What is the Best Way to Prevent or Slow Down Theft of Catalytic Converters?

[Taboma]

That's why I love this site practical solutions for stupid ideas.

Stupid, well yes, but trust me, I've spent plenty of time giving many such ideas, some serious thought.
The trick is, to get em bouncing, like they're riding a tazer, but not actually killing them --- killing them could get really expensive and make my ass sore.
I think the most simple solution is to base one's "Shocking" design around an electric fence system with more easily obtained components.
What I'm not quite sure of, I must admit, is exactly what affect this scheme might ultimately have on the modern vehicle's computers, once the would be thief serves as a conductor and completes the circuit.

 

[pronstar]

Wire the pin to a dummy grenade...Mad Max style
A Claymore would be more impressive, but people that know what those are aren't usually stealing converters. Grenades are universally known.

The dude who makes the glitter bombs for package thieves should look into a solution for cats [emoji106]


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[SummitKarl]

back in the old days we would string razor blades under the dash to keep your stereo from being stolen, but the cops turn you into the criminal on that now days (go figure)
here is your $15 dollar solution plus a loaded firearm LOL or just hit the alarm on your key fob, place the sensor at front of property facing the house/driveway it will pick up a rabbit at 100' or just stick the sensor to the underside of your car

 

[just_floatin]

My daughters cat was stolen from the parking lot at her college here in Arizona 5 years ago. 1991 Toyota 4 runner.

 

[lbhsbz]

back in the old days we would string razor blades under the dash to keep your stereo from being stolen, but the cops turn you into the criminal on that now days (go figure)
here is your $15 dollar solution plus a loaded firearm LOL or just hit the alarm on your key fob, place the sensor at front of property facing the house/driveway it will pick up a rabbit at 100' or just stick the sensor to the underside of your car

I got a few of those and actually set it inside my truck on the floor about 4 inches from the drivers door. 3-5 false alarms per night for a few nights in a row. I have no idea why...maybe reflection from headlights in the windows or something? I've got to figure out something else.

 

[SummitKarl]

I got a few of those and actually set it inside my truck on the floor about 4 inches from the drivers door. 3-5 false alarms per night for a few nights in a row. I have no idea why...maybe reflection from headlights in the windows or something? I've got to figure out something else.

back facing the street or it will pick up cars, it will pick up any movement like lizards/mice, you will be surprised what is moving around the yard at night

 

[lbhsbz]

back facing the street or it will pick up cars, it will pick up any movement like lizards/mice, you will be surprised what is moving around the yard at night

It was sitting on the floorboard of my truck with about 4 inches between the sensor and the inside of the door panel. I figured it would alert me only if the door was opened, but evidently it "saw" a bunch of other stuff and kept going off. Motion sensors in the driveway are not an option with all the squirrels and cats and shit that roam the neighborhood.

 

[SBMech]

Stupid, well yes, but trust me, I've spent plenty of time giving many such ideas, some serious thought.
The trick is, to get em bouncing, like they're riding a tazer, but not actually killing them --- killing them could get really expensive and make my ass sore.
I think the most simple solution is to base one's "Shocking" design around an electric fence system with more easily obtained components.
What I'm not quite sure of, I must admit, is exactly what affect this scheme might ultimately have on the modern vehicle's computers, once the would be thief serves as a conductor and completes the circuit.

Meltdown.

It's why they tell you to remove the neg battery term when welding, it's possible to fry all the ECU's if you get some backlash.

Lots of people, including myself, have risked it, but the potential still exists for you to brick yer shit.

IMO all the good tricks like charged capacitors etc with coil wire strung, are negated by simply wearing gloves.

 

[hallett21]

I got a crisp $100 to put your money where your mouth is. I say it's not possible in 20 seconds. Prove me otherwise.

Start in a car, take your tool under any regular vehicle, cut the cat out, and enter another vehicle and be driving away in 20 seconds.

How much meth does he get ?


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[hallett21]

If you park in the driveway. I’d just get a mat and line it back and forth with a cattle fence.

Might be hard to do in the street.

So far welding the cage seems the most practical.


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[Taboma]

Meltdown.

It's why they tell you to remove the neg battery term when welding, it's possible to fry all the ECU's if you get some backlash.

Lots of people, including myself, have risked it, but the potential still exists for you to brick yer shit.

IMO all the good tricks like charged capacitors etc with coil wire strung, are negated by simply wearing gloves.

Thanks for confirming that ECU vulnerability, leather gloves can be defeated with enough potential (Voltage) but then you end up with as crispy thief and some splanin' to do Anyway, fun stuff to ponder when bored.
On the Mike boats, we had a platoon sarg, OK guy, but had a bad habit of coming in our shop and just picking up electrical parts we had laid out on the bench, jobs in progress. So we set up a big electrolytic cap, charged to the max and the day he grabbed that sucker, was the last day he ever touched one of our parts.
Funny thing, my buddy and I were on the docks when he did it, and we could hear him yell and start cussing from there.

