/2025 1:19 pm
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Rule #1

On a more serious note I had a proper fright (in normal STW parlance "near death experience") when the driver got annoyed with a rattle and was more concentrated on that and swinging a hammer to try and stop it than the road (70mph French busy nationale in the 70s).

 
Posted : 18/06/2025 1:22 pm
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How much time do you have?  Open the dash and connect the check engine light to an electronic device that turns it on and off randomly.  Although.. it's a LR so scratch that.

 
Posted : 18/06/2025 3:16 pm
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Some maggots from a fishing tackle shop in a tin.  Put a piece of meat or fish in, punch a few ventilation holes in the top and put the lid back on. Put it under a seat.

First you get the awful smell then you get the buzzing as the flies hatch (pupate?) then the swarm of flies when he finds the tin and opens it.

 

 
Posted : 18/06/2025 3:25 pm
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packed with something that'll rot down.

Bits of chassis?

 
Posted : 18/06/2025 5:20 pm
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Posted by: joshvegas

Bits of chassis?

Marvelous!

 
Posted : 18/06/2025 7:22 pm
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I enjoyed this thread . 

 

My only contribution like the builder is I once got a colleagues new notebook flicked halfway through and wrote Ryan's a **** knowing he'd find it months down the line. Very satisfying when he called me at 2am laughing 

 
Posted : 18/06/2025 10:07 pm
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I guy we worked with a while back hid a device that periodically made the noise of a cricket, in the company van. Was over a month of the guys driving the van looking for the cricket and wondering what to do to get rid of it. Just before they started taking body panels out he removed it from under the dash, much hilarity ensued. If that is loud enough to drown out a defender I am not sure. I suspect he made or bought the parts, more likely the former, he was handy with electronics. 

 
Posted : 19/06/2025 8:51 am
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It reminds me of the builder who was so messed about by the customer that he left an old smoke alarm inside a stud wall. 6 months later the annoying bleep started.

 

Revenge is a dish best served cold.

I worked alongside one sparky on a job with a really shitty customer.

He left an old Nokia phone with a PAYG sim wired in behind a stud wall. He used to occasionally call it.

 
Posted : 19/06/2025 9:33 am
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A mate picked up a couple of sets of these a month or so ago. 

 

 

https://amzn.eu/d/eQYSQWp

 

Random noise makers. Last for ages.

 
Posted : 19/06/2025 9:39 am
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The cricket thing is perfect. I have ordered 3 for a swarm approach. Hopefully it won't result in death.

 
Posted : 20/06/2025 12:22 pm
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An alternative that occurred to me, would be a sheet of fairly sturdy black plastic, stuck underneath along the edges, like those plastic undertray things, which have a habit of coming loose and flapping violently up and down once the car’s in motion. When it stops, of course it’s not making any noise, but once it gets up to speed, it should start thrumming in an irritating fashion.

 
Posted : 23/06/2025 3:11 am