Patricia Kulcharyk, 65, of St. Clair is one of the latest victims of the spike in scrap metal thefts.

However, the thieves didn’t make off with rusty copper pipes or junk aluminum. Instead, they pried Kulcharyk’s functional catalytic converter — right from under her van.

Scrap metal theft is a growing problem across the country, fueled by record-high metal prices and people hunting for a quick buck.

“We’ve seen an increase in the last six to eight months throughout Michigan,” said Sgt. Kevin Manns of the St. Clair County Sheriff Department.

“It’s at an all-time high. We’re getting a lot of larceny reports of metal objects being turned over for scrap.”

The problem has bled into the automotive sector now as cars of all kinds have become a potential goldmine for entrepreneuring crooks.

AAA Michigan has noticed an increase in recent months as well, spokesperson Nancy Cain said, though she could not say how many thefts had been reported in the Blue Water Area.

No comprehensive national totals are available on converter thefts, which usually are lumped into theft or vandalism categories.

Manns said basic security precautions were the best way to deter thieves.

“Just secure items as best as you can. Park under a light at night, close to the door, where there is more visibility to keep an eye on your vehicle, and your neighbors’,” he said. He also advised parking vehicles in a garage, if possible.

For car owners willing to spend extra, there are products such as the CatClamp, a tough-to-cut converter cage sold by American Welders Inc. of Toledo, starting at about $225.

Kulcharyk said she and her family arrived at a Marysville restaurant at 6 p.m. June 23 and parked in the overflow area.

When they returned to the car around 8 p.m., Kulcharyk started up the van and realized something was wrong.

“It sounded like a Harley Davidson without the muffler,” said Kulcharyk, whose son, an automotive engineer, looked underneath the van and said “Mom, they got you.”

Catalytic converters, which take less than two minutes to remove with an electric saw, contain several types of precious metals, including platinum and palladium.

Five years ago, platinum traded for about $608 per troy ounce and palladium went for $208. Platinum now goes for $2,083 per troy ounce, and palladium draws about $468 on the New York Mercantile Exchange. A troy ounce is a metal measurement slightly larger than a common ounce.

Scrap yards usually pay $50 to $100 per converter, but industry experts say the price varies among buyers, said Bruce Savage, a spokesman for the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, a trade organization.

Converter replacement costs are much higher, ranging from about $200 for a universal model to $1,000 or more for one from the vehicle manufacturer.

Kulcharyk, who chose not to go to a Chevy dealership, said the cost to replace the converter was $724, of which she paid a $200 deductible.

We all need cars to drive to and from work and just to get around. Neverltheless our autos break down or we get in accidents and then we need certain auto parts.

If you’ve ever looked for auto parts for your car, you’ll see how expensive they can be. How can you repair your car and still save money? If you are ignorant about auto repair, you will require a shop where they will charge you for auto parts and for labor. If you can fix your own automobile and have the proper tools, there are many ways to save money on car parts. Shop around to receive the best price on the best auto parts for your car.

Purchasing Car Parts Online — Tips

The Web is a great resource to shop for auto parts. It provides valuable information as well as pricing guidelines on almost every auto part ever made. Some very hard to find parts may require a dealer that has connections, but for most common parts it is an invaluable resource.

Use the web to get competitive information on the specific part you need. Don’t forget to include the shipping cost into the “actual” price. A local shop may actually be less expensive if their price is only slightly higher than the web price. There is also the convenience of returning a part if there’s a problem. If you need your car, the shipping time may be a factor in how soon your car is operational. Since time is money, calculate the cost of convenience.

If you shop for auto parts on EBAY, make certain to check the reputation of the dealer.

A flashy new car with all the bells and whistles parks next to a beaten-up, 20-year-old clunker. Which one is more attractive to a car thief? Guess again.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) today released its Hot Wheels 2008 auto theft report for vehicles stolen in 2007, and similar to previous years, thieves prefered to steal older-model vehicles. The top 10 most stolen vehicles in 2007 included 20-year-old models like the 1988 Toyota pickup(No.9), as well as some other oldies, such as the two Hondas that topped the list: the 1995 Civic (No. 1) and the 1991 Accord (No.2).

What may be a piece of junk to you–and to the insurance company–is pure treasure to professional car thieves. The car itself isn’t worth much, but the seats, sound system, airbags and other parts, each sold individually, are worth a lot on the black market, says Jack Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst at Kelly Blue Books. Believe it or not, at the moment car thieves can make better, faster cash from the banal, not the bling.

In Pictures: America’s Most Stolen Vehicles

In Pictures: America’s Auto-Theft Hot Spots

“Parts of new cars are not as desired as older models. Look at this as like a wish list of professional car thieves,” says Nerad. “Organized gangs, and there are a lot of them, are pretty methodical about what they want to steal.”

Despite some newer models finding their way onto the list as well, such as the 2007 Toyota Corolla (No.10) and the 2004 Dodge Ram pickup (No. 7), the FBI’s preliminary Uniform Crime Report data reveal that overall motor vehicle theft may have declined 8.9% in 2007 compared with 2006. The final data will be released later this year.

Sweatin’ For The Oldies
The reason older models are ripe for the lifting is that vehicles that were hot sellers as new cars a few years ago now need replacement parts–especially Ford’s F150 and GM’s Chevy C/K 1500 pickups, both popular selling trucks in the 1990s. Parts and components such as catalytic converters and other engine components are in great demand since some automakers, like Honda, use parts that will fit various models, says Brian Gluckman, an auto analyst at Autotrader.com. So engine parts in a Civic will fit several Civic models as well as Accords–this makes those cars that much more worth stealing.

