Skip to main content
Topic: Some jerk stole my catalytic converter! (Read 4010 times) previous topic - next topic

Some jerk stole my catalytic converter!

I have heard of people getting their catalytic converters stolen on the news but never thought it would happen to me. 

I found a screw in one of the tires on my daily driver (Bonneville SSEi) so I thought I would take the Cougar to work today.  It has pretty much rained for the last month and i haven't been able to drive it.  Of course I try to start it and the battery is dead.  Plan C is my kid's car (he only has a learner's permit) so I took it.  It's a Toyota 4Runner.

I was parked right out in front of work all day.  On my way out to leave I noticed an exhaust hanger right under the truck and though "I'm glad I didn't run that over."  I started the truck and heard the nasty sound of a straightpiped toyota V6.  I instantly knew what had happened.  Sometime between 8 and 5 some jackass crawled under it and stole the cat.  It was a long drive home...

1986 Mercury Cougar - 2.3T/T5 swap, TC brakes and suspension and rearend, 3" exhaust, 255 lph fuel pump, Stinger BOV, Gillis MBC @ 18 psi
2003 Chevy Suburban Z71 - Daily driver
2015 Chevy Volt - Wife's daily driver

Some jerk stole my catalytic converter!

Reply #1
Man that sucks!  Sorry to hear.  People are pathetic...
Brian Leavitt
86 TC 5-Speed -- MS2x w/COP | 83lb. Injectors| T3/T4 50 Trim Stage 3 .63AR | Full 3" Exhaust - No Cat | Motorsport FMIC | Ranger Roller |
------------------------Ported E6 | Walbro 255HP | Kirban | Pierburg EBCV @ 20psi | BOV | 120-amp 3G | K&N Cone | 8.8" 3.55 rear |
87 TC 5-Speed -- Cone Filter | Bypassed BCS | Stock Daily Driver
66 Mustang -- Pertronix Ignition Upgrade | Slow-Mobile

Some jerk stole my catalytic converter!

Reply #2
That sucks dude! Sorry to hear it. ( No, seriously, I bet it sounds like shiznit!  :)  Yet another reason why I'm pro-diesel  :D  I hope it doesn't cost much to fix..
1983 Tbird with '03 Split Port V6 motor swap done! Headers, dual exhaust, 500CFM Edelbrock, 3G upgrade, Electric fan. 3.73 Gears and an FRPP Limited Slip. Five lug complete! 5-Speed conversion complete! Standalone Fuel Injection in progress...

Some jerk stole my catalytic converter!

Reply #3
That was such a problem around here, the s buyers capped catalytic converter value at $20. That slowed it down some. S thieves were hitting car lots and taking dozens at a time, hacking up brand new cars and trucks.

If you don't have e-check, I would just put in a piece of pipe. That's what I did on my old van when the cat plugged up. It was a nice straight one. So I measured the gap, and went to the ler shop and told them I needed a pipe, so many inches long, with flared ends. It was like $8 plus two clamps.
CoogarXR : 1985 Cougar XR-7

Some jerk stole my catalytic converter!

Reply #4
In broad daylight even?  I hate thieves!
'88 'bird, 10.9:1 306 w/TFS top end, forged rods/pistons, T-5 swap & bunch of other stuff, 1-family owned, had it since ‘98, 5.0tbrd88 on Instagram and YouTube

Some jerk stole my catalytic converter!

Reply #5
Wtf

People are lame

Some jerk stole my catalytic converter!

Reply #6
Too bad there's no security camera footage?


Here in MO, anyone that doesn't have a reason to be in/on/under your vehicle can be prosecuted by the state as a felony, tampering with Motor Vehicle. Think it's a Class C...though I could be wrong.
'98 Explorer 5.0
'20 Malibu (I know, Chevy, but, 35MPG. Let's go brandon, eh)

Some jerk stole my catalytic converter!

Reply #7
Yep, they did it in the middle of the day.  What's worse is that I was parked right in front of the store where I can just look out and see it anytime. 

I made a police report but I don't have any expectations that the theives will be caught.

There is no camera footage that I know of.  Maybe the grocery store in the same strip mall has some.

No emissions testing here so I will probably just weld in a piece of pipe.  I would put a new converter on it if I didn't think it would just get stolen again.
1986 Mercury Cougar - 2.3T/T5 swap, TC brakes and suspension and rearend, 3" exhaust, 255 lph fuel pump, Stinger BOV, Gillis MBC @ 18 psi
2003 Chevy Suburban Z71 - Daily driver
2015 Chevy Volt - Wife's daily driver

Some jerk stole my catalytic converter!

