Catalytic Converter Value

[Waue1978]

The catalytic converter thefts situation is getting ridiculous in our area.
There appears to be a gang going around a 20 mile radius where I live on a regular basis with no sign of them getting caught anytime soon.
As much as I'd like to think I'd hear them & get out in time to wrap a crowbar round the head of one & drop the car on the fella cutting, the reality is that they'd either be long gone by the time I got there or burn the house down in retaliation if I did catch them.
I have seen jovial comments about removing the original & selling to a scrappy for £300 & fitting an aftermarket job for £70. In reality, is this feasible? Does anybody know how much scrap value a genuine Honda cat would have or would someone like me taking my own cat in just get fobbed off as it being £20?
If a genuine cat really is worth the £300 I've seen quoted previously, then it's well worth my while to get an aftermarket cat & a protective shield fitted & recoup the cost with the scrap value of the original.

[sparky Paul]

Your average scrap yard is going to offer you as little as they think they can get away with, but usually the maximum they will pay is £50-£70, and that's only for certain cats they are on the lookout for.

For the best price, you have to find someone who specialises. I know somebody who buys cats from yards, he takes his to a place in London, who then ships them on in bulk to Germany for processing. The prices he sees are very different to the going rates, and some are worth serious money. He did enquire about the 08 Jazz, and he did tell me what he would get for the cat. I'll not post it on here, I'll send you a quick pm.

[sparky Paul]

I can't pm you, you must have them turned off.

Let us say he gets considerably more than the figures I quoted above, but less than yours!

[RichardA]

I can't pm you, you must have them turned off.

Let us say he gets considerably more than the figures I quoted above, but less than yours!

Waue1978 needs another two posts to reach the threshold.

[Waue1978]

Not really worth messing around then. I'd say the Cat thieves are shipping them across the water for it to be worth the risk.
Which also means that they're part of a large enough criminal group for serious repercussions to land on anybody that actually stands up to them, hence how bold they are with their activities.

[sparky Paul]

There will probably be some organised gangs at it, but I would think most of those nicking cats are probably smaller scale opportunists, they know which cars to target, it only takes minutes... those £50s soon add up. The biggest problem with cats is that they are basically untraceable, and once they go into the legitimate scrap business, that's it.

The bigger scrap yards will be selling them on direct to the exporter in quantity and will be getting decent prices... they still don't really want to pay you much for them though. You have to find a specialist buyer, they are out there.

[Waue1978]

Might just stick with plan A then; drop jack to land car on the guy cutting & jack handle to the head of the guy watching.

[sparky Paul]

Some of these people are happy enough to take you on if you interfere, take care.

[Jazzmeister]

I've seen threads about this issue, they can't be going to all that effort just for the scrap value?

And if they are there surely must be easier and more lucrative things to steal than cutting a cat off a vehicle?

[Jocko]

From the BBC, three days ago.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53854483

[Jazzmeister]

From the BBC, three days ago.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53854483

Interesting, that article mentions you guys also have a copper theft issue, things I thought only poorer near 3rd world countries like SA would have.

Fortunately they haven't cottoned on to catalytic converters round here but they strip metal all and sundry from vital infrastructure in SA and if you leave a building empty for a week or 3 there's a good chance all the copper piping and other metals will probably be ripped out by thieves.

[John Ratsey]

Nature occasionally takes its course https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/18197902.thief-crushed-death-car-trying-steal-catalytic-converter/ .

[Jocko]

My car is kept in the garage, but when I do have to leave it at a hospital or the like (prime locations for the thieves), I leave the dashcam running on an auxiliary power pack in the hope that if I am targetted, I may have caught faces or their vehicle on camera.

[sparky Paul]

After looking at various devices you can buy, I've come to the conclusion that a short piece of rebar (or two) bent to shape and welded to the front pipe is the best (and cheapest) defence. The downside is that you would probably have to remove the cat to do it.

It will render the usual cat burglar's tool of choice useless, but a well equipped and determined reprobate probably won't be stopped.