The Chicago Police have a pilot program of fighting Catalytic Converter thefts by spray painting the converters pink. This will in theory prevent the thief from cutting the converter out for resale.

Based on this I'm going to bring the idea of spray painting my converter pink to my local Honda Dealer at my next oil change.

 

Spray painted can easily be removed with the right solvent.

 

I wouldn't spray any random pink paint on your exhaust, especially the cat, which gets extremely hot. I'm not sure where the reading is coming from, but my Ultragauge reports that my cat temp is 1200F and up during normal driving.

 

I'll find out what my Honda Dealer has to say about this. Catalytic Converter thefts are big business here in Chicago and surrounding suburbs.

 

how would pink paint prevent theft?

 

That's what I was wondering too. So like, converters removed legally for replacement would not be pink or have the pink removed? My head hurts thinking about this. Buyers of stolen cats are criminals themselves, so hardly care if they're pink.

 

They should make cat theft illegal. That'll stop'm.

 

I guess if you're stopped with a trunk full of pink cats then they arrest you?

Why not require putting the VIN # on that part? And require any buyers to check with the police first to see if it's been stolen?

 

Agreed! This just seems silly. They don't even want the body, they want the platinum, palladium, and rhodium from the inside. The body is pitched in the trash.

Not to mention that an acetone bath would remove the pink paint. Not that they would bother. They'd just throw away a pink body instead of a silver one.

 

What a silly idea.

Start neighborhood patrols, armed with 12 gauge shot guns.

After a dozen of them get shot, i bet the rest reconsider stealing more.

 

sound advice here

 

https://blockclubchicago.org/2022/08...pilot-program/

 

Where I am they're going to start etching VIN numbers on the cats. This will be done for free by many auto shops when your car is up on their hoist for other servicing. There will be stickers on the windows warning that this has been done.

In addition they're clamping down on scrap metal places. They have to have better records, ask for and record ID of sellers of certain items, and pay them by check and not cash. Etc.

 

The paint thing does hurt my head. It's the inside stuff that they want anyway. Not sure how Pink or any other color defines a legal removal or non-legal. I'm also not sure how many little cars have to worry about theft. I know I know. But hear me out. The Fit/Jazz sits low to the ground. Difficult for a fat thief to get under. Plus, small engine = small cat. It's true. (Remember, it's not the size of the cat but the....) Now something like a giant V8 pickup that's up in the air? Well if I'm stealing cats, trucks have more metal and are higher up. I'm stealing those over a low and little car.

Oh well.

Now I like the videos of people who welded steel plates at the cut-off points for cats. Then welded words like "No no no" or "Eat Shit" and the like.

 

Doesn't even have to be a truck. Think of all those wonderful SUVs that people drive which are so conveniently high up in the air with lots of ground clearance. You should never hear of a Fit cat being stolen as long as it;s parked near so many more desirable high off the ground vehicles.

 

On the V6 Accord (at least on the 03-07 MY), there are 3 cats... 2 near the engine, and 1 underneath.

 

My folks had two cats stolen from their work trucks. Local Sheriff said the criminals crate them in a container and send them out of the country to connections in their supply chain. I wouldn't place any bets that those cutting out or buying the stolen cats care anything about pink paint or VINs nor are unable to work around such things without much difficulty.

 

Worthless post. Painting parts pink will never stop cat thefts. smh

 

the most stolen catalytic converters last year were specifically the 2nd gen Prius

as of this year, the top 10 cars with converters getting stolen are:

10. 2001–2021 Toyota Prius
9. 2011–2017 Chrysler 200
8. 1987–2019 Toyota Camry
7. 1997–2020 Honda CR-V
6. 2005–2021 Chevrolet Equinox
5. 1999–2021 Chevrolet Silverado
4. 1990–2022 Ford Econoline/E-Series
3. 2007–2017 Jeep Patriot
2. 1989–2020 Honda Accord
1. 1985–2021 Ford F-series

strangely, they are prettymuch the most popular cars on the roads







https://www.caranddriver.com/feature...nverter-theft/

 

We own a 2019 F150 3.5EB and a 2020 Accord 2.0 Sport. D'oh! Not painting anything pink though. Might make some modern art in red on the driveway though if there is an attempt.