First post here in 10 years... because my catalytic converter was stolen :-(

You might be able to do it on the cheap for a little while, at least until your vehicle inspection comes up then the visual inspection will be failed unless the mechanic doing the work isn't very thorough. The other challenge is that the seller of your cat that would work fine in most states won't sell them in California so you're going to have to get someone outside your state to buy it. Here's a link to a low price high quality cat plus their map: https://www.ebay.com/itm/195197617160

 

If you have full coverage on your car, you don't need an official police report. Just report it to your insurance company and get the process going. There may not be any OEM parts available for purchase, but your insurance company may be able to get you a rental car until the parts become available.

In CA you cannot legally put an aftermarket Catalytic converter on, however some people are able to get an aftermarket part from online market places (craigslist, offerup, facebook etc). These options are fairly cheap and you can weld on the part yourself.

 

That map is something

 

Seems to me until you do for an inspection you can just put a piece of pipe there and drive while you're making that money living in California so when the part does become available you can buy it for $3,000 and have it installed maybe by then you'll be out of the car who knows and then what can they do when you're inspection comes up they just fail you they don't do anything and tell you you're not supposed to drive the car that's when you go to Colorado with your car for a while or something and work there.

 

There is a section dealing with stolen cats.

Use the search forums link up top and search

stolen cat

 

Anyone with a stolen Gen 3 cat in California needs to watch this YouTube video to see the options for a replacement.

There is only one case I know of of someone who installed a California legal aftermarket converter,

Check out this Priuschat thread.

Magnaflow CARB Catalytic Converter | PriusChat

 

Put a non carb cat on then put a shield over it. Inspection won’t remove the shield to check the actual cat. Easy peasy.

 

They are required to check for numbers embossed on the cat at the CARB inspection station. Covering it with a shield that does not have an inspection port is a FAIL.

 

No need for welding... They're direct fit replacments.

 

That might be true for Gen 2 aftermarket converters, but not for Gen 3 models. Aftermarket Gen 3 converters do not come with the exhaust engine pre-heater and must be welded to the entry point of the preheater. f the thief destroyed the pre-heater, your only option would be an OEM replacement from Toyota.

 

Just rig up a pipe to help quiet the car down a little Make sure that the oxygen sensor wires aren't shorted tape them up hang them up somewhere where they're not going to get burned and drive the h a l e out of the car until your next inspection comes up and while you're doing all that maybe you're thinking about going to another state to create a registration I don't know where you'd go out there I don't know the area that well maybe Utah you know some states that are just not that caring about this sort of thing and when you go to a state like that you'll be able to buy just the catalytic converter the bulbous piece have that welded on or what have you or you can buy a whole aftermarket cat from the big guys on whatever site you use put that on have the PO420 issue get a rider on that and keep driving because nobody can fix it and in the state with no emissions or minimal emissions you should be able to get a rider especially in a state full of farm vehicles and equipment and poor people You would think anyway I got a rider in Massachusetts back in the '80s but that's another whole story and there was no Prius yet.

 

And another thing to consider is you could just push the Prius off to the side since it's pretty much worthless now without its cat in California and go for the $3,000 repair they're talking about to fix the Prius You could buy a Chevrolet Aveo with 19-in rims and all that nonsense The LE model or LX or GLX or whatever it is and only be about I don't know 8 mi to the gallon off the Prius Mark or something close to that and not even worry about it to be honest with you I give yourself a big headache. It's my Prius cat was stolen tomorrow even in the town I live in with no emissions I just hop on my Italian Aprilia scooter and actually be kind of happy that I don't have to worry with the car especially during the good parts of the year.

 

I'm sorry to hear about your loss. I haven't posted much in the last 10 years like you. My 2009 Prius had the catalytic converter stolen Saturday night.
I've had full coverage since I bought it new 14 years ago.
My insurance (Geico) says $250 deductible, free towing to my mechanic 20 miles away. He has new cat converters in stock. Rental car is approved but we don't need one.
For now the game plan is to find a buyer and get it repaired and then sell it. I got a 2023 COROLLA Hybrid a few months ago.

 

DIY hardening I’ve done, hopefully helps:

1. Wrapped rear cut zone with chain, secured at every turn with bolts/nuts, outermost ones with permanent thread-lock.

2. Large letter engraved license plate and VIN along rear section of Cat.

 

Hi gramps, how are you liking the Corolla hybrid? I was just thinking the other day what a good value proposition they are compared to a new Prius

 

This cheap method helps, too;

 

Well, that's one way to deal with the problem: