Catalytic Converter Theft Deterrent Easy and Cheap
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- Опубликовано: 23 окт 2021
- Send the thieves packing! Today we will be installing a Catalytic Converter Theft Deterrent on my nieces 2006 Honda Accord. Has your catalytic converter been stolen? Then this just might stop it from happening again. For under 70 bucks we made it very hard for a thief to run off with the cat. Simple do it yourself solution to a big and expensive problem.
Simple How To you can do in your driveway. 
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"Thieves don't like work. That's why the steal."
FACTS
Thieves suck, but those that buy their stolen goods are just as bad. Hope they all have a day filled with the karma they deserve! 💥
The GQP!
Bought a kit from a company that had 25" of stainless braided cable and two anti-theft brackets that the wire went through , and looped around the converter. Our company liftgate lasted two weeks in the parking lot before thiefs cut off the wire and the converter (again). All these devices moderately supply deterence . What is needed is fed laws sending scrap yard owners to prision if they purchase non-vin number converters. Spend 5 minutes today and contact your state reps and senators.
What happens when gangs collect them in bulk and then ship them overseas? 🤔
No more theft when laws allow owners use .225 to blow the theft heads away and those Crooked Lawyers whom protected Crooked.
I'm tired of everyone else blaming others, other than the thieves. This attitude is exactly why thieves are so brazen nowadays. Stop prosecuting people who shoot criminals and awarding criminals civil suits against people who shoot them, and let about a dozen of these guys get shot while under the cars and I guarantee you the crap will stop.
@@Steven-gv1ke Thanks for writing what I was just about to write.
Ban sale of used cat converters completely.
We need tougher laws on this. Something like "If a cat is cut you'll lose a nut".
😂😂😂
And on the 3rd offense the cat that was cut gets shoved up your butt. Dry.
In US the law is too light, in another Asia countries you will get heavy fine and get bamboo spank or cut off your fingers.
carbman007 ...they have to make a cut at *each end* of the cat so ... 🤢
Guy (homeless, living in truck) in seattle found a dude trying it, he hit him with a tire iron tied him to the back hitch and drove him through town killing him. real look it up if want
I'd prefer a hydraulic system that lowers the frame to the ground when the circuit is cut.
That sounds brilliant
That sounds illegal
@@curtisj2165 Depends on the state. No law against having a lowered vehicle. Neither is there a law against operating an unsafe vehicle in many states. I don't necessarily want the car to drop on the person, but pin them by an arm or leg until the police get there and I'm fine with that.
@@MMPCTV I didn't think that you actually wanted to kill them. Although................
Could just ground the car battery to the cat! Kind of like a bait car but better!!
Car manufacturers need to start making cars with cat protection as standard, or completely plated up.
Will pay more for cat protection at least $1,000.00
They needs to design them right into the exhaust manifold like some cars
Or find a way to make them without out the precious metals in them.
Why? then they would sell less OEM CATs!
Funny you mentioned this. Car manufacturers are looking to eliminate catalytic converters completely and they're finding another way to reduce emissions. Can't wait for electric cars, all this goes away.
"Thieves don't like work, that's why they steal!" Perfect Quote!
Mark is one awesome uncle. Kudos for coming up with this deterrent.
Thanks
Family first always. I am happy it has worked so well for over a year now.
I like those handheld propane torches. Turn it on, aim it at thief's foot, listen for the theif to hit his head on the bottom of the car. Affordable and handy, I keep one in my car for unexpected events.
Just release the jack!! Then walk away!!
Honda Element owner here. I've been brainstorming deterrents for about two weeks till my parts come in. This is very similar to one of my ideas. I was gong to braid three lengths around all the way to the muffler flange. Another idea involved a Co2 cartridge and some glass shards.
Wrap it tight as possible so it won't rattle and drive you crazy. Be sure any identifying numbers the inspection/smog shop needs to see do not get covered by the cable or clamps.
Good luck
Mark
There needs to be a law that requires manufacturers to install protection devices for catalytics **immediately** (under 'safety recall') and continue to do so until they redesign the cars to make catalytics impossible to access without a full on garage.
Wouldn't that be nice. I don't even see manufacturers stepping up even if told to do so.
Manufacturers make millions selling replacement cats
@@waterheaterservices I totally agree and I am sure there is some parts supplier CEO somewhere publicly saying how terrible all the cat thefts are but privately laughing at how much money they make because of it.
Auto Mfgs: a hardened plate that covers the cat, mechanically latched to the frame with an inside cabin release - like fuel filler door.
