 » Site Navigation | | | | » Recent Threads | | | | | | | |  |  |  | |  01-07-2008, 05:14 PM | #1 | | Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: norcal - 94590 Posts: 3,186 |  Theft!! Grrrrr....
So on Friday morning, right at the peak of the storm that plowed through NorCal, I head out to go to work. Now I don't want to take the ti in this mess, so I jump in my 94 4runner. As soon as I turn the key, the truck sounds like the muffler blew a hole or something. I shut it off, curse my luck for this to happen on this crazy morning, jump into the ti and brave the storm. Yesterday, after the weather has calmed down, I crawled under the 4runner to examine the exhaust and discover that some MFing A**hole stole the catalytic converter!!! Just unbolted it and ran off with it. Even left the bolts behind... Now I know that the economy is not the best right now, but since when are catalytic converters a rare commodity? Now the 4runner gets to park on the street, as the ti has the prime parking spot, and the truck has the factory alarm, so I figure it is ok... turns out the factory alarm settings default is set to only activate when the door is opened, not for glass breakage or shock. The owner has to turn on those settings... Grrr.... So I'm off to find a cat for my truck instead of heading to work, so that means double the money lost... Double Grrr...  |  |  | | 01-07-2008, 06:20 PM | #2 | | Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: rochester ny Posts: 71 |
same thing happened to my old car, my volvo. Catalytic converters have platinum in them, any scrap metal place will give you a pretty penny for them. Sorry to hear of your bad luck. At least its a 94, do they make you hook up OBD1 cars to a sniffer in ca? if not just get a pipe thats the right size and replace it with that instead of a new cat | | | | | 01-07-2008, 06:35 PM | #3 | | Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Eugene Oregon Posts: 6,182 |
dang now thats ruthless! lol
thats just as bad as people stealing copper lines off of buildings to sell at scrap yards! __________________
-Josh
Sold-1995 318ti, Club Sport, Hellrot
Sold-1996 318ti, Active Model, Boston Green
Current- 1995 318ti, sport model, schwartz
| | | | | 01-07-2008, 07:06 PM | #4 | | Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Detroit, MI Posts: 585 |
This same thing happened to my friends land rover. It was at a Mizzou football game when they stole it. I thought it was funny, but she's loaded so it didn't really matter.
Sorry to hear about your incident, its pretty stupid and low that someone would do that. | | | | | 01-07-2008, 07:42 PM | #5 | | Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Florida Posts: 2,525 |
This is a huge deal right now with Toyota's. My mother-in-law has been a warranty service writer for over 25 years with Toyota. She said they see atleast a few of these every month.
It is very easy to get up under the car and steal it without lifting the car, or making it obvious that the cat was stolen. Given that a new replacement cat can be 800+, people can sell these for a good amount of money on ebay. | | | | | 01-07-2008, 09:10 PM | #6 | | Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Eugene Oregon Posts: 6,182 |
dang 800 bucks! thats out of control i would put a few welds on my cat to prevent this! __________________
-Josh
Sold-1995 318ti, Club Sport, Hellrot
Sold-1996 318ti, Active Model, Boston Green
Current- 1995 318ti, sport model, schwartz
| | | | | 01-08-2008, 02:35 AM | #7 | | Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: norcal - 94590 Posts: 3,186 |
Well after running around all morning, and no one having one in stock, I went to work and ordered one online for $90, which is less than any local store and waaayyy less than the dealer...
Trust me, I will be tack-welding the bolts in place this time...
Could have been much worse cost wise, but I'm still p.o'd about the whole thing. If I had the chance, I'd be tack-welding the theif's balls to his chin, rather than bolts for the new cat... | | | | | 01-08-2008, 02:41 AM | #8 | | Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: norcal - 94590 Posts: 3,186 |
Quote: Originally Posted by spano  same thing happened to my old car, my volvo. Catalytic converters have platinum in them, any scrap metal place will give you a pretty penny for them. Sorry to hear of your bad luck. At least its a 94, do they make you hook up OBD1 cars to a sniffer in ca? if not just get a pipe thats the right size and replace it with that instead of a new cat | Yes, they still hook up sniffers to all cars here in Cali... However, I did seriously consider your straight pipe idea, but I was able to order one cheap enough, so I did not have to resort to the bypass... Now if this had been the ti, I probably would have rigged a blowout bypass pipe before re-installing a new cat, for those really loud track days  | | | | | 01-08-2008, 02:47 AM | #9 | | Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Florida Posts: 2,525 |
Cheap aftermarket catalytic converters are notorious for not working right, or causing a flood of CELs on OBDII cars. That is why the price from the dealer is so high. You ever look at the cost of a BMW catalytic converter? They are super pricey...
