catalytic convertors being stolen... (1 Viewer)

mikemiller1955

mikemiller1955

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is this happening where you live?
it's happening here and the trend is increasing...

thieves are targeting catalytic convertors off your car like crazy down here...
the precious metals in them make them a high dollar target...
the platinum...rhodium and palladium in the mufflers...all precious metals worth more than gold (24K)...
it make them a profitable target for thieves....
they are resold to precious metal collectors/junk dealers/scrap yards etc...for $100-$300 each...
no questions asked...
I have seen ads on both Craig's List and Facebook soliciting the purchase of them...
the prime targets are trucks...
as their catalytic convertors are usually larger...containing more precious metals
their also easier to crawl under with a battery operated saw and chop them off in less than a minute...

is this just Galveston or is it happening everywhere?
 
mikemiller1955 said:
is this happening where you live?
it's happening here and the trend is increasing...

thieves are targeting catalytic convertors off your car like crazy down here...
the precious metals in them make them a high dollar target...
the platinum...rhodium and palladium in the mufflers...all precious metals worth more than gold (24K)...
it make them a profitable target for thieves....
they are resold to precious metal collectors/junk dealers/scrap yards etc...for $100-$300 each...
no questions asked...
I have seen ads on both Craig's List and Facebook soliciting the purchase of them...
the prime targets are trucks...
as their catalytic convertors are usually larger...containing more precious metals
their also easier to crawl under with a battery operated saw and chop them off in less than a minute...

is this just Galveston or is it happening everywhere?
Click to expand...

Sounds like a tough town. Would be a shame if one of those thieves was accidentally run over while in the act of sawing off a converter.
 
Mike my nephew works for a recycling company. His job is to go out and find cars that they can buy to only take the cat off. He has a bounty on certain cars for tow truck drivers.
One of the things he says happens is people come to look at a broken down car. Offer the guy 50 bucks to take one park off and they cut the cat off to make 400 to 500 sometimes depending on car..honda is a big one..The prob is the guy who's car it is now has car that can't be used period..
 
Theft of Catalytic converters has been going on for quite a few years over here and yes Honda Jazz being a favourite according to an ex Police woman neighbour who happened to have the Catalytic converter stolen a few months ago, it being easier to access than some types of cars !

Steve
 
wow!
I'm amazed...
it sounds like a world wide problem...

and that's surprising of the UK car of choice...
a Honda Jazz is a smallish sub-compact car...
hard to crawl under...

it's trucks here...
easy to maneuver under...
lots of room...

they should put the VIN number on them...
if it's been filed off...
it's illegal to possess...buy or sell...
 
I haven’t heard of that before but the police in our general area are telling people to lock their cars and not leave their keys in the car. No, I’m not kidding; people do that. They’re mostly interested in high end cars.
 
Martyn...

Holy Smokes!

in that link you posted...
the video shows those guys jacked up and cut that convertor off in exactly 1 minute...
in broad daylight...
with people standing 2 cars away from it...

hard for cops to prevent a crime like that...
 
Has been happening for years by me. These guys are really good at what they do out here. Roll up in a sliding door van like an old astro van and park next to the target. Under the car and pulling out in under 39 seconds. Ridiculous how often it happens
 
to my knowledge...
this just started happening in Galveston a few months ago...
when I first heard of it...
I thought it was a random act...
maybe a revenge act...

then I read more and more articles...
and found out about the precious metals in them...

I would think as it's attached to the car that my comprehensive would cover it...
albeit...I still pay the deductible...
 
Happened twice to the church van parked in the lot in front of our church in recent yrs. They were also siphoning the gas until we put on a lock cap. Chris
 
Mike:

We had this issue a while back a few neighborhoods from mine.

It started out as petty thefts, cars getting broken into, change being stolen from center consoles etc.

It expanded to stolen catalytic converters.

One night a homeowner heard some noise in his driveway, came out with a shotgun, saw someone standing in his driveway with an object in his hand. Thought it was a gun so he fired, blowing the thief’s leg off below the knee.

Turns out it was a kid from that same wealthy neighborhood who was doing it out of boredom.

The thefts ended after that.

-Jason
 
Jason...
was that in Texas or California?
I don't like thieves...
but...
that's an ugly story...
a tough price to pay for some kid's boredom...
 
Panzer ace said:
Mike:

One night a homeowner heard some noise in his driveway, came out with a shotgun, saw someone standing in his driveway with an object in his hand. Thought it was a gun so he fired, blowing the thief’s leg off below the knee.

Jason
Click to expand...

When I see this stuff on the news, I'm really surprised by the lack of fire discipline. People aren't afraid to blow somebody away.
 
Go for Broke said:
When I see this stuff on the news, I'm really surprised by the lack of fire discipline. People aren't afraid to blow somebody away.
Click to expand...

I personally cannot stand thieves...
they benefit from stealing...
while the victim worked hard to earn it...

not trying to sound like a hard man...
but I can live with this story...

someone stealing out of boredom...
as Jason said...was this kid's defense...
it's completely beyond my understanding...

it was a dumb thing to do...
and he is paying for it...
 
Like you, I hate thieves, but I worry about innocents. Hawaii has some tough gun laws. The shooter would go to jail. There are a list of procedures here before you can let loose and proclaim self-defense.
 
Panzer ace said:
Mike:

One night a homeowner heard some noise in his driveway, came out with a shotgun, saw someone standing in his driveway with an object in his hand. Thought it was a gun so he fired, blowing the thief’s leg off below the knee.


-Jason
Click to expand...

I probably would have done the same thing and would not feel my fair destiny was jail...
 
Apologies, my post was not meant to incite a debate, I was merely trying to convey a story of a string of catalytic converter thefts that was brought to an end.

As I recall the homeowner clearly stated that when the thief raised the object in his hand he thought it was a firearm, therefore he reacted and fired. He was an avid hunter who stated he could have very easily put a round in the thief’s chest, rather he chose for a leg shot to simply incapacitate him.

It was notable at the time because the thief’s parents thanked the homeowner for not killing their son and they further acknowledged that fault lay with their son who initiated the whole fiasco by stealing in the first place.
 
Jason...
there is no debate here...
nothing incited either...
just 2 people with brief opinions on an incident...
as far as I'm concerned...
I'm finished with my input...
 
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