Posted on 02/20/2022 7:52:37 AM PST by PROCON
(NEXSTAR) – Should you be worried about thieves stealing your car’s catalytic converter? The answer may depend on what kind of car you’re driving.
Catalytic converters, which help scrub pollutants from your engine’s exhaust, have become more and more attractive to thieves in recent years. Thanks to the increasing prices of the precious metals used in the production — i.e, platinum, rhodium and palladium — an ill-gotten catalytic converter can “typically” fetch between $50 and $250 when sold to an unscrupulous recycling facility, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB).
The pandemic has only driven up demand and prices of these precious metals. Rhodium, alone, is currently valued at over $16,000 per ounce.
(Excerpt) Read more at ktla.com ...
Do the stolen cats go into shipping containers and then to China for recycling?
In Denver....parked in parking lot 20 feet in front of a popular restaurant, 7PM after dark, while having dinner, cat converter stolen from a Honda Element.
$2,000 plus for replacement and $500 +/- for cat converter protective cover.
Partially covered by theft insurance. No other recourse.
“Robust battery powered saws and good metallurgy blades have really sped up this process.”
The yard guy for some friends of ours, parked his van in a busy parking lot. Did some shopping at the big hardware store and went next door to a deli to pick up his lunch for that day.
He was away from his van for about 20 minutes, and his Catalytic converter was sawed off and taken away.
“Hybrids — and Toyota Priuses in particular — are also a “major target” as their converters tend to be less worn than those of traditional automobiles, the NICB said. AAA also reported that Priuses carry more “hefty amounts” of precious metals than many other models.”
Our cul de sac looks like a Prius parking lot. No mufflers stolen, yet, but most neighbors don’t leave their Prius alone in a parking lot. Their spouse or a friend stays in the vehicle while the other one shops.
Another reason to order on line and pickup your order while staying in the vehicle.
Can’t cars run without catalytic converters. The government for required them when cars were going from leaded gasoline to unleaded gasoline. What is the emissions purpose of them now?
The son of a co-worker had his dual-catalytic converters stolen from underneath his Ford Ranger. I would think pickups would be prime targets because they have the ground clearance to get under them. Cars and CUV’s you’d need a hydraulic jack and some cinder blocks to get under. Mostly the thieves look for large unsecured parking lots. The kid lost his at a school lot while he was attending an after school lacrosse practice. They weren’t likely to be interrupted until practice ended. Nailed several vehicles.
Someone stole our church van’s once some years ago.
No morals.
I’ve been thinking of making a shield out of expanded metal and welding an array of 2” common nails to it.
All over Los Angeles it is common place, Hundreds a week. But how else will these yutes get the money they need for thier skittles
Complaining about the theft of their precious little catalytic converters...
The capriciousness of the racist right-wing misogynistic manifest destiny bible thumping maskless mansplainers truly knows no bounds.
These catalytic-converter hording white supremacists guffaw and shriek while the people who actually comprise all that is great about our country reach out for anything - a catalytic converter, another catalytic converter - ANY scrap of sustenance that will ease the burden of oppression.
And yet these monsters, these inhuman bags of terrorist scum, have the chutzpah to complain.
Power to the People!
No, the stolen cats go to the Black Market in California.
The California cats from wrecking yards might go to China for recycling.
“Robust battery powered saws and good metallurgy blades have really sped up this process.”
...and not having to worry about prosecution certainly didn’t help.
They can recycle cats ?
.
Meow
“If you’re going to jack it up might as well bring an impact wrench and steal the wheels too.”
Had a neighbor a few streets over wake up one morning to that exact same scenario. Poor guy.... truck was setting on cinder blocks at all fours.
“No problem, just go to a wrecking yard and buy one from a totaled vehicle, right?”
Same BS here in Texas. They will not sell you a cat even if it’s integrated into the exhaust manifold.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.