What a bad day (to drive)

[Shots]

What the hell. I've just moved to Dallas for a new job. I must have gotten the big old "Welcome to Texas" special because some ass stole my catalytic converter at my new work office. We're talking a small place with windows in the surrounding offices and people going in and out regularly.

Now my truck (Toyota Tacoma) sounds so bad it hurts my ears while driving. I resorted to very gently pressing the gas pedal on the way home because it's so loud and I don't want to get pulled over (that would have been sweet). Cops said that there's tons of that going on around here and surprise, surprise ... Toyato Tacomas top the list as the #1 vehicle they're stolen off of. It's because it's so easy to get underneath and there's absolutely NOTHING near the converter (the second one, it has two but they don't steal the one that is hard to get).

FUCK! Even the Toyota dealer guessed what kind of vehicle I had before I told him over the phone. . .

So, Toyota quotes as $920 over the counter for a new one but insurance companies get it cheaper (I'm guessing that it's not much cheaper though). I could always look for the nearest auto repair shop and buy one (probably the same one that got stole off my vehicle). I just felt like venting because I'm going to at least have to cover my $250 deductible. What a shit day.

I thought about doing a Tuco setup of some sort but I doubt the police would be happy about that kind of thing here. Anyone had to replace one recently? Cop said I should probably get it spot welded in a few hard to reach places so it's not easy to take out (I was thinking of the same thing).

[Aegdaien]

I was under the impression vigilante justice was legal in Texas.

(sucks to hear about that though)

[Hippos II]

Replace it immediately, go back to work, watch your truck from your office with a sniper rifle, and when the little shit comes back, take advantage of your newfound Texas freedom.

[Kevincheese]

I thought this was going to be a thread about Michigan weather today.

[Malakriss]

Rig a bomb to your new one. Criminal Justice Self-Serve

[Shots]

I may have to investigate this Texas vigilante justice!

[FulorianC]

Originally Posted by Hippos II

Replace it immediately, go back to work, watch your truck from your office with a sniper rifle, and when the little shit comes back, take advantage of your newfound Texas freedom.

Only if your work = your home, and it's dark.

[Eduardo]

Originally Posted by Kevincheese

I thought this was going to be a thread about Michigan weather today.

I thought the same.

[Chips]

My day was pretty awesome. I got my shitty room mate to pay me her part of the rent after refusing to pay. I emailed her military commander and about 2 hours later I had a check. Fuck the chain of command, I use the batphone.

[Tuco]

Originally Posted by Eduardo

I thought the same.

Me too.

Man driving home during the blizzard today was awesome. Some fat bitch was in a ditch, there were two accidents. I had to go down this giant hill while I was driving on ice and it was incredibly fun. That hill is so ridiculous. One time it frozen rained there and there was this semi-truck that was trying to drive up it. It would go full speed at the hill, climb as high as it could go, not be able to make it then slowly slide back. I did an awesome 360 in my parking lot on at my job (accidentally, I wasn't paying attention while I was answering my cell phone).

As to the OP... I doubt you'll be able to make a catalytic converter, and it's a lot harder to do than make a wooden bumper. It's usually made with a lot of platinum (which is why it's so expensive and the EPA2007 restrictions demolished heavy duty diesel engine sales!).

However, if you wanted to do it the Tuco way, take some pics and post them here and I can tell you if it's possible. It may be possible to remove all the emissions bullshit from the underside of your car and just route the exhaust system to the muffler like normal cars would. You'd need some steel pipe, a way to cut it (hacksaw), a way to fasten it to other piping(welding or clamps or larger pipe+screws hahahaha).

If you do get it put on, you can route your batteries to certain small parts of it such that they carry an electric charge. It would eventually break down and short out draining your battery but maybe before it did that you would kill some dude trying to steal some plat.

[Xurlitil]

yeah, this same thing happened to me but it worked somewhat in my favor

Recently bought a used bmw off ebay, took about 2 weeks to get the damn shipping company to schedule a driver to pick it up and ship it to me. When the driver got there and they were doing the final inspection before loading it up they notcied that the catalytic converter was gone, yep, someone stole it while the car was sitting there waiting to be shipped.

The good news is that the theif unbolted it instead of cutting it away, so no collateral damage, and the seller is paying to get a new one put on.

Recently, near where I live, about 10 cars got their catalytic converters stolen while parked in a parking garage, all cut off with a battery powered sawzall, some vehicles had additional major damage.


crazy shit

[Shots]

Originally Posted by Xurlitil

Recently, near where I live, about 10 cars got their catalytic converters stolen while parked in a parking garage, all cut off with a battery powered sawzall, some vehicles had additional major damage.


crazy shit

Luckily, mine was unbolted also. I've been thinking on how to protect it better. I thought about tack welding it, but then they'd just cut the pipe like you mentioned above (which would be even more damage done).

I'm thinking that maybe some sort of mount on the coverter side of the connection (they'd have to be really stupid to cut the converter I would think, as the amount of platinum in them is tiny and damaging the converter itself would ruin the sell value). The only problem is the heat and that's quite the problem. I'm going to need to figure something out though, since my vehicle is the number 1 choice for theft of the converters.

[Tuco]

Still think you can just get rid of your emission system. Needs more pics.

[Shots]

Originally Posted by Tuco

Still think you can just get rid of your emission system. Needs more pics.

I would but I don't know if it would pass the emissions test (if they look underneath the vehicle) and I'll have to do that soon to get my license plates here in Dallas. I'm might get a caliper and measure out some dimensions to get something like CatClamp.

[Tuco]

Ohh, yeah if you need to get your emissions tested you'd fail! I livei n michigan where we don't believe in pollution.