My brother got married Saturday. It was a happy day! For the first time in umm ever, my whole family was dressed up.
I was so proud to show them off.
When we were leaving the house, we noticed a seemingly ‘normal’ looking pair of guys looking at a car we have sitting near the road with a “For Sale” sign in the window.
We paused in the drive and told them if they had questions to call the number on the sign and proceeded to leave so we’d not be late for the ceremony.
Yesterday the items sitting near the road needed to be moved for the weekly mowing.
That’s when we noticed the car sounded exceptionally LOUD.
Upon further inspection – it was discovered that someone had taken a SAW and cut the catalytic converter OFF the freakin’ car!
We simply shrugged it off, not about to let a couple of needy thugs get us down.
Of course my being as social as I am on Facebook, I posted about our experience. It was at that point I was made aware of a growing trend in the theft of catalytic converters.
Apparently, the experienced thugs can extract a converter in a minute or less.
The catalytic converter is located under the vehicle and filters out toxins from most engines. Converters contain rhodium, palladium and platinum, all valuable metals.
In an article I read, it’s suggested that strengthening car sales have also strengthened the market for palladium.
Other reports indicate that gold may trade for lower-than-average prices this year, making metals like palladium and platinum more valuable.
Catalytic converters are valuable, easily-accessible car parts, and the theft of these parts are on the rise! These parts can cost up to $1,000 to replace.
Converters yield a profit from $35 to $155 each, depending on what type of vehicle they were manufactured for.
So what vehicles are susceptible to catalytic converter theft?
Pickup trucks and SUVs, as well as some other late model cars that sit higher from the ground are typically the most common targets – but that doesn’t mean everyone is safe.
In fact, the car we had targeted was an 89 Buick that sits relatively close to the ground.
In hindsight I only wish we’d have gotten a better look at the two guys – that I’d have snapped a photo with my cell phone for reference or that we’d have stayed around until they were gone – perhaps even getting a license plate from the car they were driving.
It’s mindboggling to me that we live in a world where everyone is suspect.
