Hi friends, Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. At the beginning of the pandemic, when lots of catalytic converter thefts started happening in my neighborhood, I came on this site and asked for advice. Per the advice I got, I bought a catalytic converter cover here: CapCityMuffler.com Thankful to report, that I have nothing to report. On the nextdoor site for my neighborhood, there are have been lots of thefts reported. They happen in the middle of the day, in crowded areas. Things are that grim here in Los Angeles. (I keep all my documents on my person - not in the glove compartments, and I keep my glove compartments wide open to show there is nothing in there.) Recently, my neighbors are recommending getting upgrades to their already existing covers, as well as specific alarms. Is this overboard? Would love to get your thoughts on this. Thank you in advance. The site where I bought mine has an upgrade kit: https://www.getcatsecurity.com/p-upgrade-kit-for-catalytic-converter-anti-theft-shield-2004-2009-toyota-prius-catscr2upgd Here is the alarm my neighbors are recommending: Racewill Catalytic Converter Anti Theft Alarm: Motion Alarms for Car Catalytic Convertidor, 113dB Super Loud and Waterproof (Upgrade) on Amazon
Can't see the image or link for the alarm, try to copy-and-paste the image or link, or just enter the make/model. Depends, can you afford the 3k+ for a replacement cat, and supply chain issues that may be many months long for the replacement part.
Racewill Catalytic Converter Anti-theft Device, Catalytic Convertor Anti Theft Alarm Car Motion Sensor Not sure how useful this will be. Only a couple of reviews 3 out of 5. Better to have it with a PIR motion detector rather than the device itself triggering alarm when it is moved.
How about something that totally prevents them for cutting where they're gonna cut Seems to me Rolls Royce would be welded-on steel bars arrayed around the cut zone, would thwart them. Maybe slip steel tubes over the bars before welding on too, to slow them down if they try to cut through all the bars. Since I've zero welding skills, I've tried wrapping the cut-zone with chain, secured with every wrap or two with nut/bolt, the outer most ones with permanent thread-lock. Maybe high-temp JB weld could sub, with the steel bar method? The bars could be something like 1/8" or 3/16" diameter, quite close together? Or a similar welded wrap with expanded metal mesh?
---- Thank you, Mendel! This forum really does blow my mind. Did you draw that? Wow. Anyway, for a simpleton such as myself, I am thinking I may stick the cover I have, since I'm not convinced that adding more would significantly protect me more. I wonder why the manufacturer didn't already include the "upgrade" in the first model. It sounds like I'm getting upsold, and if you remember my experience with the tire shops recently, I'm a little leery and weary.
More on an expanded metal mesh option, at the cut zone. Make it long enough that it couldn’t be slid forward or aft, would bump into a bracket. If it even could be slid. Fasteners with oversized fender washers, and either bolts (with perm thread lock) or strong pop rivets. The outstanding flanges preferably small enough that the top half could fit round top of muffler without need to drop it. I’ll take break, appreciate I’m drifting lol.
Meh, business smarts, gumption, nerve, are not my strong suites, lol. But I do like spinning ideas; I try some of them.