Rant: Stolen catalytic converter
Discussion
Beware, there are thieves about.
At around 1200-1300 yesterday the catalytic converter was cut off my 2nd car, a 2001 Honda Accord Type V, in the car park for a nearby Surrey garden centre (well, now more of a coffee shop, kids' play area and artisan shop with a garden centre attached). My car was parked on the end of the front row in clear view of the centre's entrance with people going in and out all the time.
I'm gob-smacked that anyone could steal it where my car was in broad daylight, why no-one responded to the racket the saw must have made and why they stole mine there (there were far larger catalytic converters on the masses of Range Rovers and Audis well away from the entrance). I wonder if I somehow offended scroats in a battered black Ford Ka Mk1 parked next to me (reg unknown as unfortunately my DVR seems to have packed up as I couldn't find any recent recordings, yet another frustration).
The catalytic converter isn't worth much as I can get an aftermarket replacement delivered for £65. However, they cut through the exhaust either side of the catalytic converter which with the loss of the O2 sensors will increase the cost considerably to more than the car's worth. What they'll get is peanuts compared to the cost to me. Replacing the front section will be a pain as access is tight and I have 19 years of rust to contend with, but I'm off work for weeks with a damaged arm & shoulder so will have to pay Kwik-Fit et al to do the work. I may just cut my losses and scrap the car.
I've reported it to the Police. However, they effectively brushed me off with a crime number and recent articles on theft clear-up rates lead me to have no hope whatsoever. Is it no surprise that crime is flourishing when the scroats think they're invulnerable?
Why me? I've had a lot of pain and bad luck recently and this leaves me wondering if I'm now in purgatory as in Life on Mars & Ashes to Ashes.
I hope someone someday gives them the retribution they deserve.
Grrr. Rant over. Thanks for reading.
At around 1200-1300 yesterday the catalytic converter was cut off my 2nd car, a 2001 Honda Accord Type V, in the car park for a nearby Surrey garden centre (well, now more of a coffee shop, kids' play area and artisan shop with a garden centre attached). My car was parked on the end of the front row in clear view of the centre's entrance with people going in and out all the time.
I'm gob-smacked that anyone could steal it where my car was in broad daylight, why no-one responded to the racket the saw must have made and why they stole mine there (there were far larger catalytic converters on the masses of Range Rovers and Audis well away from the entrance). I wonder if I somehow offended scroats in a battered black Ford Ka Mk1 parked next to me (reg unknown as unfortunately my DVR seems to have packed up as I couldn't find any recent recordings, yet another frustration).
The catalytic converter isn't worth much as I can get an aftermarket replacement delivered for £65. However, they cut through the exhaust either side of the catalytic converter which with the loss of the O2 sensors will increase the cost considerably to more than the car's worth. What they'll get is peanuts compared to the cost to me. Replacing the front section will be a pain as access is tight and I have 19 years of rust to contend with, but I'm off work for weeks with a damaged arm & shoulder so will have to pay Kwik-Fit et al to do the work. I may just cut my losses and scrap the car.
I've reported it to the Police. However, they effectively brushed me off with a crime number and recent articles on theft clear-up rates lead me to have no hope whatsoever. Is it no surprise that crime is flourishing when the scroats think they're invulnerable?
Why me? I've had a lot of pain and bad luck recently and this leaves me wondering if I'm now in purgatory as in Life on Mars & Ashes to Ashes.
I hope someone someday gives them the retribution they deserve.
Grrr. Rant over. Thanks for reading.
They do seem to be the latest targets for easy money. The usual M.O is that they will be wearing High Vis jackets so less likely to be looked at suspiciously. For your cat alone they wont get much but add it to the others they have nicked and it adds up to a lot of money for what probably takes them less than 5 minutes to do.
There was a spate of thefts recently in Bracknell and the normal cars they target do seem to be Honda's not sure why but they tend to target Jazz's because they are light and one scrote can lift it up whilst the other cuts it out resulting in exhaust and wiring damage.
There was a spate of thefts recently in Bracknell and the normal cars they target do seem to be Honda's not sure why but they tend to target Jazz's because they are light and one scrote can lift it up whilst the other cuts it out resulting in exhaust and wiring damage.
Sorry to hear about the damage and it make me wonder if the stats released by Police saying that crime is reducing and convictions are increasing is utter crap as I know so many cases of aggravated burglaries are never solved
The only crime that the Police are very successful in getting conviction is drink driving as that is very easy to prove
JLGsDad said:
I've reported it to the Police. However, they effectively brushed me off with a crime number and recent articles on theft clear-up rates lead me to have no hope whatsoever. Is it no surprise that crime is flourishing when the scroats think they're invulnerable?