“When your 20-year-old car needs a replacement part, the service technician is looking for the cheapest part available,” says Gluckman. Where your technician gets the part is usually of little interest to most owners–they just want the car fixed as cheaply as possible.

So don’t think for a moment that your old but tired vehicle matters only to you. Your clunker is cash money to professional thieves.

Where Not To Park
Of course, there are certain measures you can take to prevent your car from being stolen, such as installing an alarm, a steering-column collar, wheel locks or immobilizing devices like kill switches and fuel-pump disablers that prevent thieves from moving your car to a location where he or she can strip out the parts. But what it really comes down to is the odds, and owning a model popular among thieves in cities where they thrive.

Has your car been stolen? Do you agree that thieves prefer older models? Add your thoughts in the Reader Comments section below.

The NICB tracks metropolitan statistical areas for vehicle theft rates. The rate is determined by the number of vehicle theft offenses per 100,000 inhabitants using the 2007 U.S. Census Population estimates, the most current figures available.

The good news is, if you live on the east coast, there are no cities in the top 10. That’s not to say you should leave your keys in the ignition and the doors unlocked, but you’re at an advantage since California, Arizona and New Mexico are the hot spots for thieves. This is probably because they steal old cars and cross the border to sell vehicles or parts to buyers in Mexico, says Nerad.

Four of the top 10 hot spots for auto thefts are in California, with all four of those in the top five. Modesto, Calif., ranks at No. 1, with San Diego/Carlsbad/San Marcos, Calif., in the third spot; Stockton, Calif., in fourth; and San Francisco/Oakland/Fremont, Calif., in fifth place. The city in third place, the only one in the top five not in California, is Las Vegas/Paradise.

Although auto thefts, in general, may be on the decline, thieves will continue to change their game as different models’ parts come into high demand. So if you are thinking about buying used instead of new because thieves might find your ride less appealing, think again. Your old car may be worth more to a thief than a sparkling new one.

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Hot auto parts… Not stolen… Hot SELLERS!

California’s Orange County and Florida’s Ft. Lauderdale region are 2 of eBay’s hottest 10 markets and in those markets, auto parts are huge sellers as the following article relates:

eBay Inc. Reveals the 10 U.S. Markets Selling the Most on eBay: Fort Lauderdale, Dallas and Orange County Among Markets for Sellers, as 42 Percent of U.S. Shoppers Turn to Sites Like eBay During Tight Times

SAN JOSE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is known for more than just its hot beaches: It’s also one of the hottest locations for Americans selling goods on eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY). The fun-in-the-sun vacation destination is a top-10 selling market1 for the online retailer, with residents there generating over $630 million in gross merchandise volume (GMV) or sales last year, according to a study of eBay marketplace activity across the United States.

Busy eBay sellers in Los Angeles; New York; Chicago; Philadelphia; Dallas; Orange County, California; Washington, D.C.; Houston; Nassau–Suffolk, New York; and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, helped their markets become the top-10 eBay selling markets in the country, with Los Angeles leading the charge. In total, sellers in these 10 markets generated over $7 billion in GMV in 2007, accounting for 55 percent of all sales by U.S.-based eBay sellers.
…
Here is a snapshot of the top-10 eBay selling markets last year by rank:

1. Los Angeles–Long Beach, California – 196,089 Los Angeles residents sold 24,051,645 items for a total of $1,396,037,518. Best-selling categories for Los Angeles sellers were cell phones and their accessories as well as clothing and accessories. Los Angeles sellers were also the most charitable eBay sellers last year, donating the most of any city via eBay Giving Works, eBay’s program that helps people buy and sell for a cause, turning e-commerce into a force for good.
2. New York – 158,859 New York City residents sold 12,621,651 items for a total of $1,045,503,913. Best-selling categories for New York sellers were jewelry, gems, watches and clothing and accessories.
3. Chicago – 172,972 Chicago residents sold 10,229,844 items for a total of $908,708,440. Best-selling categories for Chicago sellers included toys and sports memorabilia.
4. Philadelphia – 120,900 Philadelphia residents sold 7,069,212 items for a total of $584,383,915. Best-selling categories for Philadelphia sellers included collectibles and toys.
5. Dallas – 85,484 Dallas residents sold 5,003,292 items for a total of $754,493,210. Best-selling categories for Dallas sellers included jewelry, gems and watches, and clothing and accessories. Dallas sellers also made more money on sales of cars and trucks than did sellers in any other top-10 U.S. seller market.
6. Orange County, California – 75,486 Orange County residents sold 6,945,490 items for a total of $636,654,084. Best-selling categories for Orange County sellers were auto parts and cell phones and accessories.
7. Washington, D.C. – 112,462 D.C. residents sold 5,024,888 items for a total of $393,720,726. Best-selling categories for D.C. sellers included books and toys.
8. Houston – 76,450 Houston residents sold 4,297,389 items for a total of $528,872,858. Best-selling categories for Houston sellers included health and beauty and collectibles.
9. Nassau–Suffolk, New York – 70,714 Nassau–Suffolk residents sold 5,396,880 for a total of $400,253,200. Sports memorabilia and health and beauty were best-selling categories here.
10. Fort Lauderdale, Florida – 39,623 Fort Lauderdale residents sold 2,838,954 items for a total of $631,845,063. Best-selling categories for Fort Lauderdale sellers included home furnishings and auto parts.