Best parking to avoid catalytic convertor theft

[Eddy]

Following  a spate of catalytic convertor thefts was wondering, in the absence of a garage, if front or rear of car hard up to wall overnight might act as a deterrent ? Or maybe side on to wall? if so driver or passenger side? Wouldn't want to make it too easy for them. Car is a ES 2012 mrk2. Any advice/tips most welcome thanks.

[shufty]

...I didn't think MK2 owners had anything much to worry about? 

[Kremmen]

I thought that but I was corrected by a post here stating that the MK2 has 2 cat boxes, one in the engine bay but another underneath.

Worth looking underneath to see which side it is.

[ColinB]

Maybe ask in the Mk2 forum?
https://clubjazz.org/forum/index.php?board=48.0

[Lord Voltermore]

If your car is one where a cat converter is accessible underneath  I  dont think  parking against a wall will make much difference.
 Have  alook at some you tube videos of  cat converter thefts in progress  .They they seem to arrive as a gang, blatantly park nearby, and use a trolley jack to raise the car high.  Then climb underneath, and  can easily reach as far across as needed.  If they need to move the car for access  2-3 men, who have a trolley jack and dont care if the car is damaged  could move it forwards, backwards or sideways in seconds.  They dont seem to care  about safety precautions  or being confronted or caught.     The Devil looks after his own .

[Eddy]

Thanks for replies. Perhaps I need to build a garage.

[shufty]

...I was never concerned about my MK2 although I guess it may depend on where you live. A friend of the wife's had her MK1 cat stolen from not that far away but it never really worried me.

[Lord Voltermore]

Having a garage certainly reduces the period it may be at risk . But they also  target several cars parked in a car park during the day.   As the videos show it can be  very quick , and done openly and blatantly .If a passer by happens to spot them  its easily assumed to be the owner and  a friend  doing emergency repairs to a damaged exhaust.   - even when they casually put the 'old' part into their own car.

I have carried out similar repairs  to my own car in the past  .  Not once did the police arrive.      But they didnt have cat converters in those days.  .

[Jocko]

The big problems seem to be station and hospital car parks. Where cars are left for a longer period of time.
I used to leave my dashcam running when I parked at the local hospital.

[CarolynH]

I have just had some steel bars welded under my car so it cannot be extracted.

[Jocko]

Sounds good, until you come to replace it. Mk2s are not an issue. It is Mk1s they go for.

[Brakballe]

Buy one of these fancy small boxes the farmers use for the fence but for 12v? Then install a stainless steel mesh covering the delicate stuff??!!? 

[madasafish]

Much less platinum in Mark 2 Jazz so hardly worthwhile