dawki Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 Hi All I have had a letter from Surrey police warning of the risk of having your CAT nicked and a invitation to have my CAT marked at a local garage free of charge. has anybody else done this or is it a waste of time I'm thinking at the moment that i might as well as nothing to loose. Cheers Dawki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 As it is free what have you to lose? Although I have to wonder how effective marking would be when once stolen a cat is probably quickly 'skinned' to get at the valuable contents and only if the skin is left laying around will there be any trace of it? Maybe a sticker on the windows to say that the cat is traceable would be as effective - always assuming that the thieving pikeys can read that is - and if they can read that they stop to read it before thieving - and if they do read if they would they be deterred? Maybe security - or welded - bolts might be more effective? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Jones Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 Wish ours had been nicked - we had to pay £126 to the cattery when we collected her after our trip! By the way, I'm back in the UK. Check out our blog: http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog/tonyssabbatical/1/tpod.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 How about this ' The Catalytic Converter fitted to this vehicle has been treated with a Cyanide compound and is very highly toxic, it also has a pleasing 'Almond' taste, if you steal it, lick your fingers afterwards for a taste'. Yum Yum ! 'Curiosity killed the Cat Stealer'. >:-) >:-) Ray This stems from me working with Large laser printers with photo-conductive drums treated with Arsenic, there were large signs telling the operators to be careful when changing them. But that didn't stop one 'bright spark' licking his fingers 'to see what Arsenic tasted like' (he lived ! but was ill !!!) 'Who put the 'Arse' in Arsenic ' ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
everhopeful Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 The cretins that would steal your cat probably can't read anyway. Has anyone any experience of physical things to stop your cat being nicked? There are wire rope contraptions to wrap around it, but surely bolt cutters would quickly negate one of those. Mine seems alarmingly easy to pinch, so it's a little disconcerting. 8-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Extracted from a previous thread:- Derek Uzzell Posted: 6 February 2011 6:40 PM Subject: RE: Catalytic Converters and Perthshire Caravans There is a piece in January 2011's MMM (Interchange, page 174) about theft of catalytic converters. A couple of preventative ploys are suggested, including using security 'shear nuts'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spospe Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Cats are stolen using large diameter pipe cutters to cut through the exhaust pipe itself, so bolts of any type are useless. Strong steel bars either welded, or secure bolt attached and covering the cat, making the use of cutters difficult, might be a way forward, but it's only a guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
everhopeful Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 Blimey! If that's how they pinch them then we've no hope. Surely if we protect the cat or pipes near to it, then they will just cut further afield and pinch more pipe. If they are coming armed with kit like that then we need something a bit different - like 1000 volts to fry the ba******! Any ideas what sort of cost would we incur if they nicked the cat, silencer and pipes, and what would they get from the sale of what is obviously stolen property? :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 Euroserv posted details of Catalytic Converters prices on this February2011 thread. http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=22444&posts=15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G and D Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 We've been looking at deterrents since the owner of the storage site we are using said a fellow customer had now gone there after having two cats stolen whilst he was using a storage site near us. Unfortunately the chap was away in his van so we couldn't see what he had now done to prevent theft. The site owner said he had wrapped razor wire around the cat. We are thinking of getting the "CatClamp" fitted (comes up on google). Just waiting until tomorrow to check that our local Ford dealers can fit it (he gets an ex-staff discount on labour). I emailed the company and got a reply back within an hour even though it is BH weekend. Apparently it fits most chassis and weighs 6kg. Costs £199. Which seems worth it if is going to stop us losing some no claims bonus if it gets nicked plus the cheapest excess I have had quoted so far is £200 and also of course if it gets nicked it could ruin your holiday. It is stocked at parts suppliers near us so hoping to pick it up and avoid the postage cost. The testimonials on the site, which of course there is no way of knowing if they are genuine, say it does what it says on the tin. One chap had his car stolen and said the thieves had had a good go with power tools elsewhere to remove the cat but hadn't succeeded. If I have read it correctly, the way it fits prevents removal of the cat from the cage even if you get the clamp off the vehicle. The marker kit can be purchased from Fords, I think, costs about £12. Although I daresay the cat would probably be melted down by unscrupulous scrap dealers and even if left intact, unless the scrap dealer happens to be raided by the police who would ever check it. Probably the only chance of getting it back would be if the thieves were stopped by police with a pile of cats in the back of the van. Having said that if it is free marking go for it as not having any identification on it makes it extremely difficult to trace an owner and without a loser/victim the police can't gather enough evidence to take any suspect to court. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olley Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 The English version of "Catclamp.com" is being blocked by chrome as malware, anybody else had this? Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G and D Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 We are not using Chrome as far as I know and I just googled CatClamp and looked at the first highlighted site at the top. That site then has a UK bit to click on. I have just seen the sites below it with UK at the end say they damage the computer. I emailed using the CatClamp.com site not the one with uk in the address. It is sold by these people too - http://www.essexautoparts.co.uk/product/Catalytic_Converter_Lock_CatClamp-STD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G and D Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 Sorry double post!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G and D Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 We have now been to a Ford Service centre to ask about having the CatClamp fitted. The mechanic showed us under a Ford Transit 2.4 TDCI lorry. The Catalytic Converter was right up in the Manifold and is close coupled (whatever that means). He reckoned it would be vitually impossible to get off and having seen it is not halfway down the chassis we have to agree. We then contacted a big M/H dealers who said they had over two dozen cats stolen from new M/Hs in one night but all Fiats and not one Ford touched. So it seems if you have a Ford chassis you MAY not become victim to this new type of theft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onecal Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 Last year throughout Europe Fire Stations break ins and safety cutting gear were stolen. This gear Hyd' cutting shears are being used to remove the easy to get at Cat's. Some Fords and Merc's also have been hit but yes Fiat's and VW's have been easy pray.They just chop or should I say snip them off. We have found a flat Alu' sheet (like a false floor) good enough. Too much noise to try and remove plus an alarm switch we fitted to the plate helped. They went looking for an easer target. Regards, Brendan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
everhopeful Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 It's very disappointing that this crime hasn't been stopped at source by the police. Surely, if the police visited scrapyards and demanded written evidence where the cats came from, ie name and address of supplier and vehicle reg where the cat originated, then the demand would dry up immediately. It's not brain surgery to realise that a new looking cat or some precious metals must have come from somewhere strange, and why would anyone be in possession of say, 10 cats? The scrapyards must know what's going on. If every supplier of a cat or the metals to a scrap merchant received a police visit then surely we'd all be a little safer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 Buy an old camper :D ..........................cures your pussy problems (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlowie Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 pelmetman - 2011-05-05 7:30 PM Buy an old camper :D ..........................cures your pussy problems (lol) Saucy (!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesFrance Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 olley - 2011-05-02 12:00 PM The English version of "Catclamp.com" is being blocked by chrome as malware, anybody else had this? Ian Same with Firefox, identified by Google as distributing malware. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 onecal vw - 2011-05-05 9:34 AM Last year throughout Europe Fire Stations break ins and safety cutting gear were stolen. This gear Hyd' cutting shears are being used to remove the easy to get at Cat's. Some Fords and Merc's also have been hit but yes Fiat's and VW's have been easy pray.They just chop or should I say snip them off. We have found a flat Alu' sheet (like a false floor) good enough. Too much noise to try and remove plus an alarm switch we fitted to the plate helped. They went looking for an easer target. Regards, Brendan Yep the fire station 'down the road' from us had their gear nicked 1 week before uprated security was due to be fitted, this was about 2 years ago Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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