Best Catalytic Converter guard for a 3rd gen?

I like this idea with a mix of Security T, torx and hex.

 

Anybody on here ever go the razor wire route. Seen a pic of someone cat wrapped in sharp blades and wire. At least make them earn it.

 

Doubt this deters anything. Ths is more for political optics. Pretty sure people that steal these cats and the ones that buy stolen cats don't give two shits about any law.

 

This exactly. Plus a law is worthless if the police/justice system doesn't actually enforce it

 

From a mechanics point of view. If I were to be a theif...

Bolts wouldn't matter a theif is gonna bring a sawzall a prybar and maybe a grinder with the minimal tools to lift / jack. Not a whole ass toolbox of stuff trying to match socket bit or head size. It's all about sliding under, cutting, and sliding out.

So it's about time. A sawzall can cut just about anything very quickly. The grinder will suppliment if it's needed.

Put a plate / guard / whatever on there that's going to make them think "fuck that's a lot of cutting" or something thick enough / big enough to wear down what's likely an already worn out blade. If it covers the whole area so they can't even see the cat; then they have to guess at where it is and that's a huge time loss.

It's all gambling. Time and escape on their end. Time money and if you're even targetted for the car owner. Theres no guarentees anywhere so just aim to make it a giant pain in the ass if they pick you.

 

I get not having to go through the hassle of getting the cat replaced is beneficial, but these thefts are typically covered by insurance, and some of these covers are super expensive. Also, NICB has stats from where thefts are most commonly occurring. If you live in a major city where thefts are common and do a lot of community parking, and/or don't have a garage, seems like this would make sense. Everyone else is wasting their money.

 

just literally got my cat cut on 1/11/2023 in a suburb of Dallas, TX. Reason why I'm here browsing this thread

 

MillerCat was a pretty easy install with no lift.

 

I looked into this galvanic corrosion. Isn't the TRD skid plate alluminum? Are there any steel skid plates for 2wd models? Just had cats stolen on my 3rd gen. Gotta protect my 2nd gen now

 

That's what I was thinking. My deductible is $500, I don't think its worth the time, effort, and money to buy and install a cover that may or may not work

 

I opted to go with a cat shield even though my deductible is only $250. Why? The inconvenience of not being able to drive my Tacoma for days or even weeks while a new cat is ordered, and then the hassle of taking it in for the repair would cost me way more than the cat shield. There are plenty of unprotected Tacomas out there to steal the cat from, any thieves interested in mine will see the shield and move on to the next.

 

Good for you

 

Just talked to Jennifer at ADD Automotive. Good price($360.00). Included S&H and Tax. The install price is the same. I checked with my local Toyota dealer and they wanted 3x's this price for something similar installed.

 

What's the current stats in your area for 3rd gen Tacoma's? I'm making a trip thru Colorado this month.

 

Exactly and they use a lift to install it properly and quickly. Great folks.

 

Colorado passed new laws, outlawing shops from buying the converters or components of them. I honestly haven't seen a theft come up in a few months since it passed. Criminals can't sell them any more so they stopped stealing

 

Which suburb?? I always worry about my taco around DFW. Car theft is rampant here. Sorry this happened to you.

 

Every time I hear of of a cat being swiped, I wonder about mine; I live in a moderately high crime area and have no garage, so the first thing I did was put a Cat Shield on my Tacoma. Yeah, many say, "If they want your cat, they'll get your cat." However, others say, "Even though cat shields are relatively easy to defeat, given how plentiful Tacomas are, the thieves can probably find another one in the same parking lot without a shield; easier pickings."

Long story short, this forum has had lots of posts from folks who've had their cats stolen, but I don't believe I've seen a single post from someone who had a shield and still had their cat cut off.

 

I haven't either.

It's more of a deterrent and gave me piece of mind.

One of the firsts purchases I made shortly after joining TW and reading about thefts. lol

 

This post is almost 2 years old and around here I've seen a decline in cat thefts. I still don't regret having one on my truck for the same reasons despite the fact that it's mostly parked in my garage or gated lot at work. It takes under a minute for them to get snagged and the cost and time to get you back on the road is worth more than what I paid for my shield.