It's profitable to sell replacements so they don't care.
State law needs to prohibit the sale of cat converters. Period.
hahahahaha
Because thieves and criminals obey the law….
You have a good idea but it "might" only deter theft not prevent it. Along with sawzalls, thieves also have cordless cut-off wheels which make quick work of clamps and steel cable.
Maby so but I don't care what u got ,the noise level n duration of time it'd take to get it off would make it extremely hard to do ,no way you could do it quick or quietly
@@tstricklin4808 Good point. They want the easy low risk targets. Especially in stand your ground states where they might have a AR-15 shoved in their face lol
Ur best bet is removing the catalytic converter completely until a smog is needed. Replace it with a pipe
@@johnnywalker706 then you have the problem of a check engine light due to faulty o2 sensor readings, vehicle never going closed loop and your modern fuel injected and touchy vehicle running like crap, being inefficient and wasting more fuel. You could run a custom tune that can make it to where you bypass o2 sensor readings, but it's all not cost effective and a hassle, and still won't be as efficient over time potentially causing earlier driveability/engine performance issues over time that may prove more expensive in the long run.
I do think it's a great deterrent but I see holes which would still allow them to steal the cat. What you have done is still very good and looks quite intimidating for a thief which is the point really!
If a person can't weld, just rivet to the clamp. Also instead of welding cable to clamp can also use JB weld exhaust wrap to wrap around cables as well, just some more ideas. Weld nuts on clamps or use JB weld on the threads.
This is how I protect my catalytic converter. This works 100%. First I remove it and then store my catalytic converter in a safe place. When I need to take my car in for a smog check I'll briefly re-install my catalytic converter. With this method no thief will ever steal my catalytic converter. Problem solved!
My buddy does the same thing. Really not feasible on a lot of vehicles though.
Mark
Delete the EPA.
Your sister is lucky she has you as a brother.
You rock
Thanks RJ. It has kept the cat under the car where it belongs for over a year now so all is good so far.
Mark
I have a Honda Element. I wrapped it in 50ft of 5/16 steel cable. Used a few U nuts on the cable and some JB weld on the threads. It would take 10 or 15 minutes to get the cat off with a Sawzall. Been 2 years..still there.
Excellent No-Weld idea!
I would like to try.... I all ways wanted to test people's ideas.... just to see if they work. I know u said it's been 2 years but that doesn't mean it's only their because of your cable system.....
Can you make a video showing your handy work?
Still there? How's it worked out for you?
did the jb weiid burn off those clamps get real hot ?
Just an after thought, welding a flat washer to the heads of the bolts would make them unable to be removed.
Later if needed to remove the bolts you could weld a nut om top of the washer, and remove bolts with a socket or a wrench.
Good idea thanks
How does that stop a sawzall?
@@nastyab8003 Running a sawzall through cable is very difficult since the cable shakes and the wires bind up the blade. Not impossible but difficult. The top cable is hard to reach as well.
@@FoothillPaintandFabrication yea but since you have the cables tight already the cable isn't going to vibrate when they cutting . A cable that's held tight is pretty easy to cut .
@@cowboypatriot1200 True but still not something a lazy thief is willing to do don't you think?
This is great for do it yourselfers but if a person had to pay 5 hours at 110 dollar shop rate it will get expensive quick. Luckily I did a home welding course. Great tips , great info, great vid, thanks, thumbs up.
Thank you. Doing a no weld version is possible too and should deter thrives as well. I hope yours works out perfectly.
Nice job. Thanks for Sharing....and Thanks for taking care of your family!
Fantastic job on securing the exhaust system. It’s a shame how people don’t have respect for others property..they really don’t thing someone will come out of there home and stop them , causing a lost of life for a lousy catalytic converter..But there not cheap and so people take matters into there own hands. Thanks
Thanks for the video. I was thinking about doing exactly the same thing. I was reading up on the Catstrap and figured I've got some extra cable and exhaust clamps are cheap, so plan to fab my own solution like you did, including welding the nuts. The Catstrap just has cables inside of it, which are a pain to cut with a saw as they want to move around a bunch. Good job!
Thank you. Good luck on your project, I am sure it will work out perfectly and keep your cat where it belongs.
I wanted to mimic the Catstrap solution but I was going to have the cables contact the catalytic conver and wondered is that would be a problem.
@@Royges Cats get pretty hot but it shouldn't be a problem. Galvanized cable might smell a little at first if the cat gets overheated but that's about it. Stainless cable of course would be best, just stay away from any painted or vinyl coated cable. Good luck on your project.