 

[Bucketlist]

I have carefully read each and every response and I must say I am at a loss for words...............and I am having trouble deciding on which amazing suggestion to implement. So many many creative ideas here which far exceed a normal sober person’s imagination. So a big heartfelt thank you to those who provided all of these patent pending solutions to this issue.

And I do want to thank the few who came up with actual and viable ideas and facts on this issue.

i did find on the internet a product called “Cat Clamp” which is a universal fit ss cable rube goldberg contraption that is expensive and may discourage theft or only slow down these theiving bastards. I have not yet found a steel plate covering designed for my vehicle. I actually think a custom rebar cage that is neatly fabricated might be the best solution so far.

 

[lbhsbz]

Thanks for confirming that ECU vulnerability, leather gloves can be defeated with enough potential (Voltage) but then you end up with as crispy thief and some splanin' to do Anyway, fun stuff to ponder when bored.
On the Mike boats, we had a platoon sarg, OK guy, but had a bad habit of coming in our shop and just picking up electrical parts we had laid out on the bench, jobs in progress. So we set up a big electrolytic cap, charged to the max and the day he grabbed that sucker, was the last day he ever touched one of our parts.
Funny thing, my buddy and I were on the docks when he did it, and we could hear him yell and start cussing from there.

When I worked at the body shop, we'd only use a surge protector across the battery or disconnect the battery if we couldn't get the ground on the panel / component we were welding.

Example: If I am welding a muffler and I clamp the ground on the pipe or flange 6 inches away from the weld, then that's a pretty direct ground path with little or no chance of anything happening. If I put my ground clamp on the door latch, there's a good chance that ground path with find it's way through something it shouldn't. Following this theory has never let me down.

 

[coolchange]

The old Model T coil.
You can make one with a regular coil and a standard Bosch relay.
Isolate the secondary circuit on a net from the vehicle. Motion sensor to “go hot”.️️️

 

[RitcheyRch]

This might be promising

Catalytic Converter lock | Whitehouse OH | Catstrap

Ranked #1 Most Effective to Prevent Catalytic Converter Theft. Catstrap is a physical barrier shield that locks your cat converter in place. The Cateye catalytic converter alarm activates a 130 dB ear piercing siren when a thief gets close to your converter.

www.catstrap.net

 

[Blubyu]

Punks hit my dads shop over the weekend down in Tucson. In total, 20 cars cut, amongst all of the business in that location.


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[SoCalDave]

Fuk it, just run headers with a cross-over pipe through the stock mufflers.

 

[RitcheyRch]

Here are some options if you own a 2007+ Tundra and 2008+ Sequoia.

Catalytic converter theft deterrent plates and skid plates

07+ Tundra and 08+ Sequoia catalytic converter theft deterrent plates

valhallasshields.com

 

[Ace in the Hole]

Finish the wall !

This or move to texas...property defense is acceptable here lol

 

[Taboma]

The old Model T coil.
You can make one with a regular coil and a standard Bosch relay.
Isolate the secondary circuit on a net from the vehicle. Motion sensor to “go hot”.

Years ago I had a "Shocking" book. It looked like a normal book, except the back and front cover were a metallic foil like covering and the two were isolated from each other.
Had a couple of D cells in it, a thin steel square glued to the inside cover, and a vibrator circuit, with a magnetic tip and spring steel, to make and break the circuit to the high voltage coil. All of these components were inside the hollowed out book --- there were no pages, it just appeared there were.
When you opened the cover, there was resistance as it bent the vibrator up, until the magnetic end released, causing the spring steel to oscillate, causing the high voltage coil to "Fire" numerous times. You didn't get hit just once, it just kept right on rattling your teeth until it stopped vibrating.
I forget what it said on the cover, but when you handed it to somebody and they opened it --- they were in for one hell of a surprise.

Unless there's something to continue to make and break the coil circuit, it only shocks once, this of course in an old car is the job of the points as they open and close with the distributor rotation.

 

[coolchange]

Years ago I had a "Shocking" book. It looked like a normal book, except the back and front cover were a metallic foil like covering and the two were isolated from each other.
Had a couple of D cells in it, a thin steel square glued to the inside cover, and a vibrator circuit, with a magnetic tip and spring steel, to make and break the circuit to the high voltage coil. All of these components were inside the hollowed out book --- there were no pages, it just appeared there were.
When you opened the cover, there was resistance as it bent the vibrator up, until the magnetic end released, causing the spring steel to oscillate, causing the high voltage coil to "Fire" numerous times. You didn't get hit just once, it just kept right on rattling your teeth until it stopped vibrating.
I forget what it said on the cover, but when you handed it to somebody and they opened it --- they were in for one hell of a surprise.

