Catalytic converter theft protection (1 Viewer)

[J1000]

I don't understand how people are getting any value out of a stolen catalytic converter now-a-days? When they show up to a junk yard with a hacked off cat doesn't the yard get suspicious... Maybe they just don't care?

Also, how is someone hacking off parts from your truck without the owner knowing? If some jerky boy was under my truck stealing parts I think I would know but I guess in certain environments the theft can be undetected.

Firstly, no. No salvage yards or scrap dealers give a damn that it was obviously stolen and that they are funding drug abuse by buying them. The only thing that anyone can do is engrave their VIN into the cat in the vain hope that it is recovered by police and then they can use that VIN to find you and you can say "yes it was stolen." Talk about a long shot.

The reason it's kicking up again is because the EPA is winding up to change regulations. Also, locally, a new Colorado law took effect January 1st that all catalytic converters installed in Colorado must either be OEM or CARB certified. That's why they are getting cut out. You can get a cheap cat for $50, but a CARB certified cat is $500. If you are an exhaust shop, now you have to quote someone a $1000 job that should only be a few hundred.

Colorado tests emissions on all vehicles 5 years or older or newer than 1975 every 2 years. Let me say that again. Nearly every vehicle in Colorado gets physically tested on a rolling road, but the cat needs to be CARB certified why???


More $$$ out of our pockets for literally no reason.


The cats were stolen from my truck (luckily not my LX) on Easter morning around 4am. Sorry for not paying attention.


edit: I know for a fact the thieves only care to steal OEM cats because I replaced the rearmost cat on my 80 series LC with a cheapo and the meth heads cut out the front OEM cat and left the cheapo in place. They did not steal the cheapo cat from the car next to it, but then got the OEM cat from the Dodge right next to that one. They took every OEM cat in the whole parking lot.

 

[Pucker5]

Firstly, no. No salvage yards or scrap dealers give a damn that it was obviously stolen and that they are funding drug abuse by buying them. The only thing that anyone can do is engrave their VIN into the cat in the vain hope that it is recovered by police and then they can use that VIN to find you and you can say "yes it was stolen." Talk about a long shot.

The reason it's kicking up again is because the EPA is winding up to change regulations. Also, locally, a new Colorado law took effect January 1st that all catalytic converters installed in Colorado must either be OEM or CARB certified. That's why they are getting cut out. You can get a cheap cat for $50, but a CARB certified cat is $500. If you are an exhaust shop, now you have to quote someone a $1000 job that should only be a few hundred.

Colorado tests emissions on all vehicles 5 years or older or newer than 1975 every 2 years. Let me say that again. Nearly every vehicle in Colorado gets physically tested on a rolling road, but the cat needs to be CARB certified why???


More $$$ out of our pockets for literally no reason.


The cats were stolen from my truck (luckily not my LX) on Easter morning around 4am. Sorry for not paying attention.


edit: I know for a fact the thieves only care to steal OEM cats because I replaced the rearmost cat on my 80 series LC with a cheapo and the meth heads cut out the front OEM cat and left the cheapo in place. They did not steal the cheapo cat from the car next to it, but then got the OEM cat from the Dodge right next to that one. They took every OEM cat in the whole

I’d blame all the lib Californians moving to Colorado. Colorado policies are sure to start looking more like Colorado’s. Heard Denver’s tent city is looking more and more like d-town la with the city doing nothing about it

back to trucks, really anxious to hear an article about someone being caught stealing a cat and getting a dose of Wild West justice.

 

[Ayune]

Oregon will soon have a law addressing this:

Oregon Senate Bill SB 803: "Prohibits scrap metal business from purchasing or receiving catalytic converters, except from commercial seller or owner of vehicle from which catalytic converter was removed. Prohibits dismantler from acquiring catalytic converter that has been removed from vehicle." Passed Senate 4/21/2021 25-2; Passed House 6/7/2021, 55-0.