So Innovative; thank you. My catalytic converter stolen off 2005 Hyundai Sonata LX; around four weeks ago. As of the moment, I am talking to an exhaust shop/repair shop about the above (a deterrent (before replacing it)). [You are right; my estimate for fix and oxygen sensor replacement is $1400. + mental stress + insurance phone/e-mail + police report + added vehicle security]. I am thankful that this is repairable. 🙏
That sucks they got you too. Definitely do something to deter them because they will come back. There are several manufactured products or you can tell them to do something similar to what I did as long as it will take a thief a long time to get the cat off. Good luck
Thank you for the video, I just had mine stolen out of my 7th gen Honda Accord so I’m looking into ways to secure my new one. Unfortunately in New York we’re forced to get OEM parts to pass emissions tests so it’s at least a $1500 expense each time JUST to replace the cat converter. After calling muffler shops all over Long Island, only one was willing to weld pipes around the new cat. Most shops were more than aware of the theft problem but didn’t seem to want to help someone that didn’t have access to a car lift or welding equipment/experience. Besides making plans to get a really good car alarm system plus cameras around the house, I want to make it as difficult as possible for these scumbag thieves and make them think they can never get to my new catalytic converter
That sucks, sorry to hear. Protecting cats in your area sounds like a good side hustle for some extra $$. Even without a welder you can do this deterrent. Just buy the theft proof exhaust manifold bolts and take a hammer to the exhaust clamps threads that are sticking out instead of welding the nuts. Good luck on your version!
Mark
@@FoothillPaintandFabrication Hi temp epoxy (jb Weld) on the threads ? Any theif looks under that Accord will walk away ... nice job!!!
Don’t give them access to underneath the car. Make a 12” block that covers the area between the front and rear wheel. Place it down after you’re parked and have a lip so after the block is place you roll the tire over it holding it in place.
I found the same reluctance with muffler shops here in southern CA. Very frustrating as I couldn't defend my car and just became a victim. Total damages, rental car, lost wages,....over $3,000! The thieves are hitting my neighborhood HARD
@@roberthudson5999 Sorry to hear that Robert. Not many shops will mess with non standard parts on a car unfortunately so DIY seems to be the best way to go for some folks.
Wow this set up is very good it will take the thief about a year to remove the Cat.
Most helpful video I've seen so far thanks! Just did this myself pretty easily and used some JB Weld.
Excellent! Fingers crossed for you.
Where did you put the JB Weld?
@@tonycox7802 He didn't say but I think he used it on the threads of the exhaust clamps instead of welding the nuts.
@@FoothillPaintandFabrication OK that makes sense. Thank you for your response.
I would have gone a single step farther by coloring the cable a bright highly visible color like orange or red so it shows, "hey, I'm installed here!" so it would even deter thieves even more! Mind ya, I would use an engine paint or another high heat type of paint designed so it wouldn't catch fire! Nice video and helpful!
Good idea
Good job. It is a great deterrent. And that is all you can do with thieves. 👍
Damn good work...And even a great show of family and a brother.
Thank you. Taking care of family is what it should always be about.
You probably could get away with not welding the nuts on the clamps. They don't carry wrenches and wouldn't wanna take the extra time anyway. They pretty much just carry a sawzall and search for specific converters that get the most 💰 and are easy to cut out in a few minutes. They see all that crap under the car, and will just go to the next one. Most important thing is to not give them an easy spot to cut.
This is what all the naysayers don't get, is not about making it impossible it is about making them reconsider.
what about locktite?
Buy a spool of hardfacing wire for your welder and run a few heavy beads along the length of everything you don’t want cut by a battery powered sawzall . The bead will quickly gnaw the teeth off the saw’s blade before it cuts through.
And someday the guys at the exhaust shop will love you when they get to add extra labor and materials to your bill...
@@callmed.7171 Any bonafide muffler shop will have the proper tools, e.g. plasma cutter, acetylene torch, high speed cutting wheel to cut out the old muffler parts; they won’t miss a beat to get the old parts out- giving them the benefit of the doubt, any possible but unlikely extra cost is no where close to replacing a stolen catalytic converter…
@@jimseviltwin1 and any bona-fide thief will have tools as well. You can literally get a cutting torch setup that will fit in a backpack. And not all Sawzall blades are that easy to wreck. Get some search and rescue blades and you'll see what I mean. High speed cutoff wheels are also readily available to thieves.