Unless there's something to continue to make and break the coil circuit, it only shocks once, this of course in an old car is the job of the points as they open and close with the distributor rotation.

Used the relay coil for an igniter to get a pulse jet started. It’s like an arc welder️

 

[stonehenge]

 

[FROGMAN524]

Dudes got this down to a science

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[lbhsbz]

Here’s my plan...vibrating sensor on the exhaust to actuate.

“Alarm” is a rack with 5 or so .45 blanks with a firing pin wheel and a linear actuator. Everyone within 1000 feet will call the cops to report gunshots, and they’ll probably show up by the time the guy under the truck gets his head together enough to get up.

....just gotta make sure the system disarms properly when YOU get in the truck.

 

[FCT]

Weld a thick piece of steel to the exhaust pipe both sides do it will take forever to cut through.


Stay away from the ghetto

Happens in nice areas too. My buddy’s got cut out during work hours a week or so ago in broad daylight in lake forest a couple blocks from the police station. we watched the cameras and they took their time with other people in the parking lot and the video showed a cop driving by on the street 10’ from them big balls!

 

[rrrr]

The alarm system on my Excursion rolled over and died about nine months ago. A week later the truck wouldn't start. With my health problems taking precedence, I hooked up a battery tender and planned to deal with it someday.

Last week I called the Ford dealer, and they sent a rollback out to pick it up. Service tech called me and said they had found the fuel pump was inoperative. Then he said "Uh, did you know your cat is gone?" Fuck! I guess that little flashing LED on the dashboard really does deter thieves.

The tow, fuel pump and a couple other things cost $1,400. It cost $797 for a generic cat replacement. The new alarm system was $350, I passed on remote start and all that, just got a basic deal.

Now I'm brainstorming on how to kill the next thief that trys to steal the cat.

 

[monkeyswrench]

The alarm system on my Excursion rolled over and died about nine months ago. A week later the truck wouldn't start. With my health problems taking precedence, I hooked up a battery tender and planned to deal with it someday.

Last week I called the Ford dealer, and they sent a rollback out to pick it up. Service tech called me and said they had found the fuel pump was inoperative. Then he said "Uh, did you know your cat is gone?" Fuck! I guess that little flashing LED on the dashboard really does deter thieves.

The tow, fuel pump and a couple other things cost $1,400. It cost $797 for a generic cat replacement. The new alarm system was $350, I passed on remote start and all that, just got a basic deal.

Now I'm brainstorming on how to kill the next thief that trys to steal the cat.

We have a guy that hits up the local shops for cats. The guy has offered me 600$ plus a replacement for my Excursion cat. He laughed, and offered me a few hundred and a replacement for my shitbox (Prius).
It turns out, I have the two most wanted cats on the planet!

 

[lake p.a.l.]

Move out of Kommiefornia......

 

[lbhsbz]

Move out of Kommiefornia......

Too bad it happens everywhere.

 

[RitcheyRch]

Wow, it broad daylight. Very trusting of that floor jack.

Dudes got this down to a science

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[Keymyster]

I got a crisp $100 to put your money where your mouth is. I say it's not possible in 20 seconds. Prove me otherwise.

Start in a car, take your tool under any regular vehicle, cut the cat out, and enter another vehicle and be driving away in 20 seconds.

Where is your car located? Asking for a friend.

 

[Mandelon]

A good tubing cutter would probably get through exhaust piping fairly quickly and quite silently. Those battery powered 4" angle grinders would be faster but make some noise.

I wonder about sleeve-ing the exhaust pipe on either side of the cat with a heavier steel or cast iron section of piping. That would sure slow somebody down.

 

[lbhsbz]

I got a crisp $100 to put your money where your mouth is. I say it's not possible in 20 seconds. Prove me otherwise.

Start in a car, take your tool under any regular vehicle, cut the cat out, and enter another vehicle and be driving away in 20 seconds.

Where is your car located? Asking for a friend.

Carbide tooth Diablo blades can make a cut in 3” OEM stainless pipe in 5 seconds. That’s what they’re using.

 

[jetboatperformance]

Lawn chair , night vision and a 12 guage (cat theft insurance)

 

[spectra3279]

Just cut them out yourself. Then the thiefs can't getem

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[Backlash]

^^^^ A piece of exhaust pipe, a few flanges, some nuts and bolts and you wont have to worry about your cat being removed. You'd just have to swap the cat back into place every other year for a day or two....