Reply #8
Yea there's been a ton of that going on here in CA
From what I've heard these people look for factory cats, aftermarket cats aren't worth much for s
IIRC they are getting $50-$100 a piece
1987 T-Bird TC: 5-Spd, 5-lug conv., CHE Rear CAs, '04 Cobra wheels and 13" Brakes, Vac Assist conv: '93 Cobra BB/MC & Wilwood PV, Gutted/Knived Intakes, T3 turbo, RFE6 Mani, Stinger 3" Exhaust & Oil Feed, 255HP Walbro, Kirban AFPR, RR Cam, Esslinger Cam gear and Round Tooth Conv., Gillis Boost Valve, Speedway Dual Valve Spring,  K&N, 130a 3g Alt conv., 140mph Speedo
Running Better Than Ever :burnout:

 

Some jerk stole my catalytic converter!

Reply #9
A reason I suspect for not having a raised vehicle.  Last year I discarded this nice old porcelain china sink at the curb for pickup.  Nothing wrong with it, in fact, I tried selling it first--quality made from the early 1960s.  A metal sper--a lady--came by and tore the sink up removing the POS faucet--I watched from a window.  She left the sink after her considerable faucet effort.  I later looked at the sink and it was mangled and shot. Then there are other jerks--those who are stealing manhole/sewer covers from streets.  What could a faucet be worth to a s metal yard--especially when it is partially plastic and corroded!!!??

Some jerk stole my catalytic converter!

Reply #10
We had a county recycling program picking up old  tube tv's and computer monitors. I was up late smoking a cig on my porch and a bunch of little datsin pick ups pulled up, drug all the screens out in the middle of the road and smashed them all to pull the copper windings out and left all the broken plastic and glass in the middle of the street.
Quote from: jcassity
I honestly dont think you could exceed the cost of a new car buy installing new *stock* parts everywhere in your coug our tbird. Its just plain impossible. You could revamp the entire drivetrain/engine/suspenstion and still come out ahead.
Hooligans! 
1988 Crown Vic wagon. 120K California car. Wifes grocery getter. (junked)
1987 Ford Thunderbird LX. 5.0. s.o., sn-95 t-5 and an f-150 clutch. Driven daily and going strong.
1986 cougar.
lilsammywasapunkrocker@yahoo.com

Some jerk stole my catalytic converter!

Reply #11
I submit that there are much easier ways to make a dollar.  If these thieves would just put that much effort into actually helping society...

When I lived in St. Louis, I was pick-pocketed twice my first week, and my audio in my truck stolen twice in 6 months.  The last time the audio was ripped out, they left a freshly cut 4 ga wire arcing against the floorboard and I lost the whole truck to a cabin fire.  All of that for $400 worth of gear (probably much less at puppies shop value).

We went back two years ago, and while at the city museum, someone smashed the window of my wife's brand freaking new town & country minivan.  They stole the audio headphones for the rear-seat entertainment, messed up the headliner trying to get the overhead screens out.  They took almost $150 worth of "stuff" but did $3,000 damage to the vehicle.  I have a really hard time with idiots like that.

Sorry to hear about your cat.  That's a new one for me.

Geoff
T-Birds can't fly.  Ask how I know...

Some jerk stole my catalytic converter!

Reply #12
im lost,, 

so you get $ for a catalytic?  who would have figured.

Some jerk stole my catalytic converter!

Reply #13
Yup, i got about $80 for my stock y pipe and a hacked up h-pipe.
Quote from: jcassity
I honestly dont think you could exceed the cost of a new car buy installing new *stock* parts everywhere in your coug our tbird. Its just plain impossible. You could revamp the entire drivetrain/engine/suspenstion and still come out ahead.
Hooligans! 
1988 Crown Vic wagon. 120K California car. Wifes grocery getter. (junked)
1987 Ford Thunderbird LX. 5.0. s.o., sn-95 t-5 and an f-150 clutch. Driven daily and going strong.
1986 cougar.
lilsammywasapunkrocker@yahoo.com

Some jerk stole my catalytic converter!

Reply #14
That's crazy, man. It's been a long time since I have heard about somebody stealing cats around here. The s yards are supposed to do a lot more dospoogeenting of people that bring stuff in, so I reckon that's why I haven't heard too much about it anymore.
If worms had daggers, birds wouldn't f**k with 'em