Somebody stealing catalytic converters from cars in one Cambridge neighborhood
By adamg on Mon, 10/29/2018 - 3:50pm
Cambridge Police report somebody cut and removed the catalytic converters from three cars in North Cambridge last week.
Shortly after 8 a.m. on Friday, a Rindge Avenue resident reported his car had had its catalytic converter removed while parked outside.
A Walden Square Road resident reported his or her car had had its catalytic converter removed, sometime between 5 p.m. on Wednesday and 7 a.m. on Thursday.
A Jackson Place resident reported somebody cut and stole her car's catalytic converter while it sat in her apartment building's parking lot, sometime between 3:15 p.m. on Wednesday and 6:45 a.m. on Thursday.
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Comments
economy
could this be an indicator that there's a problem with the economy?
It means there is a shady mechanic out there buying them
Just like the grocery store shrimp thieves - who are clearly selling them through the back door to some restaurants.
Probably Not
They are typically sold for scrap for their copper.
Platinum, not copper
The catalyst in a catalytic converter is platinum metal, a couple of grams (50ish dollars worth at current prices) in a car, more in bigger trucks, There isn't a meaningful amount of copper.
Doubtful
Cats don't typically use copper as a catalyst (nor are any significant parts typically made of it), and the precious metals they do use are relatively hard to recover:
https://iscrapapp.com/blog/how-scrap-catalytic-converter-prices-are-dete...
I find the shady mechanic hypothesis to be at least as credible as selling for scrap. I realize the scrap metal industry has a questionable reputation, but it'd be pretty hard to claim any sort of plausible deniability if somebody keeps showing up with cats.
Fair Enough
But since when do desperate addicts consider the challenges of recovery before succumbing to an impulse? (Only kidding as I don’t know these thieves are addicts but the pun worked to well in my head to pass up.)
Not copper
The catalyst is platinum or other precious metal.
Right
Just looked up the NYT write-up on catalytic converter thieves. Was recalling from memory. But you are right. The paper describes thieves targeting these parts for their platinum.
Commuter rail parking lots
Commuter rail parking lots have been hit hard for years by these thieves . Just put one in a Corrola, 755 for just the aftermarket part.
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