You've got a point, but I think I read somewhere that after market cats are of no value to metal recyclers as they don't contain anywhere near the amount of precious metals that the manufacturer's originals do, so I'm hoping that the thieves are aware of this if they happen to jack it up next time.
After all, you can buy a replacement cat from BM or EEC for around £70 inc VAT and delivery, and as they all seem to be constructed from a low grade stainless steel, the cost of the steel plus the work involved in fabricating it and delivering it suggests that there can't be more than a few quids worth of precious metals in there.
My view is that the cheap replacement cat should be viewed now as a "consumable". They're guaranteed for three years ( if that's worth anything), and you just carry on until there's an issue with the sensors or the MOT emissions and then just buy another one. They keep old cars on the road for not much money in all honesty.
The car is now back on the road. The kit all arrived by DHL on Monday after ordering on Friday, so very good service and contained.
The cat (BM - British cat manufacturer)).
Two Woods O2 sensors fitted with the correct Honda electrical plugs, small sachets of copper lube and even the grommet for the rear sensor which comes up through the centre console to plug into the loom by the bear stick.
The centre section of the exhaust (EEC - British manufacturer) complete with the triangular gasket to connect fit between the cat and the new exhaust section ( but not the three 10mm bolts and nuts to clamp the flanges together)
A selection of rubber hangers, the strange spring bolts and nuts and the conical gasket that goes between the rear box and the centre section.
Access is pretty easy when you have a two post lift, but wouldn't like to try it lying underneath the car.
I was praying that the two bolts holding the cat onto the exhaust manifold would come out OK as the rear box ones were corroded so much that the bolts sheared off, but Honda have obviously though of this and with a a 14 mm socket and a couple of half inch socket extensions, once they were loosened, they wound out very easily.
Fitting was a doodle then - re-used the conical gasket at the exhaust manifold end and the bolts and springs there as they were all very good ( but added a bit of copper lube to the threads for good measure) and apart from the centre section exhaust hangers being slightly off, the exhaust sat very well under the car.
The worst part of the job imho is trying to work out how the Honda electrical plugs come apart, especially the front O2 sensor as it's not easy to get to with the new cat in place. Make sure you get the old one disconnected before fitting the cat. Also be aware that on that one, it's the O2 sensor plug end that pushes onto the fixed bracket and the loom end that comes free ..... lost probably a couple of hours working that out
Also, I left the old sensor cable in place and cable tied the new cable to the old one as there are at least three "very fiddly looking and very difficult to get to" plastic cable clips plugs that were probably best left there.
Only thing I didn't think looked quite right was the angle of the flange on the new back box, but it did fit and it is gas tight, but it doesn't quite look right, but as that's not part of the kit, I'm probably being a bit picky.
Cleared the fault codes (when the engine was started with no O2 sensors attached) and everything seems fine, though possibly I need to play with the orientation of the back box a little.
I would definitely recommend this kit if you're doing it yourself ... not quite Honda quality, but keeps the car on the road rather than the insurance company writing it off.