@@callmed.7171 LOL - So, I guess your average-run-of-the-mill cat' thief rolls up to ramdom cars with a complete tool box at their disposal...I don't know your background or experience using a cutting torch, but I would pay a dollar to watch some guy crawl under an unlifted car, and fire up a cutting torch inches from their face to make a minimum of two cuts ( without setting themselves and/or the car afire)... Again, the point of this exercise is to discourage, at least by illusion, that stealing your particular cat' is not worth the effort; there's too many "easy picking's" elsewhere...
I'd happily show you how to operate a torch without using it inches from your face. Unless you've got arms like a T-rex it's fairly easy to reach the exhaust without crawling completely under a vehicle. Wouldn't even charge you the dollar.
Good idea and well done. Thx for the idea.
Modern cordless grinders are really good these days. With a cutoff wheel I’m sure it will slice right thru the cables
Yes they can but this is a deterrent not a foolproof solution. They have been using a chain tubing cutter they buy at H.F. so it is silent and quick. I doubt they want to lay under a car with a noisy grinder and sparks flying everywhere in the middle of the night cutting my nieces cat off her car. It has worked so far but I will let you know if they steal it.
What kind of world do we live in anymore...People stealing Cats...Its really so crazy..
Same people stealing copper wire I would guess. They would rather steal other peoples stuff than work a regular job.
This is amazing. Thank you for the awesome video
Thank you, I hope it helps.
Car manufacturers should do this...this is great!
You did a nice job ..... Bravo !!
Thank you I appreciate that. I am thinking of doing a no weld version for people that don't have access to a welder.
The exhaust system is grounded. You can tack weld a micro voltage sensor downstream of the converters and send a micro voltage signal to ground. The sensor harness plugs into the O2 sensor and the O2 sensor plugs into the back of the sensor harness to complete the O2 circuit. The anti theft sensor voltage can be used by the O2 heater voltage circuit. When the exhaust pipe is then cut the ground to Batt will be cut and the sensor capacitor will charge and then release charge to a read and write CMOS chip programed to your Key Fob Panic button signal. Alarm will sound. A secondary run capacitor can be integrated into the circuit and can be used for tripping the alarm if harness is unplugged. Simple circuit design. I don't know what's wrong with people today.
Yeah I was going to do that but I am a better welder than electronic genius :-) Sounds like a great idea. Have you tried it out on a car yet? Could be an awesome side hustle.
@@FoothillPaintandFabrication Hire an engineer. You can manufacture the product under $30 and sell for $240 plus installation. I'm burned out retired in Hawaii. Good luck.
@@sharkyrich4844 Nice! Enjoy your retirement.
It's the very last cut...that cuts the ground connection. Then the thief is off-to-the-races with your Cat! Too little time to catch him. Audible alarm or not; he's gone in a flash.
Helpful video thanks, dig the xr in the back 👌
Thanks, it is a 83 and still runs great.
Thank you great job👍👍
Thank you for explaining everything the thieves need to do to defeat this. LoL 😂
But really thanks for sharing. I’m doing an 04 for a friend
Being a good friend is great, I am sure they appreciate your help.
The main thing going on here is it's a visual deterrent. Many cat crooks are now using a hand held grinder / cut-off wheel and that will go through cable in a heartbeat. A grinder will also cut through the u-bolts and release the cable. Reading between the lines, this looks complicated but will only take another 30 seconds to cut through, if that.
Already had one guy look underneath the car and take a pass so it worked on him. I will let you know if it gets stolen again.
@@FoothillPaintandFabrication ... I'd be thinking about retrofitting parts from an electric cattle fence so the first zap might chase them away. I had also thought of adapting an old knock sensor that would generate a signal via the first hint of vibration on the exhaust sensor, then tie that into the car alarm system so it only works when the engine is off.
Very good! Cheap and easy way to protect the cat.
You are an amazing person, take that thieves, "they don't like to work"
Thank you Curtis
I remember the good ol' days when thieves only stole the car stereos.
Strange how things change isn't it. I doubt hardly any stereos get stolen anymore. That used to seem like a big deal but at least you could still drive your car...
Do the cables rattle against the exhaust? Looks like they might cause some extra noise in the areas not secured by the u bolts. Looking to try this out.
I was concerned about them rattling too. I put the twist in the cable around the pipe to help prevent that from happening and it seems to have worked. As the cable passes by the cat and flex connector the clamps are close enough to stop it from rattling. Good luck on your project and let me know how it goes.
