Catalyc converter advice:

because of the number of noobs coming in and the questions on cats I thought maybe a thread of its own may be needed:
First of all let me say this, every day there are millions of dollars lost ,swindled or stolen in this country in cats. cats are a very different animal. the converter on a junk vehicle is very likely the most valuable single item on the car.
The problem is that every cat is different, it takes pretty much an expert to appraise a cat. one can be worth as little as $9 (aftermarket cat) and one looking exactly like it can be worth near $300 it depends on several things.
A large import, or small import for example have nothing to do with the size of the cat, it designates what size car it came from ie nisson centra verses a Maxima.
large GM/small GM etc.
No offence ment here. but never never sell a cat to a "scrap yard" or auto salvage yard, with out knowing them well, for example the yards arround here pay $25 for a cat. 60 miles from here is a converter salvage yard the same cat may be worth $200 plus to them. it is not necessarily the yard trying to cheat you, most just dont have a cat assayer (expert) on premis, there are at least 1000 different combinations of cats out there.

try to deal with some one here on this site if you can, or ask for reccomendations in certain areas. if some one here is bogus they wont be here long.

I will buy the cat for example and guarantee you 75% to 95% of the top value or more depending on quality and quanity. and send the survey report with the payment. there are others here who will do the same I am sure. I have been dealing cats for 6 or more years, and i wouldnt dream of valuing a cat myself, i leave it to the experts. just my .02

Ps. pryor to 6 years ago I litteraly gave away well over $100.000 in cats to the crusher, and parts yards because of lack of knowledge.

if you decide to stockpile them. treat it just as if you are stock piling gold. seariously. people have been murdered over cats. do not let even your kids (if any) wife or best friend or neighbor know you have them. hardly any one takes this seariously. and think it is paranoia. let me assure you it is not. secoundly where are you going to stock them, in the garage, would you stock pile gold in your garage? thieves actually watch some one with a junk car and will follow the person to where he is taking the car, in hopes they can steal the cat. a sawsall and 2 minuts is all they need they take this risk for one cat emagin the risk they are willing to take for 10 or 100.

as far as writing the car model you got it from, it helps keep the honest honest, but wont do any thing for those out to screw you. I do that myself, just extra insurence to keep my buyer on his toes, it makes him think I know what im doing.

Originally Posted by newattitude

Thanks for the info - last month two guys sold a cat to the yard in front of me and they quoted them $5.00. Now, I wondered about that because I had heard they are worth $850.00 each to a yard. Is that even correct? There was an article by me some had been stolen from the scrap yard and they listed them at that price each they lost out on. Sooooo..........cats = $850.00 but get bought for $5.00????

The cat they sold was apparently an aftermarket which have very little precious metal in them. I've been offered as little as $2 for them. No idea of what type cat would be worth $850 as scrap.