Chatting to a neighbour today, he said his lodger's Honda car had its catalytic converter stolen while it was parked up overnight outside his house on the street.
I'd have thought doing this in the dead of night would have awakened half the street?
I dunno: my son had his catalytic convertor stolen while his pick-up was parked in a residential street in Detroit. Detroit, being Motown, buying a second-hand replacement wasn't difficult but who knows if he actually ended up buying his old one back?
Nick
There was a Police warning about this recently. Professional thieves can remove them quickly and quietly. They prefer high vehicles, for easy access, so your Land Rover is a more likely target than your wife's Renault Clio. Another reason to install CCTV.
Yes. Happened to a car near me, in daylight, and a school's minibuses were done whilst they were parked. It's Romanies in this area, allegedly, but lots of thieving scrotes are at it. Platinum catalysts sold for scrap.
Isn't it time we dealt with this problem?
Bill
A very "trendy" crime according to an MOT tester I was chatting to ... more popular on pick-ups and vans though, due to ease of access.
/Platinum catalysts sold for scrap./q
ISTR they changed the law on weighing stuff in? Only bank account payments, id rqd etc etc.
How do the great unwashed get around this?
Jim K
It seems to be happening regularly
You're right, Bill. It's about time there was a law against stealing things.
A long time ago a friend popped into his girlfriends for 10 minutes, when he came out the clutch on his A35 (I did say a long time ago) appeared to have failed - investigation showed that someone had removed the prop shaft!
Peter
Since it was a car, I'd have thought they'd have to lift it in some way for access. It's unlikely they could park even a small truck nearby at that time of night, as parking is very tight when everyone's at home. (typical Victorian London side street) And how would they cut it off?
Was he actually in Detroit or a suburb? I used to live in Birmingham, MI until late 2010.
I thought that scrap metal was now so regulated nobody could sell it for cash and everyone needs a licence? I have also heard of this goin on, apparently they come equipped with a kind of electric car tilter, some kind of jack I presume to lift the side its nearest to. What ever will be next? Stealing double glazed windows and doors? Brian
I'd have to ask him. He didn't live there: he was on his way to Windsor, across the bridge, and had just parked there for a while.
Nick
That's the bit that made me wonder. Getting access to the underside of the car. I suppose they could have double parked a truck or whatever, but equally surprised it didn't wake someone up.
Something large enough to lift a car can't exactly be carried under your jacket. Nor can the cutting equipment. ;-)
There was a spate of thefts of fireplaces in Edinburgh.
The Georgian marble ones, worth about ten grand each.
Owain
Buying second-hand without knowing where its from probably fuels the thefts in the first place. If there is nowhere to sell it they wont steal it.
Air jack, compressed gas cartridge, silent and quick. Tube cutters are also pretty quite too.
It's London. Walking down the street with a trolley jack and a cordless reciprocating saw whilst wearing a hiviz jacket makes you look more normal than most people that live there!
The guys that stole my mates pick up when he was on holiday told the next door neighbour that saw them taking it that the pick up was broken down and that they were there to take it away to fix it. The neighbour gave them a cup of tea whilst they loaded it on to the low loader. They wore jackets that said "auto recovery"
Good point. I don't bother much with scap anymore, now I have to pay tax on the payment. Another little perk gone.
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