Car theft in 2022

[Ghosty]

In the words of Apollo 440, you can't stop the lock, or something. 

[artdjones]

9 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

MrsDC's mother thoughtfully offered us one of those scan-proof bags for storing car keys, to thwart passing ne'er-do-wells with their code-grabbing doo-dahs - however, as owners of two scabby Toyotas from the early 2000s, there's not much call for it... neither of them have any keyless capabilities, and the Corolla doesn't even have remote central locking...

Plus, would crims even see these as worth the risk?

No, but they would like the cats off them.

[Datsuncog]

11 minutes ago, artdjones said:

No, but they would like the cats off them.

No original cats on either of these - cheapo aftermarket patterns only.

[horriblemercedes]

59 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

No original cats on either of these - cheapo aftermarket patterns only.

I guess there's still the risk of them being cut off by someone who doesn't know that this is the case?

Might not cost that much to replace like-for-like, but it's still a pain. Putting the keys in the bags doesn't make one iota difference to this, however

[warch]

is it Japanese cats that are particularly at risk? I only ever see things like Honda CRVs with missing cats, presumably because they are easier to get at being 4x4 and ting.

[sierraman]

My neighbour disturbed someone breaking in his car last week, it was only 6:45 in the evening it was still light for fuck sake! It was a Fiesta as well, not a fancy one but recent enough. 

[DSdriver]

1 hour ago, Datsuncog said:

No original cats on either of these - cheapo aftermarket patterns only.

Looks for moggies sitting on cars and then feels stupid

[Datsuncog]

46 minutes ago, horriblemercedes said:

I guess there's still the risk of them being cut off by someone who doesn't know that this is the case?

Might not cost that much to replace like-for-like, but it's still a pain.

I guess nearly all car owners run this risk, while there's a high demand for precious metals.

Have to say though, I haven't heard of any occurrences of catalytic converter theft happening locally. You can bet the self-appointed NextDoor.com foghorns would be broadcasting it, if so.

Organised crime gangs tend to have specific areas of interest round these parts, and I guess nicking car cats isn't (currently) on their radar.

We're at the far end of a very quiet cul-de-sac, so I'd like to think that anyone revving up a Stihl in the early hours would quickly find themselves surrounded by any number of inquisitive neighbours, most of them ex-police...

[Datsuncog]

12 minutes ago, DSdriver said:

Looks for moggies sitting on cars and then feels stupid

Ah, go on then - just for you!

[Noel Tidybeard]

59 minutes ago, warch said:

is it Japanese cats that are particularly at risk? I only ever see things like Honda CRVs with missing cats, presumably because they are easier to get at being 4x4 and ting.

honda cats have much better contents

[colnerov]

 

 It's not just cats that like warm bonnets. -

 

Colin

[artdjones]

1 hour ago, warch said:

is it Japanese cats that are particularly at risk? I only ever see things like Honda CRVs with missing cats, presumably because they are easier to get at being 4x4 and ting.

 

51 minutes ago, Noel Tidybeard said:

honda cats have much better contents

Older Astra 1.4s have manicats that are pretty valuable.

[omegod]

4 minutes ago, artdjones said:

 

Older Astra 1.4s have manicats that are pretty valuable.

Nigh on mpossible to remove at the roadside though thankfully,.

Honda moved to a manicat on the more recent Jazz which makes them unlikely to get targeted by the Gypo's with trolley jacks 

[Talbot]

Surely it must have gotten to the point that the vast majority of easily-thievable valuable cats have all been removed and weighed in now?  The only ones left are either inacessible or low value.

[colnerov]

1 hour ago, Talbot said:

Surely it must have gotten to the point that the vast majority of easily-thievable valuable cats have all been removed and weighed in now?  The only ones left are either inacessible or low value.

 

 Market exhaustion?

[sierraman]

5 minutes ago, colnerov said:

 

 Market exhaustion?

See what you did there...

[Muniphobia]

I read somewhere that the cats on hybrid cars were particularly attractive to thieves because they are cleaner than a one from a non hybrid car

[cobblers]

56 minutes ago, Muniphobia said:

I read somewhere that the cats on hybrid cars were particularly attractive to thieves because they are cleaner than a one from a non hybrid car

Nah, they cats are just worth whatever the scrap dealer will pay for one with that particular part number on, contamination makes no difference.

cats on hybrids are probably no cleaner than the cat off a normal car

[Andrew353w]

9 hours ago, warch said:

is it Japanese cats that are particularly at risk? I only ever see things like Honda CRVs with missing cats, presumably because they are easier to get at being 4x4 and ting.

All Japanese catalysts are more "valuable" to the thieves, as the Japanese environmental standards are higher than European ones-hence the better made catalysts. 

