Best catalytic converter anti-theft device, Gen 2?

I have the cat security shield installed and I am super happy with it. if you place a 2x4 or a hockey puck in between during the install, you won’t have to worry abt rattling.

 

If they pay you directly with a check for the settlement, I'd just install a cheap aftermarket cat, if your state allows it.

Just forget any anti-theft device.

If the fool steals it, the aftermarket cat is not worth much.

 

Looks like Detroit area is rife with thefts, just like most large metro areas lately. Police can’t be bothered to do much. Insurance companies will pay to replace with OEM once or twice without impacting your policy but not sure they’ll just cut you a check without seeing proof of installation.

Although the shields look imposing, as many posts here say, probably just a time delay. May help on your block if noise or time is a deterrent. The OEM on mine was stolen twice from prior owner. Now as a result I have an almost new OEM and car is in garage. But it does impact my ability to comfortably use the car given risk of loss at airports or in large city driving.

interesting other comment above about rattling noise without spacer or hockey puck on cat shield that I hadn’t read previously. I wonder what the heat of the cat does to rubber or wood.

 

just during install!

 

With the aluminum shield it's the 3 nuts at the front of it that are the weak point. Those can be removed allowing access to the front of the cat. The install should include steps to put rivets or tamper proof screws on those nuts, or maybe put some stick epoxy over a couple of them. Any of these will just slow down the removal if someone wants to make the effort, but at least it might not be stolen in a store parking lot.

 

I have the Cat Security shield on mine. No rattles or overheating, no problems with getting the car worked on, and no more worries about getting the converter stolen!

 

My daughter, my friend and I have all had them stolen and then fitted aftermarket cats.
We haven't bothered with security fittings because they're not going to bother stealing them now since they are not worth anything.
Over the past years, my hybrid shop has fitted any number of these now - without ever having one stolen again.

 

"Fitted any number of these" you're referring to aftermarket cats? As opposed to shields? Yeah $200 or less for a aftermarket cat. Better than having a cat shield destroyed and a cat stolen.

For $2-300 doesn't look too difficult to have a sheet metal shop make a shield or make my own.

 

Yes aftermarket cats.

 

You can get one of those power failure sirens that professional security companies use to secure buildings from burglars who shut off the power to the building before breaking in. Then modify it so it sounds and latches on when a sensor wire goes open circuit. Connect one wire to the back of the exhaust pipe, which is hanging and insulated by rubber exhaust hangers, and connect the other end to the chassis. When they cut off one end of the cat, it will trigger the siren. Thieves hate noise. It should also let you know when your exhaust flex joint fails completely.

This actually helps get the thieves caught instead of just encouraging the thief to go to the next vehicle. A thief that isn't caught will always keep coming back to steal something else. That's what those burglar alarm signs do, they just make the burglar keep going until there's a house that doesn't advertise that it has an alarm and overall crime isn't reduced at all.

You could also get a medium carbon steel like 1045 steel or high carbon or stainless or other heat treatable round or square bar. Have it fitted to the front and back pipes around the cat so it can be welded in multiple places to the cat and clamped in at least one spot to the pipes in front or in back. Then have it heat treated to harden it. Heat treating can even be done with just a blowtorch and a water tank to quench it. Then put it on. Those saws that thieves use will not be able to cut through hardened steel.

Come to think of it, you can get chain that is hardened. Grade 70 or higher chain should be hard enough break the teeth off a saw blade. You can weld and clamp that to the exhaust pipe and cat. If the clamps aren't made from hardened steel they could cut the clamps off but that's probably too much work at this point.

Just make sure the exhaust place uses stainless steel welding filler metal. The exhaust pipes are something like 400 series stainless, but it can be contaminated with non stainless steel, which will remove the rust protection and then you could end up with a hole in the pipe where it was welded. Welding stainless is toxic and a proper respirator should be worn.

 

Went to New England recently first hotel stop was NC.

2 guys stole the cat at 4am off an old Dodge van at my hotel right outside my room.

It woke me up as the noise was ungodly but went like 10 seconds then it stopped. Laying there I realized holy shit that’s the sound of a sawzall chopping thru an exhaust pipe. Got up and looked saw nobody.
30 minutes later heard the same sound jumped out of bed pulled back the curtains and a dude was staring at me across the driveway. He was the lookout for the chopper under the car. Apparently they broke the blade the first time and then came back which was alot of balls I thought.
By the time I fumbled with the 2 hotel door locks and opened the door the 2 thieves had traveled 30 feet towards there get away car and runnin fast. I screamed really loud outside the door really just to wake everyone up alert the car owner. Wasn’t gonna chase the guy.
No one got up no one came out and looked…..hotel was packed.

Point of my long story is some people will sleep through anything even though it is an incredibly loud racket. It happens fast though less than 10 secs per cut but very loud in the middle of the night.

These 3 guys got 4 cats in less than 30 minutes cop told me later. Just getting warmed up.

Now it’s groups hitting new car dealers. New Tundra trucks=huge cats and don’t need to Jack the truck up just scoot under it and start cutting.

 

I guess that's true about the noise. Does the bottom of a vehicle need to be lined with razor wire like houses in poor countries now? My idea with chain would work but it could be noisy going over bumps. Some stainless steel wire rope should be resistant to a sawzall I'm pretty sure? It would be easy to put a clamp on it and weld it to a little plate and to the cat, then clamp the ends farther along down the pipe. The materials cost would be quite low!

 

Weld hacksaw blades on there super cheap

 

The ultimate Prius G2 anti theft device is to sell the car I’m afraid. Just not worth it to have a car that attracts that kind of attention. You can get hurt bad defending your car cause people are very prone to violence these days.

But failing that if you don’t live in a CARB state at least sell your cat asap.

Costs $130. for aftermarket cat and $100 to have your factory cat removed and after market welded back in. Then Sell your oem cat on ebay for $1500.
Your up $1100 all in.

Paint your new after market cat bright orange with header paint may not help but will make you feel better. My car actually ran better with an market cat an no OBD code.

 

Ever notice that there are a few stories about recyclers being busted for buying stolen catalytic converters but never follow up stories about them going to jail? Might have something to do with the problem of continuing thefts.

 

If you tape a $50 bill next to the cat, maybe the thieves will take that and go away? That's what my grandma used to do in her house. She would leave $50 or such in a drawer so a burglar would take that and not tear up the house. But one of our family members who had money problems discovered this so she had to put and end to it.

How about this: Set up a sting operation where the thief is followed home. Then blackmail the thief in to giving all the catalytic converters back to you or else you'll turn them in. Then list them on Craigslist as free catalytic converters with a $30 administration fee to get it back. The people have to send in a picture of their cut or welded pipes, or other proof of a replaced catalytic converter. If the pipe length and model of catalytic converter matches then they get it back for $30. You get paid for your time spent finding the thief, and the victims save hundreds or even a thousand dollars, all while making the police look bad which should motivate them to do something about this.

 

How about if we just start enforcing laws and stop playing games.
You sound like a California politician.