I never understood why people don't save themselves an enormous sum of money, and buy parts cars for all the cars they own. The price of an undriveable salvage car from the junkyard or auction is practically nothing, and it's so much cheaper than buying new parts or used parts or even picked parts from the junkyard. I own six cars and have a parts car for each, and people react as if I'm nuts. Even when I'm lazy or busy and can't be bothered to do the work myself, I just have the parts car towed to the shop along with my roadworthy car (thanks AAA!).
So why don't more people have parts cars?
Streets, driveways, parking lots, and garages are full of cars with every part you might need. Why would you waste money buying your own parts cars when car parts are readily available for free?
5 Most Stolen Car Parts
3 min read
Published onMay 10, 2021
Wherever you find cars, you’ll find people keen to steal them. It’s just a fact of modern life. But since stealing a whole car can be risky, thieves will often focus on removing specific car parts or accessories. This can be easier to accomplish and actually, more profitable. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a skilled thief can strip a car of its major parts in half an hour, then turn around and sell the individual items for two-to-four times the vehicle’s value.
Read on to discover which 5 items in or on your vehicle are most at risk and more importantly, how you can keep them where they belong.
Catalytic Converters
A catalytic converter, or Cat, converts the toxic gases and pollutants expelled from your car’s engine through the exhaust into cleaner material. But that’s not
the reason Cats get stolen so often. This environmentally friendly part is popular with the bad guys because they’re easy to steal and the materials they’re made with – platinum, palladium, and rhodium -- are currently more valuable than gold.
Protect It: As many U.S. car owners have learned the hard way, it can be difficult to keep the catalytic converter safe. A brazen thief can slide under your car with a hacksaw and be away with the Cat in minutes. Experts suggest welding a metal plate over the catalytic converter or etching your VIN onto it to make it easier to identify. Other safety measures: when you h veto park on the street, pull close to another vehicle or next to a wall. This makes it harder for anyone to access the underbelly of your car.
Air Bags
According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), it’s estimated that 50,000 airbags valued at $50 million are stolen every year. This life-saving car part needs to be replaced once it has been deployed in a collision or been stolen. Criminals sell them to unscrupulous suppliers who go on to install them in the vehicles of unsuspecting owners.
Protect them: Steering wheel locks will prevent your airbags and your car from being stolen. And when it’s time to buy replacement airbags, make sure you only buy from the manufacturer, a certified recycler, or a dealer. Check that the airbag package is sealed so you know it wasn’t taken from another car illegally. If there’s no market for stolen airbags, thieves will stop stealing them!
In-Car Systems
Car stereos no longer have the appeal they once held to thieves, as they don’t carry the street value they once did. Today’s cars tempt thieves with much more sophisticated and desirable options. Aftermarket DVD players and navigation systems can be resold for thousands of dollars.
Protect them: Some models come with a removable face that you can hide in the glovebox. For those units without a removable face, your best bet is to park your vehicle with all its bounty in a garage — if possible. If you have to park on the street, choose a well-lit area and cover items up.
Tires and Wheels
Unlike a GPS or sound system, tires and wheels are not optional. (That is, if you want your ride to actually move.) Long a favorite with car thieves,
tires and rims are easy to remove with only a few tools and some cinderblocks. And they’re easy to re-sell.
Protect them: For a visible deterrent, you can buy a circular wheel lock that will prevent the wheels from being removed. But the lock also prevents the car from being driven, so that’s not always a practical solution. Locking your lug nuts will also help keep your wheels where they belong. And keeping your car tucked up at night in a garage
Batteries
Your car battery is the only thing under the hood that can be taken easily and is worth something at the scrap yard. One battery is not worth much, but thieves will usually target multiple cars in the area at one time.
Protect it: You can buy after-market hood locks for your car to make it hard for thieves to get access. Also, park in busy, well-lit areas where anyone messing with the hood of your car would arouse suspicion.
https://www.wawanesa.com/us/blog/5-most-stolen-car-parts
‘Like a sitting duck’: The catalytic converter theft spree is hitting old Toyota Priuses
Nam Trinh knew something was wrong one morning in October when she turned on her 2008 Toyota Prius and heard a throaty roar, like a plane taking off.
Trinh had her wedge-shaped car repaired. But she heard the telltale growl again in January while she was in Sacramento. And again in February, in the parking garage of a Las Vegas casino. And again in March, at home in Los Angeles.
“By the fourth time, I was numb,” said Trinh, who works for a hospitality technology company and lives in Eagle Rock. “I had no emotions left. I was like, ‘Well, this is just how life is now. I guess my catalytic converter is going to be stolen every month.’”
Fifteen years ago, the Toyota Prius was so popular in California that buyers
faced waits of up to seven months to purchase one. Now the aging hybrid is in demand again for an entirely different reason.
The second-generation Prius, sold from 2004 to 2009, has become a prime target for catalytic converter theft in California. The car’s shoebox-sized anti-pollution device contains trace amounts of precious metals and can fetch several hundred dollars from scrap yards and recyclers.
Converter thefts have surged across the U.S. in the last two years. One
analysis of repairs at 60,000 auto shops found that Ford F-150 trucks and Honda Accords were the most frequent theft targets nationally, while the Prius was 10th.
But in the West, the analysis found, the Prius took the No. 1 spot.
Catalytic converters in hybrids have a higher concentration of precious metals compared to cars that run solely on gas. The 2007 Prius’ converter has a resale value of more than $1,000, while a converter in the 2007 F-150 fetches about $150. Newer Priuses are targets for thieves too, but they use a different converter that sells for less.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-09-07/catalytic-converter-theft-toyota-prius-old
