1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Catalytic converter with Paint or Etch stolen?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by Aegean, Aug 31, 2022.

  1. Aegean

    Aegean Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 18, 2019
    423
    184
    0
    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    ----USA----
    Has anyone painted his catalytic converter or marked the VIN or used CATGUARD etch labels and still it was stolen?

    What about when it was protected by a shield?
     
  2. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2020
    8,121
    1,407
    0
    Location:
    Durham NC
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    If they have the setup to get it out they're not holding on to your converter they're taking it and getting rid of it the next day paint and all that doesn't matter what happens to all the cars that do this that actually do go to the junkyard a year from now three months from now next morning because the battery dies whatever you see the problem all of these cars now have this stuff edged and $400 plates and all this stuff done and now they're sitting in junkyards they have to go back find the VIN number of the car look all that up and do all this leg work to find out oh yeah that car was actually really putting the junkyard That's why the converters here. So it just creates a lot of leg work that takes actually more time to sort through the poop.
     
  3. ammdb

    ammdb Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 8, 2019
    263
    106
    1
    Location:
    Indianapolis
    Vehicle:
    Other Electric Vehicle
    Model:
    N/A
  4. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    54,710
    38,247
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    I suspect etched VIN’s are not so much intended as a deterrent, more to help cops track down the victims, make convictions easier.
     
    fuzzy1 likes this.
  5. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2020
    8,121
    1,407
    0
    Location:
    Durham NC
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    We've already been through this in the '80s The system is in on crime this is how very quickly you get cars off the road permanently boom done somebody gets convicted for stealing the catalytic converter oops yeah I hear you they're going to go to jail for thousands of years yeah we keep believing that but this takes these cars off the road almost instantaneously I don't know who cares about that or who doesn't. I'll rephrase that it takes most folks cars off the road I'm in the county with no emissions I don't have to do anything I can sit on top of a diesel engine spewing garbage out of it riding down the road with no thoughts about it I don't do that but I could.
     
  6. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2009
    17,118
    10,045
    90
    Location:
    Western Washington
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    In new stories about thieves or organized crime rings busted while in possession of large numbers of stolen cats, the accompanying evidence photos have shown a few orange painted cats in the piles.
     
    #6 fuzzy1, Sep 2, 2022
    Last edited: Sep 2, 2022
    Mendel Leisk likes this.
  7. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2020
    8,121
    1,407
    0
    Location:
    Durham NC
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    And that's the trick they've got to catch the cats while they're still with the criminals or the fence once LKQ gets them they're pretty much finished it's too tough of a you know I mean call it whatever you like it would cost a bunch of money and a bunch of time and a lot of manpower and people sifting through whatever all for the $3,000 cat hell they don't do that for jewelry heists. And these kind of crimes forward an agenda of somebody's it helps take these older cars off the road which the EPA and whoever have been trying to do that since their organizations were conceived. So all in all while it sounds like a good thing to hype up and all that at the end of the day you know most of these old cars these things are getting stolen off of people are on the fence about buying something new selling that off anyway etc etc.