I followed your lead mostly. I swapped out the exhaust clamp nuts with 3/8-16 tri groove nuts - the nuts and tool will set you back a 'nut'(!!!).
Great idea! Not like the thief's have nice tools. It has been on the car for about 1 1/2 years now and caught a couple of guys looking under the car but taking a pass and moving on. I hope it works well for you too.
Mark
I made this mod 5+ years ago on my 4Runner. I didn't use the U-clamp, only the steel rope clips. I plan to add a few more steel ring clamp. Weld all the nuts is overkilled I think. Thief don't have time and patience to remove all the nuts.
Sounds like it has worked for 5 years, that is awesome!
THis might work... Typically wire cables can be cut in like 4 seconds. Just about every bike ever stolen was secured with wire cables. However, these cable cutters are big and they are not likely able to get the cutters into the 90 degree position while under the car. Not enough room between ground and car chassis to extend the cutters.. Thus, they would likely move to an easier target.
You could also just up your "comprehensive" insurance coverage...
It worked at least once so far since I put it on. My sister has video of a guy looking under the car with a flashlight and then taking a pass. This is a deterrent since nothing can stop them if they really want to spend the time and energy stealing the cat.
@@AgentLazarus No on the other side of the country. From what I understand cat theft is everywhere now just like copper theft exploded a few years back. Pretty sad...
I was thinking that something like loosely-secured braided kevlar ropes might be the best option rather than steel cable. They would not be cut cleanly with a sawzall and if they tried to use a cutoff wheel it would be a huge tangle. You might even be able to just spiral wrap it around the whole section of tube with adhesive at strategic points, making it even easier.
Just found out there's a product called Catstrap that's this concept.
What is the melting point of kevlar I wonder. Some cats get pretty hot under heavy loads. Steel cable wrapped in kevlar would be double trouble for the thieves.
@@FoothillPaintandFabrication The melting point of Kevlar is above 930 °F (500°C).
@@TehKitteh01 I have seen cats glow red hot under cars where the engine was running way to rich for what ever reason but I am not sure what the normal operating temp is for a cat. If you try it let me know how it works out.
Mark
Cable is very difficult to cut with a reciprocating saw, all it does is rattle back and forth, a cordless cut off saw would work but how much time do thieves have and how much noise do they want to make. Make them work for it. This is a great deterrent, it will work against the tubing cutters the frickin thieves use too. My neighbors was stolen using the tubing cutters that you clamp on and rock back and forth, no noise.
Exactly. They sell those chain tubing cutters at H F for less than 10 bucks
Very nice I'm going to do that to my truck asap.
Look into making a wireless proximity alarm as well.literally just made one for 50 bux in 1 hour, ill post a video next week.
That cable will cut right off... they just have to cut right next to the ckamp. The clamp will keep it from flooping around and cut it right off.....
Your one hell of an uncle!!
💯
Thanks for talking care of your sister your a Great Uncle they are lucky to have a uncle who cares about family values thanks for sharing.
Thats what I was thinking.
Instead of welding the nuts on the u bolts could you use blue lock tight or gunsmiths Rock Set?
“Your” is a possessive pronoun; what you wanted here was “You’re”, short for “You are”. YW 😎
You're a good brother and uncle. Nice work. It is ashamed what one must do to keep their stuff from scum.
It would be interesting to see the video if the scum came back after the previous scouting mission.
Thanks, I hope he tells his tweaker friends that Honda Accord isn't even worth looking under.
Lots of work! Looks good
It was worth it for my niece. In the end a lot less work than replacing a stolen cat.
Thanks
I guess this might slow down a thief for a couple of minutes and maybe they would just move on to another car but all of those muffler clamps look like they could be cut in seconds with a sawzall and then move the cables out of the way and cut the converter off. The manufacturers are going to need to develop a system to prevent this plus law enforcement crack down on the metal recovery folks for accepting what they know are stolen converters.
I agree but it has worked so far. The thieves want quick, silent and easy which this will make it none of those things. I hear there are several pieces of legislation being worked on so fingers crossed.
We need the death penalty for the thieves and the people buying these catalytic converters.
Just do the Saudi thing cut off their hands
Publish their addresses so people can steal from them for sport..
There should be a law allowing citizens to give them leads whenever encountered catalytic Conv. Thieves..!
Mine was just stolen. Finally got my car back, and I have my own death penalty sitting by the front door if they try it again.
bring back chopping hands off they won’t do it again then! I’ve electrified my car if they die they die
Great job sir!
Thanks. I hope it helps someone protect their vehicle.
