Featured Indiana offers free anti-theft catalytic converter marking

They finally got me... After all the Prius I've swapped out the original before people could steal it... After all the people I put cat shields on for, I never got around to doing it for my daily driver and when I pulled out of my driveway late afternoon for the first time yesterday I had that distinctive sound of sadness...

What's more my neighborhood is super quiet and I sleep less than 30 feet from my vehicle. In looking at the cut marks it appears they used a handheld pipe cutter on both ends as the cuts were very clean and straight and no saw blade marks. Always thought the noise of the theft would be too much of a risk for them in my driveway. Guess they found a work-around?

I was looking for a handheld pipe cutter online to try to figure out their tool and only found them for small diameter pipe, so I suspect they modified a larger size one to make it as small as possible. :-( And didn't sleep well last night because my project Prius that's only 15 feet from where I sleep still has it's original cat. :-(

 

I'm sorry to hear that.

You're under 30? If not, you must've not done a lot of exhaust stuff when younger.
Amazon Search: exhaust pipe cutter


Back in the days when the dinosaurs roamed the earth, and there weren't battery-operated tools, and a sawsall wasn't a common tool, we used exhaust pipe cutter, hacksaws, or a cutting torch.

Some examples:

Code:

https://www.amazon.com/Mulcort-Exhaust-Cutter-Cutting-Repairing/dp/B0B9H82VSF/
Mulcort Exhaust Pipe Cutter Water Pipe Exhaust Pipe Quick Cutter Cutting Tool for Auto Repairing
Brand: Mulcort
$26.99
Suitable for cutting thin wall tubing up to 3mm thick.
Perfect for cutting where space is restricted, 120° handle movement produces a 360° cutting.
Perfect for cutting all exhaust pipes from 35-64mm diameter.
Zinc plated carbon steel frame with 4 hardened steel cutting blades.
With spring in the middle, use less effort.



https://www.amazon.com/Powerbuilt-940538-Inch-Diameter-Tail/dp/B00OCEGU6S/r
Powerbuilt Tail Pipe Cutter, Cut Exhaust Pipe, Car Vehicle Specialty Tool, 6 Inches in Diameter - 940538
$42.95
6" diameter tail pipe cutDesigned with 12 Hardened steel Cutters for quick cutting action on exhaust pipes
Tool solutions for most all situations
Cuts pipe from 3-1/2 to 6 inches in diameter
12 hardened steel cutters for quick cutting action
PVC handle cover adds comfort and reduces slippage
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Actually I'm 54 and worked in an auto shop in High School in the 80's and ran a van conversion shop in the early 90's... The link you shared would not cut an exhaust pipe in a confined space in front of the cat, but maybe a chance in the back pipe where a it joins with resonator. What I'm thinking they used is similar to the type of mini pipe cutter you use for small diameter copper pipes. This cutter fits in palm of your hand, and you could build a custom one that's large enough if you knew what your were doing, but they don't sell anything I can find that's smaller than what you linked to do larger diameter pipe, which you would need to make a cut way up where cat connects to exhaust manifold.

 

Exhaust Tail Pipe Cutter

I was thinking something like a chain cutting tool, but then I don't have much experience with catnapping.

I'm wondering how much of a problem catnapping is in my beloved home state of Indiana considering they were (are?) the state with the second highest number of CCP holders, and many of my fellow Hoosiers do not share my beliefs that property crimes do not justify drawing a loaded firearm in anger.

Well.....'maybe' a warning shot or two....

 

Down in the southern part of the state they would just install a test pipe, spoof the CEL light and get on with life.

 

sorry - but many jurisdictions no longer teach history .... so a 1500's parable may have no meaning.
a rephrase would say, "the surfboard shop owners' kids can't swim"

 

Yeah that cutter is kind of bogus for confined space. One that I used to use at Disney wasn't the most confined. It's ratcheting - up to 2¾"

because they're even slimmer designed than this modernly.
Got to give kudos to skum bag criminals keeping up with what's higher Tech.
.

 

That cutter would work well if there was a way to cut the handle off and you had really strong hands and an oversize knob to make it easier to tighten down the cutting blade after each turn.

 

Turns out I was overthinking it... Today I pulled cat from my project Prius and installed it on daily driver w/cat shield (2.5 hours total because floor jack car work sucks) and after looking at the pipes they cut through, it's clear they used a saw not a pipe cutter. Thinking only logical explanation for neighbor's dog that barks at everything and neighbor's sleeping less than 40 feet away and me sleeping less than 30 feet away was something quiet. But after looking at both pipe ends cut marks I've concluded that the only plausible explanation for none of us waking up to this massive noise is unconscious self-preservation. As in a couple of drug addicts desperate for their next fix is not something worth messing with.

 

Adding this photo to police report, which probably is irrelevant. There's so many thefts these days they tell you to fill out an online form and don't follow up with a phone call like they say they do. Looks like they used a brand new yellow saw blade for big one up front and a used red saw blade for cut in the back.