Catalytic Converter Stolen

[red]

Not me but one of my neighbors . . I wake up at 4:30am to a Loud noise and it must have been loud to wake me up . . so I look out the window and I don't see anything . . I'm not even sure what the noise was so I don't know what I am looking for . . then I go out into the living room and their is a car pulling away 
Then 10 am a car starts up in the street and it is very loud . . so I go outside to talk to the driver he is confused and I tell him someone stole your catalytic converter
The police come and they say someone else had their converter stolen at 4:45 am a few blocks away 
That it only takes them 2 minutes to cut one off.
I hear there is a way to engrave an ID Number on your car but I know nothing about it 
I live in an apartment in a very small suburban town with 8,000 people usually a quiet neighbourhood 

[red]

I forgot my landlord says he will install a Ring Camera

[21incher]

My sister had one stolen from her fairly  new Subaru  Forester and they did $2k worth of damage getting it out. Right  in her short driveway of her townhouse.  They got a couple one night but luckily her insurance covered everything. 

[SwampDonkey]

I've heard of some forestry workers up this way who have had theirs stolen while working off the road in the bush during the day. 

[doc henderson]

Mine is missing off my Duramax, but it is in my shop .  I doubt it is worth much.  I do not know which ones are valuable.  I think they are made with silver, od other precious metals.

[barbender]

There's an old Ojibwe method of taking someone deep in the forest and lashing their outstretched arms to a crossways 10' pole, and then just leaving them. Even better in the summer when the skeeters and flies are heavy. They are free to leave as they are able.

[Magicman]

Maybe I am naive but there has to be a buying market for them to have value.  ??

[red]

I just read a local news report that says 6 converters were stolen that night on Volkswagen and Toyota's . . the police say their are 4 suspects driving a dark BMW X5 

[NewYankeeSawmill]

Maybe I am naive but there has to be a buying market for them to have value.  ??

The active ingredient inside is platinum, and can be scrapped just for that. It's supposed to be illegal to purchased 'used' catalytic converters, but much like everything else, buyers and sellers seem to find each other.

[thecfarm]

Seem like my stepson had a Toyota?, one of those that the converter was worth some money.
It was at a park and ride. They came back after work and started it!!! Shut it right off quick. Looked under it and the converter was gone.
They got the police involved and the cop went to the local scrape yard to check out converters. I guess "they" can match up the cuts.
The scrape yard told the cop to come back tomorrow and they would have them all together.
yep, they were all together to next day, the ends were burned off with a cutting torch.  
Yes, the insurance put another one on, but it was a real cheap one and he had to put a better one on after a few years.
This was about 10 years ago.

[JD Guy]

I cannot tolerate theft and vandalism. I think there should be open season on that scum

[Magicman]

The active ingredient inside is platinum

I know what the ingredient is but anyone buying a whacked off converter knows that it was stolen.  It takes buyers for them to have value.

[Ljohnsaw]

I've been scraping for 3 years now. Recycled 95,000 pounds! Two years ago, you had to have an automotive repair shop license to bring in more than one along with the DMV registration from each vehicle. 

Single cat? Your driver's license and vehicle registration in your name.

About two years ago, no more cats.

[Magicman]

there has to be a buying market for them to have value.  ??

Which goes back to my Reply #6 above.  When a guy drives to the junkyard with 6 in the back of his truck, questions should be asked and proof shown before they can be sold.

I understand that that (Tom) would only happen in the real world, but I miss the real world.

[TroyC]

I took a load of scrap in yesterday. Had a converter a friend left in my pile as it had gone bad and he replaced it. Scrap yard refused it without a receipt of purchase or replacement from mechanic shop.

[Magicman]

Thank you, that was as it should be.  Without a market there is no value.

[Larry]

Simple problem with a simply solution. The real question is why can't we implement simple solutions to simple problems? I know the answer, but in today's political climate impossible to implement without fundamental changes. It seems a majority of folks prefer a life of stress.