From my research, the 7th gen, from MY 2003-2007, Accord is the last Accord with the exposed cat underneath the car. All later models have the cat bolted on the engine under the hood.
I did not know that. Seems like it would increase under hood temps and lower fuel economy but I am sure they know what they are doing. No wonder the thieves go after the older Accords and Camry's. Thanks
Mark
Anything is better than nothing just like an alarm or a club on the steering wheel
Easy to make fun of or try to come up with reasons why not.
That is until years have clicked by and vehicles all around yours got messed with while yours was left alone.
Not lucky, just a little CYA
.
A little protection goes a long way 😄
They usually will not steal an aftermarket converter because it doesn't have as much palladium as the OEM. And most people that steal them already have a sawzall with them.
THANKS FOR SHARING I HAVE A BRAND NEW ONE I'M GONNA MAKE SURE IT IS PUT ON LIKE THIS
What ever you can do to make it look hard and time consuming to remove will help. Good luck!
I saw several pictures of similar product (Catstrap) on Amazon feedbacks, where cables being cut and catalytic converter stolen.
I'm not sure what they used maybe sawzal, maybe grinder, maybe cable cutters.
Also people reported that cables and Catalytic converter rusted due to electrolytic corrosion between them in few years, so they had to replace catalytic converters.
Cutting stranded cable with a sawzal is very difficult and time consuming which is something thieves do not want. Galvanic corrosion is not a concern compared to a stolen cat and if it did occur it would take a great many years to even start to damage the actual cat after it got through the heat shield. Since the heat shield and cable are not dissimilar metals it shouldn't be a problem.
Just weld a piece of flat stock or some rebar across the cat. You can also spray it a heat resistance bright color too.
The thieves also look for SULEV stickers on windows which my 7th gen accord has that makes it a prime target so a small extra step is scraping that off on your back left window. First priority is securing your cat like this guy said. The crime only takes 3 minutes top so make it look like they want nothing to do with it. Plus get a car alarm, when the thieves took mine they kicked and shook my car to see if an alarm would go off and then almost left when someone drove by and saw but this citizen of the year didn’t even stop or call the cops🙄Always run defense, I know that more now👊🏻
I would never blame someone for not risking their well being for someone else's problem and I doubt the police would have gotten there on time. I read an article about a couple in my state, they saw the thieves (3) came out and screamed at them, one of the thieves shot to the air and they just kept going like nothing.
@@Royges I understand that, I wouldn’t want anyone else getting hurt for me. I was just a little heated immediately following the theft
It has been a year since you did the instalation which btw, it is brilliant. Update us the same Cat is still in your niece's car!
Thanks Carlos.
Yes the same cat is still on the car and it has gone though a smog inspection. I don't know if my sister has caught anyone else peeking under the car on video but she has at least one guy looking and then taking a pass and leaving. So far so good, luckily thieves are lazy.
Welding directly above you with exposed skin. It's a bold strategy Cotton, let's see if it pays off for him.
Raised by a dad that gave you a smack if you jumped when a hot dingle berry landed on you so I just got used to it. I have sleeves and a half welding shirt in the drawer but rarely wear them for some reason.
I just leave my pet honey badger tied up under my car every night...
I think all vehicles should come standard with a lock-on Full Vehicle Body Anti-Splash/Theft Skid Plate. Just enclose the entire bottom of the vehicle and be done with it.
Great job, you the Best
Thanks Jose
good work, thinking of doing a similiar job to my cat .... maybe some more wiring and welding.
What ever you can do to deter them can't hurt. The more visible the better when they stick their heads under the car to get them to go elsewhere. Good luck on your project.
After I seen the thief on camera I would live wire my truck to 240V and plug it in every night...
and end up in Prison. your CAT and or car is not worth that
@@onenikkione Do you steal cats or cars.... I would get you !!!
Booby traps are illegal in all 50 states. Likely have you for the animals it would kill.
@@whirledpeaz5758 I don't live in the 50 states... I live in KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS or pay the price :)
240 volts would buck phases !
Maybe 120 and even then you couldn’t install the neutral because any part of the metal would be a did short !
It would blow the breaker .
I don’t understand your deterrent it sounds good but it dosent make any kind of sense theoretically!
I wish you would've taken the time to weld some razor blades and sharp nails on that cat, maybe a few bear traps 🤔
You know I'm playin, keep it goin bro!!
Thanks
Maybe a trained Rattlesnake that sleeps under the car...
