So, I live in California. Go ahead get it out-- talk about how much it sucks and costs a lot etc. Now that we can move on. I have an idea-- I have the OEM cat on my 2005 prius which in CA is worth $1000-1300 used and about $800 scrap. People are stealing them left and right and they have created a shield to protect your cat which costs $160 not installed. I am thinking of just buying a cheap aftermarket CAT and using that until I need smog then swapping back. Anyone else done this? IS there an easy spot to cut so that the rear portion can fit back and forth easy?
lol, also I am thinking of using some steel cable and then putting hose clamps over the bolts. Maybe making some kind of trip alarm that when cut signals a loud alarm. But I think steels cable wrapped all around the cat would make it pretty detering to thieves
This has been discussed before, but I'm not aware of anyone doing such at this point. The OEM cat is held on by 4 bolts, 2 bolts for the manifold and 2 bolt that connect it to the muffler, and 2 rubber hangers. If you had a direct fit replacement, you could bolt it in and out at will. Depending on where and for how long you leave the vehicle unattended, the least expensive approach could be a piece of expanded metal sheet that would cover up a larger portion of the exhaust system. Less expensive still, could be a tilt sensor, but that would also require having a pair of caring ears around when it goes off. Best to incorporate both, and any others. I've seen some cabled ideas posted in the forum before. But are the roads any better?
Cables and fittings on it = lots of rattles for you to enjoy as you drive. Using an aftermarket cat = the thief doesn't notice it's the wrong kind until he's already chopped it out, in addition to inconvenience of swapping for smog sessions. It's an old car. I'd say just take your chances; it's not going to be on the road that much longer anyway. A protection plate might be okay but they seem expensive relative to the risk.
The exhaust pipe has flanges at both ends so if you can find an exhaust that has the cat cut out you should be able to replace the cat if you know how to work with exhaust pipes. Exhaust Pipe - 2004-2009 Toyota Prius (17410-21500) | Tracy Toyota Parts
Dude in CA they are stealing them left and right. If I park in San jose, San Fran, Oakland overnight it will get stolen. Let alone Sac or any other town. Thieves are smart enough to know what the right CAT looks like. I would also hang a little tag on it saying like bro this is a hollowed out afermarket cat and if I catch you under my car it won't be pretty
I bought a Cap City Muffler shield for $160 shipped and installed it myself. It was a pretty easy job. $160 is a small price to pay vs having to swap catalytic converters in/out of a Prius whenever you have to get it smog tested IMO. And I love California. I lived there for the first 27 years of my life. I wish I could afford to move back.
