@#$% thieves..catalytic converter

[[JiF]KellysHero]

My catalytic converter was stolen off my Toyota Tacoma 4x4. The thieves are able to slip underneith most trucks and SUV's with a battery powered reciprocating saw and cut it out of your exhaust system. Apparently the 40-50 dollars of platinum in the converter is worth it. I may have lucked out in that it appears the oxygen sensors are still intact (those are $150 each), but an OEM catalytic converter runs $720 plus installation and a few extra parts puts the bill up to over $900. Do have full coverage with a $500 deductable though, just hope my rates don't go up.

If you do have a 4x4 or SUV, keep an eye out for this.

[Sir Die-a-lot]

That'll teach you to drive a guzzling hog !

Now that's out, I sympatize with you, thieves will now stop at nothing. We had some fools try to steal the wiring in the airport lamposts this winter. I guess the first jolt of 1200 volts they got changed their mind ! But we had to buy new covers for about 48 lamposts.

Hope your premiums don't goo up, but they shouldn't if it is your only claim in a while.

[[JiF]KellysHero]

I called to check on the status of my truck. The guy asked if I could hold and he set the phone down, I heard the following conversation...

Woman customer: "I need an estimate on getting a new muffler for my 94 4Runner, my catalytic converter was cut out of it.

Shop guy: "You are the third one today."

Woman customer: "How much do you think it'll run."

Shop guy: "We'll have to take a look first, any idea where they cut it out at?"

Woman customer: "Ummm, they told me,...ummm, from the header all the way back...,oh and I was told he had a yellow saw, the paint was scraped off it."

If that's the case, both her 02 sensors are gone, those are $100 to $150 each, plus the cat, $700 toyota oem (~$200 non-oem), not to mention the muffler, and piping...

[[JiF]corn]

Bring back public hangins.

[[JiF]Lonewolf]

We have had a rash of those thefts around here also. The only thing I have that has one it is my Explorer and if they swipe it then I guess it will get a $20 glasspack muffler in its place as I can't afford to pay the $300 for mine to be replaced.

[[JiF]Mentat]

I have not heard of this in a long time. When my buddy was at UMass Amherst (in the 80's) there was a string of these on campus. They prolly have 15-20 thousand cars on campus there. He had his drive shaft stolen from his truck.

[[JiF]LtWaterboy]

Kel,

Sorry to hear about this. I feel your pain.

Back when I was in NE PA, a car ring in NY/Philly was going around taking the glass roofs off of corvettes (to be sold in chop shops).
They were selling for $1500 back then (new).

They shattered both side windows, by tapping in a certain point that shatters the window into a thousand tiny fragments without setting off the alarms.

Then its a quick pop out & take (unless you have a custom "locking system" on it (just like in your case a few hundred dollars). Still, would be worthless for
the two side windows after the fact, PLUS they would outta spite then damage the roof (to make you buy a new one!).

Happened in my car port under neath me while I was sleeping. 5 other vettes got hit that night, including one brand new one (60 miles on odometer) that was sitting in the Chevy dealership when I took mine in to get fixed...

Cant have anything nice anymore in this world....

LT

[[JiF]Beej1024]

We have been getting killed with copper thefts. We have had a bunch of houses that are empty and for sale that theives have broken into the basement and cut out all the copper piping. Unreal.. What gets me more is the salvage yards that take this stuff in have to know it's ripped off, but they ask no questions, and just pay.

I have 5 of these cases on my desk now.

[[JiF]zougathefist]

a 'funny' thing happeed to my neighbours

I live in a row of terraced, two story houses on a cul de sac, 3 from the end of the terrace.
about two weeks ago i smelled gas when i opened my front door so i called the BG engineers, they came and couldn't detect any gas in my house but could in the street. eventually the eng. found the source of the smell - the end house in the terrace is split into two flats (aptmts) and the gas supply pipe for the upstairs ran along the side of the building from downstairs, about 20ft of 1/2in copper pipe.
somone had ripped the pipe off the wall, prob with a car. the flat was vacant, and i thought i'd smelled gas the previous week.
turns out the gas had been pumping out for 3 1/2 weeks, the landlord of the empty flat received a bill for £859 ($1560), plus £250 ($455) to repair the damage and fit new pipework. not a good week for him. Added to that the fear that his house could've exploded, and they could come back.

seems like the demand for metal will drive crooks to ever new lows

there is also a church down here that has had its roof lead stolen 7 times

http://ts14.gazettelive.co.uk/2007/07/g ... ing_l.html

its a mad world
Z
http://ts20.gazettelive.co.uk/2007/04/v ... ieves.html

and i wonder why?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... China.html