Palladium prices and Cats

[richardfrost]

From the BBC today...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-51171391
More precious than gold: Why the metal palladium is soaring

And linked to from that article, from last year (specifically mentions Honda and the Jazz)...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-49767195
Huge rise in catalytic converter thefts

[sparky Paul]

I was chatting to my scrap man recently, when he told me how much they were paying for mk1 Jazz cats, it all made sense.

[richardfrost]

My son's girlfriend is using my 2005 Jazz SE and as she drove off today the exhaust sounded blowy. I am going to have to see if the cat has gone when she gets back.

[Jocko]

If it didn't sound like a Formula 1 car then the exhaust is just blowing. I started a car I was working on, with the cat removed, and near sh@t myself. There is no mistaking it. Plus if the cat is missing the sensors are missing and the ECU does its thing with warnings and the like.

[sparky Paul]

I started a car I was working on, with the cat removed, and near sh@t myself. There is no mistaking it.

   Yes, it is rather loud!

[richardfrost]

Back in 1986 my Triumph Spitfire exhaust became detached from the manifold (it's a long story, will tell if asked) and for one fun day it sounded like I imagine a real Spitfire might have sounded, at least to me sitting three feet behind it with the lid down.

[JazzMusic]

"the cars that are most often targeted are hybrid vehicles"

[richardfrost]

"the cars that are most often targeted are hybrid vehicles"

I know, I drive a Toyota hybrid and the other car is a 2005 Jazz. I am in double jeopardy!

[VicW]

Is a particular mark of Jazz more prone to being targeted than others?

Vic.

[richardfrost]

Pre 2008, i.e. 1st Gen.

From the BBC article (second link) ...

Honda has a different take on the matter - it says that Honda Accord and Jazz models from 2008 onwards come with a tray under the car to make it harder for thieves to get at the catalytic converter.
And in car models from 2015 onwards, the catalytic converter has been placed within the engine bay, so a thief would need to disassemble the car to get at it.

[Jocko]

My car is very seldom parked anywhere it is likely to get targeted but when I do I manually switch my dashcam on. The battery doesn't last a huge time but there is always the chance I catch the culprits on video. I had considered a live feed from the battery but that starts to get complicated.

[sparky Paul]

My car is very seldom parked anywhere it is likely to get targeted but when I do I manually switch my dashcam on. The battery doesn't last a huge time but there is always the chance I catch the culprits on video. I had considered a live feed from the battery but that starts to get complicated.

Easiest way around that is to feed it via a rechargeable power bank, they are quite cheap now for a decent capacity that would keep the cam going for days.

No chance of flattening the starting battery either.

[Jocko]

Just ordered one from Amazon. Thanks.

[Denis]

The trouble is these cretins look for dashcams and will get to the vehicle from the side  to remove it, oh, and they are not bothered to jack it up on the jacking point either, they jacked mine on the floorpan after ramming it into the door and sill
  I hide my car as best as I can now, its not in plain sight when you drive up my street. The trouble is I dare not leave it for long anywhere except work where it cannot be got at.
 

[sparky Paul]

Unfortunately, as Denis says, it's probably doubtful that a dashcam will deter them. They don't care. I've mentioned before that there are even cases where people have been physically threatened when they have tried to intervene.

On another thread, I mentioned looking at cars at Copart sites, where most of the insurance salvage goes now. You now see quite a few mk1 Jazzes going through, written off after being relieved of their cats, every week.