Catalytic Converter theft 4x4 v6 3rd gen

I doubt it. Less than 60 seconds? No.

 

Please be nice! We all know anything can be remove from our Tacoma trucks. Tires , aftermarket lights, most skid plates, rock sliders, etc., including the the whole truck.
Still preventing or making more it difficult is a “big plus”!
It is worth doing!

 

With all the “armor” installed on your truck…under 50 seconds- anyone can still but a dent on your truck…lol

 

Cat thefts are extremely common where I live. A couple months ago we had thieves stealing them in the parking lot at work in broad daylight. I was thinking about a cat skid plate but am now thinking about something like the URD Y-Pipe and removing them all together. Cannot steal what is not there plus I can get money back selling them. No emissions testing here!

 

Some men are better with their tools than others.
I'm not trying to discourage people from using a cat shield. I just dont want people to think it's the permanent solution to catalytic converter theft.

 

I don’t think anyone thinks it’s a permanent solution, but typically it’s a good enough deterrent. I parked at the airport this weekend and saw dozens of Tacomas. Thiefs want to be in and out fast. By the time they spend 15 minutes or more fucking with my skid plates and cat guards, they could have stolen the cats off 4-5 trucks without them, so more than likely they see the guards and move on to the next one.

 

“Prevention is better then a cure.”

 

Dude, who said that having a cat shield is a permanent solution?

 

It's not much different than locking your doors. It won't keep someone out who is determined to get in, but it takes it from being quick and easy to being longer and harder.

Kind of like the 2 guys running from the bear. You don't have to outrun the bear, just the other guy.

 

Stealing catalytic converters should be a serious criminal offense? But it is NOT? Crime is base on the amount of the cost stolen. Stealing one “cat” very light sentences.
I alway grew up believing if you stole something the punishment was the same. Not anymore. So small pretty criminals get to walk and gets probation? Which means nothing to those people.

So stealing “cats” will NEVER END! So much money can be made! Crime is rising everywhere in America, the laws are to lenient today.
Why people do not go to jail? For small crimes? It cost you and me over $40,000 a year to keep one prisoner in jail. While it cost us less then $9,000 tp keep a kid in school.

Do the math. And we keep some for life! Thirty years times $40,000 =. 1,200,000 for one prisoner. Those release on parole will have a 70% of repeat, costing us police work, lawyers ,judges, to put them back in, only to repeat again and again.

How much of us like our taxes to support criminals? No deductible here….lol
Free clothes, food , medical, laundry, rent free, no utility bills, plus many got libraries, TV, Your tax dollar supports there life style. Free welfare!

 

Just wondering how much do these jackasses get for a converter?

 

Good question! Must be worth the effort! Maybe $100.00 per? The recycling companies huge profits! A win for bad guys and a win-win for the owners of the recycling shops. ( hundreds).

One step is too make the recycling companies more responsible? Some States are doing that) , but you can always just ship to another state i, easy too do. America is one of the few countries “criminals” have more rights then you.

 

What I read is they steal your cat here in CA then truck it to NV or AZ for no questions asked recycling or, the new thing is the recyclers are selling them to auto shops because it's faster and cheaper to get a replacement. So they steal it and sell it back to you? I guess that's why they say to have your VIN welded onto your CAT?

 

To weld a vin number is a good idea. Just that anything can be grinded off or removed. (Re-painted or refinish.)
We cannot win…lol

The car manufacturers will need to step in and make the catalytic converters harder to remove.
The wonderful battery operated sawzall tools , amazing efficient for cutting metal and wood.
I don’t know how many trees and branches I cut down this year on the farm. I carry two batteries.
Those swap meet tents, I cut a lot of conduit pipes for different tent applications. Some evening with 4 feet eves, mainly for camping w/side shades.

 

Here is a clip from yesterday's news in East Texas:
"Sgt. Runnels located the converter in the possession of the three suspects in the Tahoe. All three were taken into custody and charged with Engaged in Organized Criminal Activity and transported to the Rusk County Jail."

 

Should all get charged with attempted murder, you know, cats protect against air pollution, and air pollution kills, removing cats = murder

 

I've got the Talons. Easy install, skill plate protection, and hard to get by. Make the person go to the next rig. The cost of the Talons was less than my deductible.

 

They need to Crack Down on the buyers of these stolen Cats. It will stop when there is no market.

 

Screw a ticket, arrested for grand larceny ($250 or more is grand here in MA, your state may vary). This is a felony and I believe has a minimum jail sentence. The issue isn't the law per se in my example, it's enforcing the damn thing. I suspect also it's judges letting people off with a plea etc and/or victims not following through.

Now that's what I'm talking about, right there! I don't know many people who will cut the converter out of their own vehicle unless MAYBE they're replacing it. If so, pretty simple..have someone take a video of you doing it as proof.

I agree in largesse. My state has a limit of value that would make this a felony crime just for the actual property stolen, plus I'm sure additional charges for the damage done to the vehicle in the removal. Fines are helpful at least as deterrent for those purchasing the items. I think jail time is more the answer in this case, especially since how many times do you hear of someone getting caught having only one converter?

Damn good question, not sure the numbers of 4 vs 6 in terms of actual existence. I'll opine part of that might be also the 5 lug version (which requires jacking up versus just sliding under) are more likely the 4 banger.

3 strikes is a pretty drastic measure; that said, perhaps it's effective enough to make it worthwhile. Ideally it's a deterrent more than actual levied punishment. And definitely agreed re the last 2 sentences. I've long said generally speaking the laws protect the wrongdoers more than the law abiders. Friend of mine's car was stolen a while back, turns out the scum they caught had several jail terms and about 150 arraignments in his 40 years (not sure how many convictions).

Of course it would just be the way someone would see it happen, call the police, and we all know what happens next.

I think perhaps it's time for the lawmakers to create a law particular for this. You might have heard of "upskirting", IE taking pictures of someone up their skirt or dress unawares to them. Someone was caught doing this a few years ago in MA and at the time they didn't charge the person..reason being, no real law had the proper language to make it viable to get a conviction. Fortunately the lawmakers added a law with specific language right away so it didn't happen again that someone walked. If the state/federal lawmakers did a similar thing with this crime in particular, you might see something change.

I'll add to what you said re "small petty criminals get to walk and get probation"..any restitution they are supposed to pay is infrequently followed through. Long ago someone destroyed the rear window of my car, costing around $600. The person was caught that night and arrested, charged, and pled guilty. After almost a year of nothing I went to the courthouse and was told the person is in default for not paying. I asked what that means and was told "well if he gets stopped he will be arrested"..they had his address/phone number on file but the police wouldn't go to his house and arrest him despite that. I think in the next few years I got $25 3 times, my suspicion is because they got arrested for something else. Meantime this jerk was driving a brand new truck around.

I agree the cost to keep people confined sucks too, but in the case of the true assholes I think perhaps it's better than the damage they do to innocents.