How much Platinum in a Catalytic Converter?? Someone stole mine off csr!!

What kind of vehicle?

Exact dollar-wise, I couldn't tell you, but they have a LOT of scrap value for the precious metals in them when recycled.

Platinum and Palladium in converters are rare, even more so than gold, and a single scrap cat is worth upwards of $50 I believe.

FWIW, indeed in some areas stealing them off of parked cars is quite a lucritive trade!

There is even converter locking kind of things composed of tough braided stainless steel cable that go around the unit in the car, and take too long to cut thru all the flexible cables, so the scum sucking weasels move on to easier targets when they see one.

Google it...

And have FUN getting that converter replaced. Many of these things, depending on year/make/model can range up into the $1000 range, if they're a welded-in part of an exhaust system, as compared to bolt-in deal.

Converters are a ceramic brick wash coated with platinum,palladium,and rhodium mostly. Some of the newer ones have iridium also.

89 dodge rader (4 wh dr)
What gets me up and down my mountain.

They probably got $125 for it.

Must be a lot. A friend of mine who owns a construction company, sub contractor, had BOTH converters stolen off a toyota tundra! Check this out, he just rolled up to the job to see how things were going and was there for like 30 minutes. Never 50 yards from the truck! Boom. $ 2800 to replace em.

He overpaid and the thieves only got maybe $225 for both converters.

Which engine in that Raider? the 4 or the 6 cyl? Just out of curiosity, I'm looking up how bad you're gonna get screwed to buy a new one...

Either way, Rockauto.com is showing around a $100 for a new one, then there will be replacement pipes, or adaptation work on both ends, because they cut it out not unbolted it.

Could have been worse... MUCH worse... Be glad it's an '89!

Can you imagine the nerve of these fuckers? Roll into a construction site, climb under the truck with a fucking hacksaw and steal the converters! People all around.

Thanks for all the info!!
Can't believe how low some people will go
(literally:-) I know things are rough for
many, many, folks...can you IMAGINE how
desperate and unforgiving things are going
to get?

Q-I'm not sure how you sourced this, but did it
allude to weight -approx- of these metals?

I really cannot afford to replace it right now-
what's the worst to expect? toxic fumes? sheesh

4cyl...I know they are rollover potentials,
but due to the short wheelbase, it is a little
snow plow and I rely heavily on it. Also,
I'm a sane, safe, driver, and know HOW to drive
in the snow.

I'll prob get a ticket without one.
Dam, I could have chopped it off myself and bought
a cord of applewood for the winter:-)

this happened in my area, a lot. like 20 cars were hit in my neighborhood. they were going for almost a hundred bucks at the time, i think they're down now to about 50.

depending on the converter.

about 3-5 grams of Pt
about 1-2 gram of Rh
and 1-5 grams of Pd

old ones had some gold in them as well.

they wholesale for anywhere from 25-$120 each.

I would guess you have a foriegn car..honda, toyota, volvo?

they have the most pgm's

Called a Dodge Rader (Engine) and (prob most of it)
says Mitsubishi...Emmblem says Dodge, but....

Battery powered saws-all, not a hack saw.

Readin my mind here:-) I have one that I use
in the field to delimb trees for firewood.

Catch these fuckers and you know what to do. Don't call 911.

RATCHET STYLE PIPE CUTTER. FAST AND QUIET. HAVE ONE I USE FOR MY PLUMBING WORK.

Depending on what state you live in(vehicle inspections for compliance), you can just have a shop weld a section of pipe in its place($20-30). They can't cut one off and put back a pipe, but YOU can cut it off and it's legal for them to put just a pipe back.

Last Edited by SPUD on 12/05/2012 12:49 PM

The thefts come in bursts in my city. The PD here says it takes an experienced thief about 20 seconds under the car to cut it off with a saws-all.

30 seconds start to finish they say (from dropping down on the deck, sliding under vehicle, cutting it off, sliding back out, getting up)

You only need to replace it if you have to take the vehicle for emissions testing, aside from that just put on some flex pipe and be done with it.

In central Alabama most scrap yards will not take them, they know the gig. On the other hand , we take the converter off anyway, better sound better has mileage, let's the engine breathe better etc

Someone came through our neighborhood last week and stole all the kids bikes. Great Christmas deed.