Catalytic Converter Theft

[Arizona_928]

Time to straight pipe your cars and trucks

[petrolhead611]

I was so hoping that the jack would collapse on the guy underneath the Prius.
The way they hacked the car to, probably the floor was damaged too, so even more expense for the car owner

[pmax]

Who's the buyer ?

[svandamme]

shady metal recyclers, probably away from the big cities and the victims

[pmax]

Then those in the auto business should know someone who knows ... etc who.

[flipper35]

Originally Posted by mattdavis11

Watch out, the sawzalls cometh! I have visited with 70+ repair shops this week in the Austin, Texas area. Excluding but a few, all have had a call, or have seen what was there, vanish.

Toyota seems to be getting hit the hardest. They are going after Pruis just as hard as the trucks. Honda next, then diesel.

If you have a fleet, get the cameras up.

My brother in law in LA had his cc stolen from his Toyota truck a few years ago. He made it easy for him with 33" tires and small lift.

[pmax]

Where are the precious metal recyclers ?

[svandamme]

Originally Posted by pmax

Where are the precious metal recyclers ?

you asked.. not sure what the point of the question was.. but , hey, i aim to please
so :
http://letmegooglethat.com/?q=precious+metal+recycler+san+francisco+bay+area

[varmint]

Originally Posted by stevej37

$60-$90 here for one.

Sounds like a better deal than ripping out copper pipes. Meth heads everywhere take notice.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

I wonder how often people come across two (motionless, or maybe still-twitching) stranger’s legs sticking out from underneath their car with a sawzall lying on the ground next to them these days, realizing the car fell off the floor jack used to lift it and crushed the world-be thief.

The thought of maybe being lucky enough to see this for myself someday makes me smile. It’d make my day.

[svandamme]

https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/18197902.thief-crushed-death-car-trying-steal-catalytic-converter/

[pmax]

Originally Posted by svandamme

you asked.. not sure what the point of the question was.. but , hey, i aim to please
so :
Let Me Google That

Just checking if any of the industry insiders, fleet owners etc, know who's who in their local food chain...

so these scrappers sell them to junk yards who sell them to the recyclers. The problem doesn't exist without the latter parties of which there can't be that many the further up one goes.

[svandamme]

All you need is a scrap yard with enough volume to blend the stolen cats with legit junk yard cats.
and the right mix of greed / low ethics.

[mattdavis11]

I heard one yesterday that was worth the share.

I was visiting with a customer about the pandemic, stolen cats not covid, yesterday. He told me a story about a friend of his.

His friend bought an aftermarket cat for $150, cut the original cat off the car, and put the new cat in. Then he sold the original cat for $500 and pocketed $350.

Forward thinking.

Another shop told me one customer has brought in their F550 3 times for a new catalytic converter in the last 2 months. OEM replacement each time. He's going to put a cage around the next one.

[daepp]

Does anyone know if whoever is buying them is simply selling them for reinstallation, or if they’re being melted down?

[Tobra]

melted down

[cjh]

The converter thieves have a new trick in Mpl./St. Paul that has been caught recently on video. There are a couple to stolen tow truck cruising neighborhoods and they pick up a car with the wrecker and another guy jumps out of a different car, cut out the convertor with a sawzall and they head off in different directions.

[IS300]

had to fix (make it drive ) my daughters Honda element in the parking lot of where she works... its was at a mall security cameras show a truck with passengers milling about for an hour and a half, before the cut and ran... no plate numbers....

[pmax]

Originally Posted by varmint

Sounds like a better deal than ripping out copper pipes. Meth heads everywhere take notice.

Speaking of copper, the copper in this worth anything ?

No question that stator magnet housing is a keeper, the screws just jump off the table into it when placed over

[john70t]

When this becomes necessary..