stolen catalytic converter

I haven't read this perspective in the other threads, and I think it deserves consideration whether you choose this option or not.

Our cats are being stolen, and we're trying to figure out how to repair them and keep our cars on the road. Some have chosen to buy OEM parts, and I certainly understand that rationale - it's the one I follow on my other vehicle obsession, Ford Diesels. I have 6 or those now as well. But, I can find parts for those easily. Parts for our cars, on the other hand, are getting harder to find, or prohibitively expensive or have long wait times, so I understand the need to hack a solution - you Prii owners are as innovative as my Powerstroke buds are meticulous.

So, anyway, my perspective after thinking through this for the auction car I just bought only to find out it has no cat...if I replace everything with OEM parts, I've just made my car a target again. I will probably be repeating all this again in the future. If I just hack an aftermarket solution, it's no longer a target.

In fact, I'm thinking of taking the three other Prii I own with OEM exhausts and stealing the cats out of them before someone else does. One of you people might buy it from me for $1500-$2000, and I can hack a complete system for less than $1000.

Of course, I'm not in CA, CO, NY, et al either. But, if I was in CA, I wouldn't care - they don't enforce laws there.

I say all that because right now, there's probably 10 decent Prii at auctions along the west coast. All of them with stolen cats, which makes them worthless to people in CA - most of their buyers. A cheap hack fix it appears from reading here (waiting on my parts to arrive). I hate to see those cars get demolished, but I can't buy all of them,lol.

Anyone who is looking for a good $3000 car really can't go wrong. If it's running but missing a cat, you're on the road for less than $2000. If the other major issue is the problem - the HV battery - you in for $3000, but with that new battery, you're good for another 100k miles easy. That's a cheap car.

And, they're still cute. Get yourself a couple and a parts car, and you aren't worried about transportation for years. I have 5, lol. Go post pics on my JinWan Motors FB page. We gotta make these collector's cars to turn the value drop around. I have white, grey, green, turquoise?, and silver Prii - a little fleet that I will want to sell together when I have them all fixed right. Roll them down Mecum's ramp together. I think I might get $5-7000ea.

Note: in some states, and depending maybe where you live, you might have to pay a licensed broker $200-$250 to bid for you. CA does for me in TX. GA didn't. Others vary. Auction will tell you.

 

I should add that my Mecum value wouldn't hold if I hack all the cats. I might get away with just this one being aftermarket.