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Car Forum / Driving, Maintenance, Tuning / Maintenance and Repair / February 2008

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Catalytic Converter thefts.

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cuhulin@webtv.net - 03 Feb 2008 13:00 GMT
Watching local news on tv, some thieves are going around town the auto
junk yards and stealing catalytic converters.About a week ago, the same
news alert was on another local tv station news channel.I think the tv
news people said one ounce of platnium is worth $1,500.Keep a close eye
on your catalytic converters.
cuhulin
Frank - 03 Feb 2008 13:41 GMT
> Watching local news on tv, some thieves are going around town the auto
> junk yards and stealing catalytic converters.About a week ago, the same
> news alert was on another local tv station news channel.I think the tv
> news people said one ounce of platnium is worth $1,500.Keep a close eye
> on your catalytic converters.
> cuhulin

According to my quick Googling, there's only about 1.5 grams of
platinum/palladium in a catalytic converter which makes it worth about
$5.  Thieves aren't rocket scientists and neither are the TV reporters
whose report might encourage thieves ;)

Frank
Scott Dorsey - 03 Feb 2008 15:17 GMT
>According to my quick Googling, there's only about 1.5 grams of
>platinum/palladium in a catalytic converter which makes it worth about
>$5.  Thieves aren't rocket scientists and neither are the TV reporters
>whose report might encourage thieves ;)

Local radio station recently had someone pull up all their ground radial
cables to sell for the copper.  However... the cable was all copper-clad
steel and really worth nothing.  Took about a week of work to get a new
ground system laid, too.
--scott

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"C'est un Nagra.  C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

boxing@sasktel.net - 04 Feb 2008 15:47 GMT
i see some of guys around here steal copper from construction sites.
maybe that pays better.
cuhulin@webtv.net - 04 Feb 2008 17:01 GMT
There are some people around here that steal anything that isn't in Fort
Knox.
cuhulin
Master a.shole - 05 Feb 2008 04:04 GMT
We've had thieves here drilling holes in gas tanks and stealing gas, then
cutting the exhaust pipes with
battery powered saws to steal the catcon's as well as the gas!

> There are some people around here that steal anything that isn't in Fort
> Knox.
> cuhulin
HLS - 05 Feb 2008 20:04 GMT
"Frank" <frankdotlogullo@comcastperiodnet> wrote in message
> According to my quick Googling, there's only about 1.5 grams of
> platinum/palladium in a catalytic converter which makes it worth about $5.
> Thieves aren't rocket scientists and neither are the TV reporters whose
> report might encourage thieves ;)
>
> Frank

As of today, platinum is about $1700 per ounce. Palladium is about $400.

1.5 grams of platinum is worth more like $75-80, and the equivalent
palladium would be worth about a fourth of that.

Still, there are a lot of people who would be happy to steal that much
money.
If they werent too lazy to cut the catcon off the car.
cuhulin@webtv.net - 05 Feb 2008 20:26 GMT
Many years ago, Russia turned out some kitchen pots and pans that had
real platinum in them.I once read about it in Antique Trader.
cuhulin, the Antique
scott21230@gmail.com - 08 Feb 2008 18:34 GMT
And I point and laugh at these SUV owners who get their catalytic
converter stolen.
John S. - 08 Feb 2008 20:32 GMT
> "Frank" <frankdotlogullo@comcastperiodnet> wrote in message
> > According to my quick Googling, there's only about 1.5 grams of
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> money.
> If they werent too lazy to cut the catcon off the car.

Yeah, there have been several articles like that.  They are probably
just selling the converter outright to less than scrupulous
recyclers.  I can't imagine those thieves are doing any meltdown and
recovery.   There can't be many places that actually refine and
recycle exotic metals like that.
Paul Hovnanian P.E. - 11 Feb 2008 00:54 GMT
> > "Frank" <frankdotlogullo@comcastperiodnet> wrote in message
> > > According to my quick Googling, there's only about 1.5 grams of
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
> recovery.   There can't be many places that actually refine and
> recycle exotic metals like that.

They sell them to unscrupulous repair shops to get vehicles to pass
emissions tests.

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Paul Hovnanian     mailto:Paul@Hovnanian.com
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There is no place like 127.0.0.1

cuhulin@webtv.net - 11 Feb 2008 04:47 GMT
Another reason I prefer old, old, old vehicles.Nothing much to worry
about with them.
cuhulin
Nicholas - 11 Feb 2008 05:49 GMT
>Another reason I prefer old, old, old vehicles.Nothing much to worry
>about with them.
>cuhulin

Except passing emissions tests and finding replacement parts.  Not to
mention the fact you can't find leaded gasoline around anymore.

Nick
John S. - 12 Feb 2008 18:10 GMT
> > > "Frank" <frankdotlogullo@comcastperiodnet> wrote in message
> > > > According to my quick Googling, there's only about 1.5 grams of
[quoted text clipped - 28 lines]
>
> - Show quoted text -

If the convertor on a given car is dead and not catalyzing then how is
it wrong or unscrupulous to replace the bad one with a used but still
functioning good one?
E Frank Ball III - 12 Feb 2008 20:01 GMT
>> > Yeah, there have been several articles like that.  They are probably
>> > just selling the converter outright to less than scrupulous
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> it wrong or unscrupulous to replace the bad one with a used but still
> functioning good one?

It's illegal to sell or install a used converter (which means they are
probably selling stolen parts as new), otherwise there's nothing wrong with
it.

Signature

  E Frank Ball  frankb@sonic.net

Harry Face - 11 Feb 2008 15:38 GMT
One Chicago Nissan dealer got hit by Catalytic Converter thieves in
2007. Close to 30 were stolen off new cars on the lot. They estimate the
damage at $30,000 to repair / replace the exhuast systems.

A friends daughter had one stolen in broad daylight from her ten year
old Regal parked on a fairly busy street in a downtown Chicago.

Police say it takes less than 30 seconds to cut off a converter if your
using a good Saws All.

harryface
91 Bonneville 311,440
05 Park Avenue 65,036
 
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