Any ideas for protecting your cat that doesn't involve stashing the taco away?

With catalytic converter theft on the rise it seems to me like doing something to make your truck less of a target is the way to go. Has anyone done something to secure their cat besides parking next to a prius?

 

They used to sell a handcuff and cable contraption that wove steel cables around it. That’s all I’ve ever seen

 

Nope

Our trucks are old, and therefore the CAT on a lot of vehicles have reached the end of their life.

Newer vehicles have a CAT still fully intact, and have bolts that'll come off easily versus an old truck where even members here have a hard time getting shit apart.

If anything, I'd want the whole truck stolen, that way it just gets totalled out.

 

Here in HI, they just saw the pipes off and gone they're gone in minutes.

 

It seems so cold to leave the girl to the wolves but I see how an old truck like ours might be less appealing.

 

Only sure way is to park it in a garage at all times.

 

At my shop we have been installing a lot of anti- theft shields on the Prius. Just a simple 3/16 aluminum plate laser cut to shape and installed with rivets. I haven’t been concerned about my truck but if I was I think that an extra skid plate covering the access to the cat would slow the thieves down a bit. We have seen many cat thefts in the last year and every one of them appear to be cut off with a sawsall and quite a few have extra damage like fuel and brake lines, coolant hoses, 02 sensor wiring. Some look like a toddler with a sawsall was under there for an hour.

 

Towed in today, literally stole the truck, drove a couple miles away and sawed the cat off. Broke the ignition lock as well, almost all of what I see has additional damage.

 

As long as a Black Market for converters is paying a good price it is going to happen .

It will stop when it no longer is worth the effort.

What do the thieves do stand around till the nights haul is tested to see how many they get paid for??

 

And recovered with Lo-Jack if it hasn’t been stripped already.

Just read Lo-Jack discontinued new sales as of March 2021. They’ll still honor tracking service for owners. Also it costs $99 to inspect if it’s still working. Recommended every two years.

 

I guess that answers my question, I was going to ask isn't it illegal for companies to take a CAT without proof of ownership (vehicle or receipt)? What does the BM use them for? What materials can be melted from it and used for what?

 

I heard they extract the platinum from it.

 

I paid the exhaust guy 300 dollars to fabricate me something like that:





It is kind of skid plate under the cross member protecting cat from being stolen. It's bolted to the frame on one side and welded to the cross member on the other side. It is virtually impossible to stick a saw to cut pipes, but even then there is no way to remove the cut off cat without removing that skid plate. Actually the same shop did replace my catalytic converter few years later, and was easier for them to torch cut the skid plate out and weld it back again instead of dealing with unbolting it.

 

I’ve seen people cover them with expanded metal. If they really want it they could still get it, but expanded metal is a bitch to cut with a sawzall so they’ll probably see it and move on. They do it quick, so anything that’s gonna slow them down or cause problems will deter them. Dude in Anaheim jacked up a Prius to steal the cat last month. His jack failed and it crushed him. Play stupid games win stupid prizes.

 

This is totally worth it. I'll have to ask around in my area. Sure my truck is old but it's my truck and it hasn't left me stranded. I don't feel right leaving it to chance.

Thanks for the idea.

 

Mostly Rhodium and palladium, per ounce they are worth more than gold right now....

https://www.motortrend.com/news/catalytic-converter-thefts-nationwide-on-rise/

Put this on my 2013 Tacoma last night w/ tamper resistant bolts and already have one on my 2020 Tundra.....

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fbce8m2KykU

Here's a video showing the installation of a cat shield on a Honda Element. The company that makes the shield also makes one for the 2nd gen Tacoma. May be able to modify that one or design one that is similar for the 1st gen.

 

Hell yes, let them ALL win a Darwin Award in the act. Give me a permit and I’ll
personally give these cocksuckers some copper coated dessert and leave their ventilated criminal carcasses out by the dumpsters where they belong.

 

Does a set of skid plates cover it well enough?

 

I would love to know where to get these big $$$$ for used Cats I must have 10 or more out in the scrap pile no one wants to load up and haul away.