Catalytic Converters

Catalytic converters...

• Are selling for incredible prices if you know how to sell scrap metal on eBay.
• have been on nearly every car produced since the late 1970's. 
• make every car cost $500 more out of pocket.
• contain Platinum, Palladium, and Rhodium as catalysts for their reactions.
• Because Catalytic Converters need to be hot, they let the most pollution out durring the first five minutes before the car warms up.
• are often stolen, especially out of cars that leave them accessible by design.
• can fetch between $5 and $200 at your local scrap yard.

The rare metals of a catalytic converter are found plated on the
"honeycomb" material that is housed within the stainless steel shell.

Catalytic convertors are a hot commodity, especially lately, as the value of precious metals has sky-rocketed. I found this chart of prices that was released from a catcon scrapping company from texas in March 2010. Precious metals have increased even more since then, so these prices may have increased. A quick overview would show that GM catcons are worth more in general, so that's something to keep in mind. At the yard nearest me, if they can't figure out the exact type of convertor, they still pay something like $10-$20.  Also, check out this visual guide of different catcons:  http://www.adccatalytic.com/pictures.

Large GM	$106
Large Breadloaf GM	$86
Airtube GM	$70
4 DOT	$74
AC	$47
Straight Edge	$83
Fish Tail	$48
Jeep	$67
Large Ford	$48
Standard	$44
Pre	$21
Aftermarket	$7
Bead	$31
Double Plug	$43
Jumbo	$74
Exotic	$189
XL	$148
Large Foreign	$130
Med Foreign	$101
Small Foreign	$82
Low Grade/CI	$50
Foreign Pre	$31
Scorpion	$82
Center 02	$121
Torpedo	$50
Diesel	$24

I will leave you with a story I was told the other day. There was a former GM engineer in Florida a few years back who was payed to retire a before the financial meltdown. Just before he left the company, he was assigned to deal with discussing the catalytic convertor theft problem with one of his suppliers, and how it was a much bigger problem for GM then anybody else. When he retired, he started buying up specific types of catalytic convertors from wrecking yards, scrap yards, or ebay, and cutting out the honeycomb shaped insides. Eventually he had enough to fill up five or so 55 gallon drums. Using his connections from a few years earlier, he sold them for $750000! 

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