Frigging Cat Thieves !

[derekpara]

My son had the Catalytic Converter stolen from his 2005 plate Honda CR-V this morning while he was watching his two young boys playing football in a local recreation ground. The car was parked in the ground's busy parking area with people and vehicles coming and going all the time. He had noticed two youngish men sitting in a builder's type van but thought nothing of it.
Anyway, after a very noisy journey home my son reported the theft to the police who immediately asked if the car was a Honda and said that this was a very popular vehicle for cat thieves. A local exhaust fitter confirmed this.
Because of the car's age, general condition and the cost of replacing the cat etc the vehicle will undoubtedly now be a write-off.
My question is, what makes Hondas so attractive to thieves above most other vehicles? Is it just the ease of access or the amount of the valuable metal the cat holds ?

Cheers.

D

[Mamyalynne]

You have it with 'ease of access' sadly.

[wolf63]

I would be homicidal if someone stole my Cat.

[AuntPollyGrey]

It won't be a write off unless you want it to be. Ask the mechanic that's all I'm saying ;-)

[derekpara]

Me too, Wolfie.
Thanks, both.

D

[derekpara]

Aunt Polly.

Thanks for answer, but estimated car value £600- £800.

Cost of new cat plus other damaged parts £ 800 - £1500. Up-coming service, MOT etc £250 - £300.

D

[AuntPollyGrey]

derek you do not need to put the Cat back on. Ask a mechanic that's all I'm saying.

[derekpara]

Oh, I'm with you now, AuntP. Food for thought.

D

[tonyav]

It'll fail an MOT though ( with no cat ).

[DTCwordfan]

Mate of mine in Belgium had his VW GTI turbo nicked. 3 weeks later, the police reported that it had been found in deepest Limburg.

He drove it around and took it back complaining that it was lacking oomph - it was only on the third trip to the VW agency that they said 'nothing wrong with it up front - but we have noticed that you have turbo on the back - but there's no turbo with the engine. The thieves had nicked the engine to replace it with a bog standard model......

Meanwhile a colleague of a close friend of mine came out of his offices in the centre of Didcot, having left his car in the layby underneath the offices and in front of the butcher. Turned the key - nothing. Opens the bonnet - nothing there.

The Butchers - 'well, we thought you had a problem - three guys turned up with a van and lifted your engine out.....'

Bare-faced-chutzpah, as they say in New York, does work.

[Old_Geezer]

"Cost of new cat plus other damaged parts £ 800 - £1500. Up-coming service, MOT etc £250 - £300."

Yeah, but the mechanic may know a couple of young men who might be able to get one going cheap.

[derekpara]

Yes, OG, and I'd like to make their acquaintance, too.

D