# Parts thieves



## hewhodigsholes (Oct 28, 2020)

Several enterprising individuals stole both cats off my Isuzu Friday morning. Apparently they're worth about $300-500 each on the scrap market now.

Worst part is they aren't even your run of the mill crackheads. They're pro thieves out of Houston so they get dozens every night. They even have daytime scouts. And our complex has gates and cameras. 

Anyone else had their vehicle hit by scrappers?


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

I had my cube towed up to my mechanic for electrical work just before going up north for a week. They pulled it in the shop every night because of this. Their parking lot is alway packed and next to two gas stations. But a cube makes for a much easier and quicker job.

I remember a wave of cats being stolen big time in the late ‘00s here.


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

I am really surprised this is happening in Texas and there aren't people waiting to catch these phuckers and shoot them like they deserve.


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## goeswiththeflow (Feb 24, 2018)

Because they don't want to go through what Kyle Rittenhouse went through.

Our shop got hit last year, a half dozen in one night in our industrial complex. The cops told us that the whole state route in our town that we are located in had been targeted for the past 8 months. WTF didn't they put out a public service announcement when they knew?


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

=This cost us about 700 to replace when one was stolen off our truck...

They claim that a Toyots prius is worth over a grand at the junk yards....

I have been told that they make some kind of SS mail jacket that can be strapped around the
converter that makes it almost impossible to cut off with a sawzall....
I have been thinking about doing this to our trucks just in case


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

Master Mark said:


> .................
> I have been told that they make some kind of SS mail jacket that can be strapped around the
> converter that makes it almost impossible to cut off with a sawzall....
> ............


Some mechanics have been welding lengths of rebar down the sides of the exhaust pipes. Makes it take a lot more time. I'm sure wrapping eveything with stainless wire would help a lot too, I doubt they bring a sawzall AND good snips.


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## hewhodigsholes (Oct 28, 2020)

skoronesa said:


> I am really surprised this is happening in Texas and there aren't people waiting to catch these phuckers and shoot them like they deserve.


Gotta see em to shoot em. 

On the flip side, local PD caught one of the groups. They rammed a cruiser and tried to punch a cop, so they got 3 felonies instead of just the 1 for stealing converters.



goeswiththeflow said:


> Because they don't want to go through what Kyle Rittenhouse went through.


Eh, not here. They only come out in the early morning, so most folks won't catch them. Nobody would bat an eye if one of them got shot.


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## hewhodigsholes (Oct 28, 2020)

A roll of poultry wire is dirt cheap and probably just as effective. 

It's just crazy to me that literally every trades company down here is hiring for good money, and people still get up in the wee hours and 34° to crawl under cars and cut off mufflers. If you're that motivated and handy with a Sawzall, just about anyone would hire you.


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

hewhodigsholes said:


> A roll of poultry wire is dirt cheap and probably just as effective.
> 
> It's just crazy to me that literally every trades company down here is hiring for good money, and people still get up in the wee hours and 34° to crawl under cars and cut off mufflers. If you're that motivated and handy with a Sawzall, just about anyone would hire you.


Well, 6 cats in one evening once a week, 6x~400$ = 2400$. Sounds like much easier money than plumbing haha. I get why they do it.

The scrap yards that buy these things are just as much at fault.


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

skoronesa said:


> Well, 6 cats in one evening once a week, 6x~400$ = 2400$. Sounds like much easier money than plumbing haha. I get why they do it.
> 
> The scrap yards that buy these things are just as much at fault.


Most scrap yards in our town wont take them unless you have the vin numbers for each cat....
they are watching the scrap yards like hawks right now so most of them are probably leaving 
the area...


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## Debo22 (Feb 15, 2015)

I just saw on the news where they were showing someone’s cameras. One guy underneath the car, 2 guys watching the street, and one guy watching the front door with his hand in his pocket looking like he had a gun ready to shoot if you walked out on them.


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## Cagey57 (Mar 2, 2018)

They stole the Cat off my sons 90's Honda Accord a few months ago. Because we have Laws like Cali you have to have a "Certified" replacement put on by a muffler shop 
to the tune of >$1100. Something like 1500 stolen in the past 8 months metro wide.
I found videos on line and those bastids can cut one out in about 90 seconds. They deserve Rock Salt from a 12 gauge !


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

Debo22 said:


> I just saw on the news where they were showing someone’s cameras. One guy underneath the car, 2 guys watching the street, and one guy watching the front door with his hand in his pocket looking like he had a gun ready to shoot if you walked out on them.


Just act like you have a gun and you and your crack head buddies 
are headed to the morgue if I have a clear shot at you..
Just give me a reason to stand my ground.......
..


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