.
Grrr. Rant over. Thanks for reading.
.
Grrr. Rant over. Thanks for reading.
It amazing how quick they can do it. There was one stolen from a car near us. Main road into the estate, broad daylight, caught on a neighbours CCTV.
Scrotes pulled up in a car at the side of the car stolen from, cant remember what make, but it was a good few years old, and guy got out and jacked it up, whilst another scrote went underneath. What's funny, is that the car had to keep moving out of the way to let traffic past, with no one being concerned. It was done in well under 5 minutes.
Scrotes pulled up in a car at the side of the car stolen from, cant remember what make, but it was a good few years old, and guy got out and jacked it up, whilst another scrote went underneath. What's funny, is that the car had to keep moving out of the way to let traffic past, with no one being concerned. It was done in well under 5 minutes.
But Surrey Police trumpet success:
"The CPS hate crime annual report, published today (Friday 25 October), shows that the conviction rate for hate crimes rose from 84.7% in 2017/18 to 85.4% in 2018/19.
In total, 164 hate crimes were prosecuted in Surrey in 2018/19, a slight fall from 189 the previous year. Hate crimes are where either hostility is demonstrated at the time of the offence or where the crime is motivated ‘wholly or partly’ by hostility based on perceived religion, race, sexual orientation or disability. The figures also show that the volume of homophobic and transphobic hate crime dealt with by prosecutors in Surrey fell from 20 in 2017/18 to 15 in 2018/19. Disability hostility crime still remains low, with just six cases dealt with by the CPS in Sussex in 2018/19. "
Clearly those 164 crimes are far more important than the 000s of crimes affecting people like me. My mate's firm has got so fed up with the Police just letting shoplifters go that they've started private prosecutions. Don't expect the promised rising police numbers to make a difference; they'll probably be PCSOs, who aren't even allowed to ticket illegally parked cars and lie to avoid doing work (I stopped several cyclist cycling far too fast on my town's pedestrian precinct and when I later grabbed 2 PCSOs they lied that they had no powers; they don't have many, so knowing that they can stop, demand the details and issue a fixed penalty notice for cyclists on pavements shouldn't be hard).
Grrr. Second rant over.
"The CPS hate crime annual report, published today (Friday 25 October), shows that the conviction rate for hate crimes rose from 84.7% in 2017/18 to 85.4% in 2018/19.
In total, 164 hate crimes were prosecuted in Surrey in 2018/19, a slight fall from 189 the previous year. Hate crimes are where either hostility is demonstrated at the time of the offence or where the crime is motivated ‘wholly or partly’ by hostility based on perceived religion, race, sexual orientation or disability. The figures also show that the volume of homophobic and transphobic hate crime dealt with by prosecutors in Surrey fell from 20 in 2017/18 to 15 in 2018/19. Disability hostility crime still remains low, with just six cases dealt with by the CPS in Sussex in 2018/19. "
Clearly those 164 crimes are far more important than the 000s of crimes affecting people like me. My mate's firm has got so fed up with the Police just letting shoplifters go that they've started private prosecutions. Don't expect the promised rising police numbers to make a difference; they'll probably be PCSOs, who aren't even allowed to ticket illegally parked cars and lie to avoid doing work (I stopped several cyclist cycling far too fast on my town's pedestrian precinct and when I later grabbed 2 PCSOs they lied that they had no powers; they don't have many, so knowing that they can stop, demand the details and issue a fixed penalty notice for cyclists on pavements shouldn't be hard).
Grrr. Second rant over.
It's too late for you OP but there are some protection devices available:
http://www.catsafe.org.uk/index.html
They say if you have it installed by an approved installer & your cat is still stolen they'll pay £250.
http://www.catsafe.org.uk/installation/index.html
http://www.catsafe.org.uk/index.html
They say if you have it installed by an approved installer & your cat is still stolen they'll pay £250.
http://www.catsafe.org.uk/installation/index.html
Interesting. My hunch was that as the prices of the rare earth metals used have risen, catalyser's have become more efficient.
Apparently, this is true...
So those of us driving old bangers need to watch out!
Apparently, this is true...
some random website said:
How Much Is a Catalytic Converter Worth?
The Short Answer...
Depending on the age and type of vehicle, the PGMs in a catalytic converter can be worth anywhere from $200 to a rare $1,000. The new and/or smaller cars being closer to $200 or possibly even less. The larger, older vehicles being closer to $600 and up.
