Catalytic Converter thefts are rising...

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Svnla

Svnla

Lifer
Nov 10, 2003
17,999
1,396
126
True story. I was at the recycling place today to get rid of some aluminum cans and at the cashier station, there was a sign that they would buy junk cars and would pay you extra $50 if you still have the catalyst converter with the junkie car.

BTW, the price for aluminum cans is higher now. It is about $0.47/lb., up from about $0.25/lb. a few months ago.
 
FelixDeCat

FelixDeCat

Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
29,181
2,042
126
They were hitting our parking lots for months at work in DFW. They would mostly choose p/u trucks.
 
Scarpozzi

Scarpozzi

Lifer
Jun 13, 2000
26,389
1,778
126
My neighbor growing up always called them Cadillac converters...even worse, he once told my dad and I that he was thinking and pulled all the "Ligaments and tenants" in his head. I leaned over and whispered, "You think people are really living in his head?"
 
Fritzo

Fritzo

Lifer
Jan 3, 2001
41,886
2,128
126
Scarpozzi said:
My neighbor growing up always called them Cadillac converters...even worse, he once told my dad and I that he was thinking and pulled all the "Ligaments and tenants" in his head. I leaned over and whispered, "You think people are really living in his head?"
Click to expand...
My mother in law hilariously mispronounces things all the time and we just start repeating things she says back to her as a running gag. She says things like "bob wire" and "jew-ry" and "man-aiyse", but the best one was when we were at an outdoor even recently and they had a "Dippin' Dots" stand that she kept calling "Dippity Doots".

"Oh wow! Let's get some Dippity Doots!" :oops: :tearsofjoy:
 
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Linux23

Linux23

Lifer
Apr 9, 2000
11,303
671
126
I just don't understand. Why would anyone want to convert a cat into something else???
 
Scarpozzi

Scarpozzi

Lifer
Jun 13, 2000
26,389
1,778
126
Fritzo said:
My mother in law hilariously mispronounces things all the time and we just start repeating things she says back to her as a running gag. She says things like "bob wire" and "jew-ry" and "man-aiyse", but the best one was when we were at an outdoor even recently and they had a "Dippin' Dots" stand that she kept calling "Dippity Doots".

"Oh wow! Let's get some Dippity Doots!" :oops: :tearsofjoy:
Click to expand...
My mother used to do something like that. She would accidently say the wrong word or invert things. There was a spider on the dashboard once, for instance...she pointed at it and screamed, "OHH NO!! A SWEATER!!!"

We're from the mid-south, but were driving down the road outside of Mobile, Alabama and saw an armadillo (not seen where we live). She exclaims, "Look! An Amarillo!!!" We all looked at each other with the puzzled look...."A yellow what???"

Finally, she was listening to the radio once and said, "I just adore Garmon and Sciefunkel!"

Yeah...needless to say, those are always running gags with us.
 
Fritzo

Fritzo

Lifer
Jan 3, 2001
41,886
2,128
126
Scarpozzi said:
My mother used to do something like that. She would accidently say the wrong word or invert things. There was a spider on the dashboard once, for instance...she pointed at it and screamed, "OHH NO!! A SWEATER!!!"

We're from the mid-south, but were driving down the road outside of Mobile, Alabama and saw an armadillo (not seen where we live). She exclaims, "Look! An Amarillo!!!" We all looked at each other with the puzzled look...."A yellow what???"

Finally, she was listening to the radio once and said, "I just adore Garmon and Sciefunkel!"

Yeah...needless to say, those are always running gags with us.
Click to expand...
Haha....not sure what's up with that. One of my favorites used to be "Oh..you have an upset stomach? Maybe try taking that there Pep-timol Bisy--mol!"
 
Scarpozzi

Scarpozzi

Lifer
Jun 13, 2000
26,389
1,778
126
Fritzo said:
Haha....not sure what's up with that. One of my favorites used to be "Oh..you have an upset stomach? Maybe try taking that there Pep-timol Bisy--mol!"
Click to expand...
Only if I can chase it with a glass of PINEEO-GREEGEEO.
 
KeithP

KeithP

Diamond Member
Jun 15, 2000
5,659
198
106
Remove the cat yourself and reinstall it when you have to do a smog check. Problem solved.

-KeithP
 
S

s0me0nesmind1

Lifer
Nov 8, 2012
20,828
4,777
146
How much is something like that when selling 2nd hand?

Gets real pathetic when they start stealing hub caps lol.
 
FelixDeCat

FelixDeCat

Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
29,181
2,042
126
KeithP said:
Remove the cat yourself and reinstall it when you have to do a smog check. Problem solved.

-KeithP
Click to expand...

Not a problem if:

1) You dont mind driving around sounding like a Harley on steroids.

2) You like dumping more unburnt hydrocarbons into the environment and extra smelly exhaust.

3) You dont mind having the check engine light on all the time when you drive around (you'll get code P0420).

4) Breaking emissions laws in several states

5) May affect engine performance negatively since most cars use oxygen sensors to set set fuel richness, so you will may have issues like carbon buildup, lower MPG, etc. The heat and back pressure in the exhaust system are used in the cars air/fuel ratio calculations.
 
Last edited:
KeithP

KeithP

Diamond Member
Jun 15, 2000
5,659
198
106
FelixDeCat said:
Not a problem if:

1) You dont mind driving around sounding like a Harley on steroids.

2) You like dumping more unburnt hydrocarbons into the environment and extra smelly exhaust.

3) You dont mind having the check engine light on all the time when you drive around (you'll get code P0420).

4) Breaking emissions laws in several states

5) May affect engine performance negatively since most cars use oxygen sensors to set set fuel richness, so you will may have issues like carbon buildup, lower MPG, etc. The heat and back pressure in the exhaust system are used in the cars air/fuel ratio calculations.
Click to expand...

1, 3, 5 have viable workarounds. If our government can't pass proper regulations, and then enforce them, regarding catalytic converter theft then I have no problems with 2 and 4. But to each, their own.

-KeithP
 
K

killster1

Banned
Mar 15, 2007
6,208
475
126
MtnMan said:
Local police indicate that the Prius is a common target simply because the converter is so easy to remove. Suggestion to prevent it is to back into parking, so the rear end is over a curb or one of those concrete barriers.
Click to expand...
its not just that but the Prius uses the cat less since its hybrid. but who knows if that would yeild a better price when you go to sell it heh never tried to sell one and new cats are really not 1000$ check out ebay for some new ones, just getting the california compliant ones are a pain / expensive
 
lxskllr

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
57,426
7,613
126
Years ago I had a van that lost the guts to the converter. It was just an empty shell. It easily passed emissions, and this was back in the tailpipe days, so it wasn't just a computer oversight.
 
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