Rant: Stolen catalytic converter

Rant: Stolen catalytic converter

Author
Discussion

eybic

9,212 posts

175 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
quotequote all
JLGsDad said:
cib24 said:
Here is how fast they do it in broad daylight as pedestrians walk by outside and people watch from their windows bit refuse to do anything.
https://youtu.be/aUlikgzaDOE
Note the sentry with a length of metal pipe in his hand. I'd do something, even if only shouting from a safe distance and getting my phone out to film and call 999, but I doubt others would.
It's the handle from the jack but yes, I suspect it would be used for intimidation if needed.

ETA: sorry, I was thinking of the next video to autoplay after that one, that's not the jack handle.

ElectricSoup

8,202 posts

152 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
quotequote all
https://www.adrianflux.co.uk/blog/2019/08/catalyti...

"Are some cars victim more often than others?
Vehicles with a high clearance off the ground, such as 4x4s are most at risk. The Honda Jazz and Honda Accord have also been targeted because their older devices are particularly easy to reach. "

Thieves want a to be as quick in and out as possible to minimise the risk of being seen/caught. There's more chance of getting what they want from an Accord or a Jazz apparently, so the risks of failure/capture are lower. So they'll be disproportionately targeted. And a lot of cars don't have specific engine and/or fuel type badging these days, so spending extra time looking and checking increases the risks for a thief. Low hanging fruit is what they're after.

Andy 308GTB

2,926 posts

222 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
quotequote all
I was speaking to an AA Patrolman at the weekend and he said that these thefts were rife & that Prius's were the vehicle of choice. West London got hammered and the activity had started to spread out to the suburbs. He said that from what he was aware of, the pair who stole the Cats would pass each one onto an accomplice before starting on the next car.

Partyvan

464 posts

131 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
quotequote all
OP - I got £650 for the cat off a 2001 Accord Type-R (2.2 petrol) a couple of weeks back. May be a similar cat?

They are notorious for their value. On the owners club the other week, somebody had theirs cut off in broad daylight outside their workplace.

Xcore

1,346 posts

91 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
quotequote all
I weighed a Clio 172 cat in as it had blown a hole in, I got 180 for it! I was amazed.

DaveCWK

2,000 posts

175 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
quotequote all
Wouldn't surprise me if the Accord had a particularly valuable CAT - Honda's of that vintage are well engineered & the prices they go for seem to be fairly random and not really correlated with prestige/engine size. Aftermarket cats are on the whole worthless compared to OEM.

Davie

4,752 posts

216 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
quotequote all
eybic said:
JLGsDad said:
cib24 said:
Here is how fast they do it in broad daylight as pedestrians walk by outside and people watch from their windows bit refuse to do anything.
https://youtu.be/aUlikgzaDOE
Note the sentry with a length of metal pipe in his hand. I'd do something, even if only shouting from a safe distance and getting my phone out to film and call 999, but I doubt others would.
It's the handle from the jack but yes, I suspect it would be used for intimidation if needed.

ETA: sorry, I was thinking of the next video to autoplay after that one, that's not the jack handle.
I've spent my entire adult life hoping that a jack like that wouldn't collapse... yet I sit here thinking "Hmmm, actually..."

HenryHippo

250 posts

97 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
quotequote all
2005 Accord I-CDTI owner here (with badge on back) and someone stole my cat once....

sympathies OP frown

Scottie - NW

1,290 posts

234 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
quotequote all
I own an older Japanese car I sometimes use.

I wonder if the insurance will be cheaper as it's declared as decat and was already low before going 60mm lower still.

Never did I realise these two changes would be anti theft smile

irocfan

40,578 posts

191 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
quotequote all
JLGsDad said:
Note the sentry with a length of metal pipe in his hand.
this ^^ Sorry but I'm not prepared to have some scum beat me frown

E36Dan

7,543 posts

169 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
quotequote all
The older cats are worth quite a bit more than the newer one you've found. That's why they took it.

Sorry to hear that, what a farce.

cib24

1,118 posts

154 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
quotequote all
Partyvan said:
OP - I got £650 for the cat off a 2001 Accord Type-R (2.2 petrol) a couple of weeks back. May be a similar cat?

They are notorious for their value. On the owners club the other week, somebody had theirs cut off in broad daylight outside their workplace.
If you can make £150-£650 for a 90 second job per car to feed your trailer park family and buy drugs, wouldn't you?

55palfers

5,915 posts

165 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
quotequote all
dudleybloke said:
It's quite a problem in Birmingham and they like to target Toyota Prius cats.
Popular car with taxi drivers

Tigger2050

693 posts

74 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
quotequote all
Had a Cat stolen from my Honda Accord 2.3i Type V from on my drive.

The cat converters on these Honda's are particularly valuable they will be able to get a minimum of £300 for it even from the most dodgy scrapper.

Pretty sure it was done by the Irish travellers that had turned up and parked illegally nearby and who the council was going through the legal process to get them moved. The police won't do anything and these 'travellers' know it, they just move on and it is far too much trouble for the police to try and identify and trace them, they commit lower level crimes with impunity (and seemingly immunity).

rallycross

12,825 posts

238 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
quotequote all
Anyone with an older Jap car with a big cat beware.

Where abouts in Surrey are you I can recommend a couple of places who might help weld it back together (depends how rusty the old remaining section is).

Don’t go anywhere like Kwik fit with this problem unless they have someone who is happy to weld old bangers.

A.J.M

7,928 posts

187 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
quotequote all
Sorry to hear OP.

The cats are still valuable so will get stolen.

Last year the flexi pipe on the car of my Disco 3 broke. Replaced and got £60 from EMR for the broken on. Guy cleaned it up to get the part number as the petrol version was worth £200!

I did have to set up an account and cash was paid into my bank account.

JLGsDad

Original Poster:

59 posts

170 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
quotequote all
rallycross said:
Where abouts in Surrey are you I can recommend a couple of places who might help weld it back together (depends how rusty the old remaining section is). Don’t go anywhere like Kwik fit with this problem unless they have someone who is happy to weld old bangers.
Thanks. I have my own welder, but without the missing bits its easier and cheaper just to buy the bits either side. I'm likely to scrap the car though given that the cost will be more than the car's worth.

bighop

138 posts

98 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
quotequote all
Those units are fetching over £700 at the minute where I work and we don't even have the best rates currently.

g3org3y

20,644 posts

192 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
quotequote all
Sorry to hear that OP. Been going on for a number of years. I remember when working in Basildon (I think in A&E or maybe orthopaedics) we had a Trauma Call come into the department. Apparently someone was trying to steal a cat from under the car and the owner jumped in and started driving. I think the thief was dragged for a bit down the road. IIRC, no life threatening injuries (shame), maybe broke an arm or leg, can't quite remember.

cib24 said:
Here is how fast they do it in broad daylight as pedestrians walk by outside and people watch from their windows bit refuse to do anything.

This was around Stratford, London.

https://youtu.be/aUlikgzaDOE
No axle stands. It would be a shame if the jack failed.

Roman Moroni

994 posts

124 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
quotequote all
Last year my Father in Law had 3 taken within a space of 6 months from his MY2003 Prius. Twice whilst playing golf , the third whilst taking the Mother in Law shopping. On the last occasion the car was only parked in a busy Supermarket car park for 20 mins.

On the downside he's had to give up driving because the insurance went to over £1600 (he's 78 y/o). On the upside he can no longer bring the MiL over smile