While on the subject, may I pose this hypothetical question: My Subaru has a keyless ignition system and I keep the keys in both a Faraday bag AND in the microwave at night. Furthermore, I've fitted a battery lock that prevents the car from being started without the bolt being replaced, which involves opening the bonnet, all of which would make quite a lot of noise and delay a potential thief. However, given my penchant for all things electrical, I don't think it'd be too difficult to wire the car's central locking and electric windows in such a way that when the 25 amp fuse pops, totally disabling the car, they'd lock and prevent the thief from opening the doors.  On my driveway this is legal (an Englishman's home is his castle etc.) but if parked on the public highway I'm not so sure...... I suppose fitting a small auxiliary pump (maybe an old screen washer one) to simultaneously spray petrol onto the thieves through the facia vents would be going too far, wouldn't it (or would it....?) 

Sorry to have gone on a bit!   

[Soundwave]

I was amazed my Rover 216 didn't get done over when we had our most recent spate of cat thefts in the area. Guessing the numbskulls didn't make the connection that a 90s Rover might be packing a Honda cat, probably thought it was too old to even have a catalyst!

[Zelandeth]

10 minutes ago, Soundwave said:

I was amazed my Rover 216 didn't get done over when we had our most recent spate of cat thefts in the area. Guessing the numbskulls didn't make the connection that a 90s Rover might be packing a Honda cat, probably thought it was too old to even have a catalyst!

Well they're dumb enough around here I've seen handprints on my camper from them having gone underneath to look for a cat...on a diesel from 1990!

[High Jetter]

3 hours ago, Andrew353w said:

All Japanese catalysts are more "valuable" to the thieves, as the Japanese environmental standards are higher than European ones-hence the better made catalysts. 

While on the subject, may I pose this hypothetical question: My Subaru has a keyless ignition system and I keep the keys in both a Faraday bag AND in the microwave at night. Furthermore, I've fitted a battery lock that prevents the car from being started without the bolt being replaced, which involves opening the bonnet, all of which would make quite a lot of noise and delay a potential thief. However, given my penchant for all things electrical, I don't think it'd be too difficult to wire the car's central locking and electric windows in such a way that when the 25 amp fuse pops, totally disabling the car, they'd lock and prevent the thief from opening the doors.  On my driveway this is legal (an Englishman's home is his castle etc.) but if parked on the public highway I'm not so sure...... I suppose fitting a small auxiliary pump (maybe an old screen washer one) to simultaneously spray petrol onto the thieves through the facia vents would be going too far, wouldn't it (or would it....?) 

Sorry to have gone on a bit!   

If 'they' want it, it's gone. Whatever. Sorry.

[catsinthewelder]

9 hours ago, Soundwave said:

I was amazed my Rover 216 didn't get done over when we had our most recent spate of cat thefts in the area. Guessing the numbskulls didn't make the connection that a 90s Rover might be packing a Honda cat, probably thought it was too old to even have a catalyst!

Our local arseholes did make that connection and left my 220 and a scrap MK4 Astra up on concrete blocks with bits of exhaust removed.

Wasn't too upset though as the whole exhaust on the 220 is scrap, there's a complete replacement inside the car and it doesn't have a cat.

[Talbot]

12 hours ago, Andrew353w said:

. I suppose fitting a small auxiliary pump (maybe an old screen washer one) to simultaneously spray petrol onto the thieves through the facia vents would be going too far, wouldn't it (or would it....?)

 

[Back_For_More]

3 hours ago, Talbot said:

 

Wasn't there a bloke prosecuted as he'd done that to his Sierra and some scrote in a supermarket car park was found unconscious by his vehicle.... 

I've toyed with the though of a compressed air/ spring loaded sharpened bolt through the bottom of the drivers seat.... Not sure I could get away with that either.... 

[warch]

2 hours ago, Back_For_More said:

I've toyed with the though of a compressed air/ spring loaded sharpened bolt through the bottom of the drivers seat.... Not sure I could get away with that either.... 

It'd be a novel way of failing your next MoT certainly...

[Dan_ZTT]

19 hours ago, High Jetter said:

If 'they' want it, it's gone. Whatever. Sorry.

Yup. Have insurance. Lock it and don’t leave stuff on show. Don’t worry about anything else. 

Otherwise you spend half your life worrying about something that will probably never happen.

[Scruffy Bodger]

7 hours ago, Back_For_More said:

Wasn't there a bloke prosecuted as he'd done that to his Sierra and some scrote in a supermarket car park was found unconscious by his vehicle.... 

I've toyed with the though of a compressed air/ spring loaded sharpened bolt through the bottom of the drivers seat.... Not sure I could get away with that either.... 

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/guard-given-electric-shock-by-wired-car-driver-s-antitheft-measure-went-too-far-1424714.html

It was a Cozzy but it wasn't a scrote trying to nick it that got zapped. I remember reading about it years back. He used an electric fence unit, some of those can give you a proper belt but they do make a rather loud ticking noise, or at least the old ones did.

[jakebullet]

These things have gone missing a lot in my area. Must be a mega easy steal if you want a couple just to smash up for a laugh*

[Bren]

Sometime last year some travellers stole a cat in broad daylight near me in Warrington. Outside a shop.

A brave member of the public approached them but has a cordless grinder waved in his direction.

The police were on them pretty quick to be fair.