@@FoothillPaintandFabrication👍 how about a sheet of metal mesh stretched over the cat like a hammock and attach it to both sides of the frame? Sawzall blades are useless and you can't get a pipe cutter in there, cutoff wheel would work but is noisy... easily removed if you need to work on it...I may give it a shot
@@busybody1474 That would work too as long as it trapped the cat so they couldn't cut the pipe on each side and yank it out. The problem with unibody cars is there really isn't much to attach to under there except the floor of the car.
I can't get exhaust shops to do this for me. Could I use JB weld for the nuts and bolts instead of a welder? Also can't a sawzall - reciprocating saw cut through the cable?
Yes you could bend the threads over and/or use JB weld. I would bend them over personally so it looks really hard to unfasten. Cutting cable with a sawZall is pretty tough to do but it is possible. With 3 cables and one at the very top they will have to work at it which WORK is the key word here since they don't want to work do they? Good luck on your project.
There are companies that make a multipart skid plate for many cars, the 2006 honda accord runs about $360 and could be self installed for those who don't weld. Probably a better option for those who can't fabricate like the video presenter can.
Very true Matthew. As time goes on there are more and more options showing up for sale. This could be done without welding by just taking a hammer to the threads sticking out of the exhaust clamps and bending them over and skip the manifold cover plate portion. Then it could be done with simple tools.
My friend had her cat stolen n had to buy a new car. She has very little money and is struggling.. Thieves are awful.
Heartless and selfish every one of them. They don't care about anyone but themselves. It is so sad that the people that can least afford to be a victim are often the targets.
I'm surprised they unbolted it. Most I've seen the thieves just cut the pipe on either side of the cat. Unbolting takes too long.
Our theory is that they had their cat stolen and needed the down pipe since theirs was cut so they went out and stole my nieces. Either that or they are supplying shady muffler shops with used cats and fill orders by request. Either way they cannot unbolt it easily the next time they try.
@@FoothillPaintandFabrication yeah I figured that after I posted it. They probably had theirs stolen so it's the domino thing. The value is in the cat not the downpipes or brackets. That was a great video by the way. I think I'm just gonna get a pit bull and teach him to guard the car lol 🤣😂
@@FoothillPaintandFabrication Hi.. could you please advise if I can use JB Weld around the threads of the two bolts connecting the down pipe instead of creating the metal piece and welding it? Can I also apply JB Weld on the other threads too? Thanks for the helpful video!
@@tomtran614 You would want to use Extreme Heat JB Weld for the down tube bolt heads as it can take up to 2400F. You may want to search for vandal proof bolts that are sold for some applications. They take a special socket to remove them. If you are using exhaust clamps like I did and don't have a welder I would take a hammer and bend the threads over past the nuts so they cannot be taken off easily. JB Weld might be able to be forced off with a wrench when backing off the nuts.
Mark
Good idea, 👍
Great idea thanks
Thanks Robert. Been on there about 2 years with a few guys looking underneath but they all take a pass.
If manufacturers are able to put covers on the engines, they should at least put a cover over the cat. Charge extra if they must for heavy duty theft device but they dont bother at all. Tells you something how lazy car manufacturers are.
The cynical side of me thinks that they make money when you come in to buy a new OEM cat but it is probably just not a selling point yet. When it some ad person thinks it will help sell vehicles they will start making it harder to cut them off.
@@FoothillPaintandFabrication why would they help the consumer and take money from dealers/manufacturers pocket by preventing the thefts.
@@genielaury Look for that to be a pricey option in the future...
Rookie mistake. You forgot to drain the blinker fluid before welding! Thanks for the video.
Thank you!
Thanks, I hope it helps you protect your cat.
Mark
I hooked a spare battery straight to the converter, so it's hot. I flick on the switch after my truck is turned off. The converter is now hot, go ahead, and lay on GROUND and apply your saw.
Since this is a big problem why can’t the police put a tracking device inside a converter, let it get stolen and then follow it all the way to the buyer. Bust them all.
That would be a awesome but wouldn't the tracker have to be able to withstand a lot of heat? Not sure they have something like that. I totally agree that the buyers need to be busted.
All they need to do is park some dummy vehicles, and get them on camera. It’s not rocket science. They don’t care. I just had mine stolen, and my windows bashed in.
I got mine stolen 2 days ago and the detectives haven’t contacted me in any way yet. I wish they could’ve lifted prints off my car but that’s probably not gonna happen. A tracker is a great idea but they have to be monitoring the trackers and be somewhat fast bc at some level, the thieves are melting down the cats for the metals so they’ll notice a tracker at some point
True, they could put some trackers on cats installed on some Toyota Prius. Which is the holy grail for cat thieves.