As a general rule: the older the vehicle, the more platinum present in the catalytic converter.
Source: https://www.websitewithnoname.com/2015/10/how-much...The Short Answer...
Depending on the age and type of vehicle, the PGMs in a catalytic converter can be worth anywhere from $200 to a rare $1,000. The new and/or smaller cars being closer to $200 or possibly even less. The larger, older vehicles being closer to $600 and up.
As a general rule: the older the vehicle, the more platinum present in the catalytic converter.
So those of us driving old bangers need to watch out!
Chedders said:
Had mine stolen off my Accord a few years ago, it was starting to get common on the forums about this problem back then. Quite amazed they are still at it, no idea what it is about the 6th gen Accord they target 
Mine was a 1999 2.0 Executive.
Perhaps a combination of the precious metal content of that cat and ease of removal?Mine was a 1999 2.0 Executive.
t, like every other car?JLGsDad said:
Beware, there are thieves about.
At around 1200-1300 yesterday the catalytic converter was cut off my 2nd car, a 2001 Honda Accord Type V, in the car park for a nearby Surrey garden centre (well, now more of a coffee shop, kids' play area and artisan shop with a garden centre attached). My car was parked on the end of the front row in clear view of the centre's entrance with people going in and out all the time.
I'm gob-smacked that anyone could steal it where my car was in broad daylight, why no-one responded to the racket the saw must have made and why they stole mine there (there were far larger catalytic converters on the masses of Range Rovers and Audis well away from the entrance). I wonder if I somehow offended scroats in a battered black Ford Ka Mk1 parked next to me (reg unknown as unfortunately my DVR seems to have packed up as I couldn't find any recent recordings, yet another frustration).
The catalytic converter isn't worth much as I can get an aftermarket replacement delivered for £65. However, they cut through the exhaust either side of the catalytic converter which with the loss of the O2 sensors will increase the cost considerably to more than the car's worth. What they'll get is peanuts compared to the cost to me. Replacing the front section will be a pain as access is tight and I have 19 years of rust to contend with, but I'm off work for weeks with a damaged arm & shoulder so will have to pay Kwik-Fit et al to do the work. I may just cut my losses and scrap the car.
I've reported it to the Police. However, they effectively brushed me off with a crime number and recent articles on theft clear-up rates lead me to have no hope whatsoever. Is it no surprise that crime is flourishing when the scroats think they're invulnerable?
Why me? I've had a lot of pain and bad luck recently and this leaves me wondering if I'm now in purgatory as in Life on Mars & Ashes to Ashes.
I hope someone someday gives them the retribution they deserve.
Grrr. Rant over. Thanks for reading.
At around 1200-1300 yesterday the catalytic converter was cut off my 2nd car, a 2001 Honda Accord Type V, in the car park for a nearby Surrey garden centre (well, now more of a coffee shop, kids' play area and artisan shop with a garden centre attached). My car was parked on the end of the front row in clear view of the centre's entrance with people going in and out all the time.
I'm gob-smacked that anyone could steal it where my car was in broad daylight, why no-one responded to the racket the saw must have made and why they stole mine there (there were far larger catalytic converters on the masses of Range Rovers and Audis well away from the entrance). I wonder if I somehow offended scroats in a battered black Ford Ka Mk1 parked next to me (reg unknown as unfortunately my DVR seems to have packed up as I couldn't find any recent recordings, yet another frustration).
The catalytic converter isn't worth much as I can get an aftermarket replacement delivered for £65. However, they cut through the exhaust either side of the catalytic converter which with the loss of the O2 sensors will increase the cost considerably to more than the car's worth. What they'll get is peanuts compared to the cost to me. Replacing the front section will be a pain as access is tight and I have 19 years of rust to contend with, but I'm off work for weeks with a damaged arm & shoulder so will have to pay Kwik-Fit et al to do the work. I may just cut my losses and scrap the car.
I've reported it to the Police. However, they effectively brushed me off with a crime number and recent articles on theft clear-up rates lead me to have no hope whatsoever. Is it no surprise that crime is flourishing when the scroats think they're invulnerable?
Why me? I've had a lot of pain and bad luck recently and this leaves me wondering if I'm now in purgatory as in Life on Mars & Ashes to Ashes.
I hope someone someday gives them the retribution they deserve.
Grrr. Rant over. Thanks for reading.
JLGsDad said:
But Surrey Police trumpet success:
"The CPS hate crime annual report, published today (Friday 25 October), shows that the conviction rate for hate crimes rose from 84.7% in 2017/18 to 85.4% in 2018/19.