I don't know for sure what a toyota cat costs, but I'm sure they are not cheap...
Hopefully the aftermarket cat you ordered works out for you... I've heard of people in California getting dinged on their inspections for having an aftermarket cat that is not CARB certified. | | | | | 01-08-2008, 02:49 AM | #10 | | Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: SW Florida Posts: 4,275 |
dude!
what the hell is this world coming to?
i had no idea...as we have several 4-runners at our shop that stay outside at night.
i guess these crooks keep an eye on the stock market and find out what metals pay out the best at the recycling centers.
oh my...i feel for ya wolferj...hang in there.
Bastards __________________ 
Sean
1995 Active | | | | | 01-08-2008, 03:03 AM | #11 | | Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: norcal - 94590 Posts: 3,186 |
Quote: Originally Posted by mohaughn Cheap aftermarket catalytic converters are notorious for not working right, or causing a flood of CELs on OBDII cars. That is why the price from the dealer is so high. You ever look at the cost of a BMW catalytic converter? They are super pricey...
I don't know for sure what a toyota cat costs, but I'm sure they are not cheap...
Hopefully the aftermarket cat you ordered works out for you... I've heard of people in California getting dinged on their inspections for having an aftermarket cat that is not CARB certified. | Fortuntately, my 4runner is a 94, so it's OBDI... Still the cat I ordered is a Magnaflow, so not too off-brand and description stated CARB certified... we will see... Toyota cat runs about $300 from the dealer... | | | | | 01-08-2008, 03:54 AM | #12 | | Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Westfield, IN Posts: 1,335 |
man if someone did that to me at school i'd be uber pissed!!
sorry that happened to u!! __________________ Greg
M42 Club member 186
WTB: HELLROT RED CLUB SPORT
95 ti sold but staying in the family. | | | | | 01-08-2008, 04:15 AM | #13 | | aka Stabby Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Mead, CO Posts: 5,336 |
Quote: Originally Posted by teetime4one dude!
what the hell is this world coming to?
i had no idea...as we have several 4-runners at our shop that stay outside at night.
i guess these crooks keep an eye on the stock market and find out what metals pay out the best at the recycling centers.
oh my...i feel for ya wolferj...hang in there.
Bastards | i have to agree ... i've never heard of such ****. this makes me want the martin repeller retrofit now, at least they'll get a nice shock when they go under my car ... EAT SH!T BASTARDS! __________________ 1996 318ti, California package, 267k miles
current mods: bilstein sports, bavauto springs, e30 m3 LCABs, solid metal ball joints, bavauto RSMs w/reinforcements, e30 3.73 LSD & halfshafts, supersprint cat-back exhaust, turner rear sway bar reinforcements, IE poly subframe & RTABs + camber/toe kits, powdercoated e36 32x front calipers, sport mirrors, H&R 28mmF/19mmR sway bars, x-brace, auto solutions SSK w/poly bushing upgrade, BMW CD43 head unit, DICE HD Radio w/iPod integration and "stealth" HD antenna, staggered style 68s, orange electronic TPMS, leather arm rest, JT Designs metal undertray
acquired and awaiting install: heated seat kit, cali top switch relo, lumbar support kit, park distance control kit, heated washer nozzle kit, m-coupe rear subframe, trailing arms, differential, and halfshafts, m-coupe front/rear brakes with master cylinder, under hood light kit, mud flaps, rear sun blind, auto-dimming rear view mirror, tilt steering wheel retrofit, apexcone 5000K HIDs with 55W ballasts
2002 X5 4.4 Sport Package, 53.5k miles
Current Mods: e46 m3 steering wheel | | | | | 01-08-2008, 04:42 AM | #14 | | Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Orange County, NY Posts: 1,067 |
What kind of alarm is that?! Only for doors opening? Damn... sorry to hear about your truck. | | | | | 01-08-2008, 04:46 AM | #15 | | That's not Millpoint Blue Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: BNA Posts: 3,161 |
Quote: Originally Posted by cali-ti this makes me want the martin repeller retrofit | The what??? __________________ Real men know how to SEARCH!
THIS IS A MILLPOINT BLUE INTERIOR
Mods 'n' stuff: Star Spoke 43 wheels - X-Brace - Mason Engineering front strut brace - CF gauge overlay - ZHP shifter knob - Racing Dynamics cat-back - Doubled brake lights - M-tech rear spoiler
From Page 68 of the 1997 Owners Manual: "Vehicles equipped with ASC+T remain subject to the laws of physics." | | | | | |
| Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests) | | |
 Posting Rules | You may not post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
| | |
|
Linear Mode
