People who buy SUVs because they think the extra ground clearance gives them a better vantage point in traffic are at risk of losing their catalytic converters for the same reason. The Los Angeles Times reports that catalytic converter thefts have skyrocketed over the festive season; high-rise vehicles are the targets of choice. The Times says the platinum-rich converter, valued at $40-50 by scrap-metal dealers, is gone in 90 seconds. In the past month, thefts were reported in Los Angeles, Pasadena, the Bay Area, Sacramento, Seattle, Virginia, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C., and Tennessee. Since there are no serial numbers or any other identifying marks on the converters, nabbing the thieves requires catching them in the act. Crime-prevention experts recommend parking in a garage (thanks). Alternatively, you can weld the converter to the exhaust system to foil the socket-wrench-wielding thieves– and thusly avoid a $1k replace and repair bill.
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Wait…people are stealing them and flipping them for cash? Dangit, I threw mine out. Crud, I coulda used the extra cash, too.
“Alternatively, you can weld the converter to the exhaust system to foil the socket-wrench-wielding thieves– and thusly avoid a $1k replace and repair bill.”
In my experience most are welded to the exhaust pipes, not clamped with socket-wrench friendly nuts.
One of the modern cordless Sawzalls can make short work of that pipe with the correct blade in seconds though.
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How funny, I heard the same thing from a guy I know who works at a junkyard. He recommends everyone rip the cats out before scrapping a car. That and anything aluminum. (mostly wheels)
You’d surprised how much money is in a fully depreciated car.
I can’t remember the last time I saw an OEM converter that wasn’t welded on…
Why spend a $1000 to replace a stolen one? Wouldn’t a piece of straight pipe do the job.
Robert Schwartz
Why spend a $1000 to replace a stolen one? Wouldn’t a piece of straight pipe do the job.
Not if you had a state emission test to pass.
$1000? Puhleaze…they sell these red “cherry bomb” mufflers out of a whisky barrel at Pep Boys. If Freddie Felon steals the cat from my jacked Justy, it’s gonna cost me $35 ($29.99 for the bomb and $5 for some JB Weld). As for state emissions, when the Ron Paul Revolution takes place, there won’t be anymore inspections. All those are is a conspiracy between the state and the guys who make the little bulbs in the CEL lights. It’s a complete sham, like the moon landings…
The Nissan Maxima Xeon headlights were surprising easy to remove from the cars. the dealer got a few grand for them too, making them a popular theft item.
No wonder junkyards don’t sell these things.
Once this gets around, the copycat crackheads will go nuts. Sales (or thefts) of Li-Ion powered Sawsalls will increase as well.
Around here, they’re targetting vacant houses; they bust in and strip out all of the copper plumbing (sometimes wiring if they have the time).
Good luck to anyone who tries to get my rusty bolts off with a socket wrench.
The houses don’t even have to be vacant for the thieves to strike. My mother had the copper downspouts stolen from her older home in suburban Pittsburgh some years back.
To All those who Think A Straight pipe will work, NO GO. On Cars Built after 1996 The computer moniters emission levels before and after the cat to determine the proper fuel/air rations…so those cars will not run well without them. Not to mention in Emission states, they so a Visual check for the cat, not just the tail pipe probe for the test.
Um. This happened to me either today or last night I kid not.
Old Toyota 4×4 parked on my driveway.
The bastards must have capitalized on the storm. Impossible for anyone to hear anything.