In total, 164 hate crimes were prosecuted in Surrey in 2018/19, a slight fall from 189 the previous year. Hate crimes are where either hostility is demonstrated at the time of the offence or where the crime is motivated ‘wholly or partly’ by hostility based on perceived religion, race, sexual orientation or disability. The figures also show that the volume of homophobic and transphobic hate crime dealt with by prosecutors in Surrey fell from 20 in 2017/18 to 15 in 2018/19. Disability hostility crime still remains low, with just six cases dealt with by the CPS in Sussex in 2018/19. "
Clearly those 164 crimes are far more important than the 000s of crimes affecting people like me. My mate's firm has got so fed up with the Police just letting shoplifters go that they've started private prosecutions. Don't expect the promised rising police numbers to make a difference; they'll probably be PCSOs, who aren't even allowed to ticket illegally parked cars and lie to avoid doing work (I stopped several cyclist cycling far too fast on my town's pedestrian precinct and when I later grabbed 2 PCSOs they lied that they had no powers; they don't have many, so knowing that they can stop, demand the details and issue a fixed penalty notice for cyclists on pavements shouldn't be hard).
Grrr. Second rant over.
Well, there you are then;- the cops are doing really well prosecuting the victims of catalytic converter theft, who complain about itinerant, dark skinned, religious, LBGTQ catalytic converter thieves."The CPS hate crime annual report, published today (Friday 25 October), shows that the conviction rate for hate crimes rose from 84.7% in 2017/18 to 85.4% in 2018/19.
In total, 164 hate crimes were prosecuted in Surrey in 2018/19, a slight fall from 189 the previous year. Hate crimes are where either hostility is demonstrated at the time of the offence or where the crime is motivated ‘wholly or partly’ by hostility based on perceived religion, race, sexual orientation or disability. The figures also show that the volume of homophobic and transphobic hate crime dealt with by prosecutors in Surrey fell from 20 in 2017/18 to 15 in 2018/19. Disability hostility crime still remains low, with just six cases dealt with by the CPS in Sussex in 2018/19. "
Clearly those 164 crimes are far more important than the 000s of crimes affecting people like me. My mate's firm has got so fed up with the Police just letting shoplifters go that they've started private prosecutions. Don't expect the promised rising police numbers to make a difference; they'll probably be PCSOs, who aren't even allowed to ticket illegally parked cars and lie to avoid doing work (I stopped several cyclist cycling far too fast on my town's pedestrian precinct and when I later grabbed 2 PCSOs they lied that they had no powers; they don't have many, so knowing that they can stop, demand the details and issue a fixed penalty notice for cyclists on pavements shouldn't be hard).
Grrr. Second rant over.
Sorry to hear this OP, as someone who runs a 2004 Honda FR-V as a family runabout I should be concerned.
How do they actually detach it, hand held angle grinder through the exhaust at each end? The reason I ask is that our catalytic converter heat shield came off through rust last year, normally something I would have replaced myself but having taken a look at the amount of caked on rust under there I left it to my local indie.
How do they actually detach it, hand held angle grinder through the exhaust at each end? The reason I ask is that our catalytic converter heat shield came off through rust last year, normally something I would have replaced myself but having taken a look at the amount of caked on rust under there I left it to my local indie.
PurpleTurtle said:
Sorry to hear this OP, as someone who runs a 2004 Honda FR-V as a family runabout I should be concerned.
How do they actually detach it, hand held angle grinder through the exhaust at each end? The reason I ask is that our catalytic converter heat shield came off through rust last year, normally something I would have replaced myself but having taken a look at the amount of caked on rust under there I left it to my local indie.
Essentially yes, they get under the car and cut the exhaust either side of the cat and remove it. Honda's do seem to be a target unfortunately.How do they actually detach it, hand held angle grinder through the exhaust at each end? The reason I ask is that our catalytic converter heat shield came off through rust last year, normally something I would have replaced myself but having taken a look at the amount of caked on rust under there I left it to my local indie.
boz1 said:
Source: https://www.websitewithnoname.com/2015/10/how-much...
So those of us driving old bangers need to watch out!
I think thats a load of rubbish.So those of us driving old bangers need to watch out!
I had 3 cats for sale late last year and got told by numerous real world sources that at best i'd get around 20 quid a cat.
In the end it wasn't worth the time, hassle and 30 mile round trip to sell them so i threw them in a skip!
Suspect a lot of the websites stating these prices are like WeBuyAnyCar...they'll promise you a good price but in reality you'll get next to eff all "depending on condition".
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