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Location: Jonquil City (aka Smyrna) Georgia- by Atlanta
16,259 posts, read 24,752,651 times
Reputation: 3587
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Today when I arrived at work it was discovered that thieves cut a hole in the perimeter fence and then cut the catalytic converters off 12 vans including mine BUT they did not touch the full size chevy vans! I take it that they perfer some models over the others- I do not know if it is simply easier or if the converters off certain models fetch them more cash. I wonder how much they actually get for those things of what it will cost the company to replace them not to mention many of us were unable to go to our daily task because of this.
According to a friend of mine who runs a LEO website, most car thieves specialize in a particular model. They are one-trick ponies, they figure out how to steal a fairly common car (or car part) and don't want to risk additional time "on the job" to figure out how to do something new.
You could have had a different thief show up who would have hit the big vans and left the little ones alone, I guess.
Wow, $360 .... I wonder how much crack or meth that will buy?
You get the gold star!
Wouldn't it be great to "just happen" to be in the right place at the right time, with a high-powered paintball gun, and several hoppers full of paintballs that "just happen" to have been in the freezer for several hours? Idiots might still make off with some converters, but they'd have nipples all over their stupid bodies!
I'll agree it was probably because the thieves could get under the Astro easier.
Yes the precious metal (platinum) inside is worth money. There was recently a story on Americas Most Wanted where a man was murdered because he was carrying used cats off for scrap.
Why they are targeting van is because they sit higher up than a car. They target vans and suv's. They are going after the catalytic converters for the precious metals such as platinum, palladium, rhodium or gold that are used as the catalyst. They then extract the metal and resell it for as much as $6,000 an ounce, as in the case of rhodium. That is why when you need to replace the converter it will cost $1000-1200. Thieves can remove a catalytic converter quickly, often in less than two minutes, so theft can even occur in broad daylight. The only tools a thief needs are a wrench (for converters that are bolted on) or a reciprocating saw (for converters that are welded in). Some thieves bring a mechanic's creeper. Then all they do is slide under the vehicle, remove the bolts holding the converter, and take it. Thieves can remove the unit within a minute or two.
There are a few options that may help prevent this type of theft. Some mechanics suggest welding the heads on the catalytic converter bolts — or simply shearing them off.
The aftermarket has responded by designing products to deter and prevent catalytic converter theft. The idea behind such devices is that if it takes too long to make the steal, the thieves will move on to easier pickings. The CatClamp, for example, which starts at $225, is a hard-to-defeat cage installed around the catalytic converter. This product can be installed by a mechanic or at home with an included specialized tool and is backed by a money-back guarantee.
You say a new cat costs between $1000-$1200 when I've seen them new for $300 and less. Why? Are the cheaper ones not as efficient?
I'm sure the price depends on the model car and quality of the cat. They are very much like exhaust systems. You can get a cheap replacement and it will work, but it's more likely to be more restrictive, which will make your performance and fuel mileage suffer some. I have never had to buy one, but the price I quoted was a factory replacement. I think it was a Toyota model.
Location: Democratic Peoples Republic of Redneckistan
11,078 posts, read 15,074,986 times
Reputation: 3937
Quote:
Originally Posted by Filet Mignon
You get the gold star!
Wouldn't it be great to "just happen" to be in the right place at the right time, with a high-powered paintball gun, and several hoppers full of paintballs that "just happen" to have been in the freezer for several hours? Idiots might still make off with some converters, but they'd have nipples all over their stupid bodies!
I know from first hand experience that that hurts for real (we used to play rough)
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