It's great that we're all screwing around with "anti-theft" crap while there's little or no real prosecution for this.
Go ask your local law enforcement just how many cases they've actually closed.
Legislation is always way behind this kind of stuff. It usually gets priority when some congressman or their family member is a victim and then things get done. It has been in the news a lot lately so hopefully that will shame the authorities into action.
Hello there I just wanted to know if you can do the catalytic converter protection like the one you did in your video. And were is your place at do I need to buy the stuff for you to cover my catalytic converter.thanks
I can't do the work for you but I will answer any questions you might have.
I bought the cable at Home Depot because I was in a hurry but if you look around you can probably find a place that will cut it to length for you and save a little money. The exhaust clamps I bought from a local chain auto parts store.
Hope this helps
Mark
Thieves don’t like to work that’s why they steal…that line was golden
How about covering the bolts with epoxy ? What you are trying to do make it a more difficult for the thrives.
LocTite, bending the threads over or epoxy would slow them down for sure. By welding the nuts I wanted to make it look daunting to remove the clamps to get to the pipe and cut it. The main goal was deterring them to go somewhere else. It has worked so far! Fingers crossed.
I easily installed a U bolt with a one inch chain link to one end of exhaust and wrapped chain around and clamped with u bolt at other end where they need to cut with sawzall
Good ideal. Anything you can do to make it look like work to steal.
Great idea!!! A bit overkill but I guess better safe than sorry LOL.
Thanks
What ever it takes to keep the cat under the car works for me.
If one were to spot weld a few feet of steel tubing along the length and on the top of the cat, what type of metal do you think would slow a Sawzall down the most?
The highest carbon steel you can find. Stainless rod would be tough too. I used cable because you cannot cut it with a reciprocating saw very easily because it just jumps around. You make it look like work and possibly hard to remove quickly and easily and they will probably take a pass.
Good luck
@@FoothillPaintandFabrication Another idea I've heard of is having a "rod within a tube", basically a stainless rod just slightly smaller than the tube (roll bar cage material), that spins freely ... that way, when the saw hits it, it cannot cut because it can't gain purchase on the metal. This set up would be welded on top of the CAT and along the necks on the side of the CAT. What do you think?
@@dirtdogdigital3979 The only problem I see with this is that the cat and pipes are different sizes and for this to work the assembly would have to be straight so the rod inside could spin. Most cats are stolen by cutting the thinnest portion of the pipe so you could protect each end of the cat as far as it goes straight though. The thieves around here use a cheap chain tubing cutter they steal from Harbor Freight. Silent and easy but also easy to deter since it can only cut smooth pipe. Reciprocating saws are used a lot as well too.
Nice video
Was that a Honda XL 250R that I saw in the background? I put a lot of miles on one just like that one.
1983 Honda XL600R and it starts and runs great! It is a lot of fun to ride and kick starting it isn't to bad.
@@FoothillPaintandFabrication I like the big thumper bikes. I currently ride a 03 xr 650r. Does your bike have the dual carb set up? If Honda would have put disc brakes on those models I would probably still be riding one!
Hope you make a fortune doing this...patent it!
Just looking to stop or deter thieves and help others protect their vehicles.
Do u disconnect the battery when welding on the vehicle? Car computors are pretty pricey.
Yes I do and I make sure to keep the ground clamp as close to the weld as possible to make sure the voltage doesn't travel through unwanted areas.
nice work! But what is to stop the thief from cutting through the clamp with the sawzall?
Nothing is stopping them cutting through the clamps except time. As a deterrent this will make them think it will take time and more work than using a silent chain tubing cutter on the exhaust pipes and walking away in seconds. Nothing will stop a determined thief if they want to work at it long enough but they want easy money not work right? If they were willing to work they would get a job instead of stealing our stuff. This has worked well over a year, so far so good.
Can you weld the cables to the pipe and cat in addition to what was done?
You could but the problem with welding on the side of the cable is that you are really only welding to a few strands of the cable which could be torn off. If you wanted to secure the cable with welding I think sliding a short piece of pipe that barely fits over the cable and then weld that to the exhaust pipe would work. Anything you can do to make it look like it will take time and work should keep the lazy thief's away.
Why not just ding the clamp threads? Nice job and nice that you helped her out.
I did that accidentally last week and it was a PITA getting the nut off. A little crimped thread goes a long way.
That a great idea.
Thanks, I hope it helps stop good people from getting ripped off.