Replacement catalytic converters

Yes it is true. My neighbor had a catalytic converter stollen off his car on his driveway.

 

I could be wrong but I doubt there is much value if they were original cats.

 

I don't know what the value is, but cat converter thefts are a real thing. Theifs like SUVs for the ground clearance underneath and they seem to especially love Toyota trucks and 4Runners.

 

On new cars yes but I doubt there is much left in the way of precious metals in a 38 year old melted matrix cat. I could be wrong though.

 

Very true. Check w muffler shop, or do some internet digging. It's a whole big deal whether they are oem / OBD II etc etc etc. Platinum / Palladium / Rhodium / Cerium can be recovered. You can pretty much gauge the quality of a cat by its scrap value.

 

I used to have a 96 Corvette. I took the factory manifolds and cats off and replaced with long-tube headers and high-flow cats. I kept the old parts in case I ever wanted or needed to put it back to stock. A few years later, I traded the car in, but I still had the cats in my garage. I took them to a recycling center in San Jose, and I believe I was paid somewhere around $60 for them.

Sure, that's nowhere close to "replacement value," but $60 is a lot of money for a thief/druggie. The family across the street had a Toyota truck (Tacoma?) that was street parked. One morning, the cats were gone. They had it towed to the dealer, and they said it was the 2nd or 3rd one they'd seen *that week*.

Apparently Toyotas are easy targets because of ground clearance (the thief can just slide under, no jack required), and easy nut & bolt removal - minimal hand tools required to pull off the job.