Catalytic converter worth?

[billjustbill]

At a garage/estate sale this morning and found a Catalytic converter, and the owner sold it to me for one dollar ($1)....

What is one worth this month?

Is there anything I should do to it before I take it to a scrap yard?

Thanks,
Bill

 

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[clovis97]

Most scrap yards will:

1. Pay you next to nothing for them
2. Refuse to buy them altogether

Your best bet is to list it on eBay, or find a core buyer in your area.

My local yard used to pay $9 each for them, until they agreed to stop buying them after the police asked them to do so.

You'll get the most $$ out of it on ebay.

 

[DemonWolfe]

Just sold a small maybe medium sized one yesterday off a small compact neon for $30 big ones can bring alot of money.

 

[poorhunter78]

Depends on where you take it and who you deal with.. I have a buddy who saves scrap.. He was making good $$$ off them here.. A guy stops by his shop and buy's them off him..

Like Clovis said Ebay.. Or where ever else online there may be a market..

Poorhunter

 

[billjustbill]

Thanks for the info so far!

The heat shield and dual bands, and the recessed plug, are all intact and it has no dents or damage.

I measured it. It has a 3" diameter inlet and outlet, it's 12" wide and 18" long. The only things I can see to read are the words "Made In USA" and the brand letters: "AC".

 

[clovis97]

Would that be for AC Delco, a GM owned parts maker?

Just guessing....

 

[poorhunter78]

Sounds like a large sized converter.. Should get you close to or over $100.. Shine a flash light into it.. Make sure it was not previously hollowed out.. We always called it a honeycomb. Should look like tiny holes through a stone.. Like fine screen wire..

Poorhunter

 

[billjustbill]

Sounds like a large sized converter.. Should get you close to or over $100.. Shine a flash light into it.. Make sure it was not previously hollowed out.. We always called it a honeycomb. Should look like tiny holes through a stone.. Like fine screen wire..

Poorhunter

As I shined a strong LED light down each end, and the "honeycomb" runs flatwise so I can see the edge of it, but not like looking directly into a screen door. It appears one pipe lets the the exhaust into the top of what would be a thick vertical honeycomb, and the other pipe lets the exhaust out the bottom of the honeycomb.

It's a dense heavy thing; weighed it and the scales stop right on the 30 lb. mark...... So, who pay prices near $100?

 

[DemonWolfe]

If its an older on called "pancake" style around here it may not be worth as much. You mentioned a recessed plug try poping that off or make a hole in it. If it is full of what looks like bbs then it is still good. If not you still tripled your money and throw it on the steel pile. These pancake style are usaulaly only worth 10 to 20 dollars around here that is. Maybe im wrong and its not an old pancake style, but check it out before you take it in expecting alot for it only to be told its old and not worth very much anyway and then told its empty

 

[billjustbill]

When you said "Pancake" style, it really described the interior of it. While I was looking into both ends of converter, it appears as if a "Pancake" is setting in there flatwise.... So, even "Pancake" converters have beads that I should see if I can get the metal plug removed?

Here's a pic showing the $1 converter and a very worn silver plated platter found at the same garage sale. Except for the Zinc/Pewter handles I'll remove, the platter's base metal shows to be copper and weighs just over 5 lbs.... It was priced at $4.

For a $5 cost, maybe I can still make a little from selling both on these along with the other scrap I've collected with my next trip to the scrap yard....

 

[DemonWolfe]

Yep that's the same kind I took in a couple weeks ago. I shoved a rod init and couldnt make it go through so I thought it was full of honeycomb. Turns out all these have in them is the handfull of bbs inside the plug. And mine was empty so it was worthleess. Lesson learned. Pop the plug and see what's in there still I would take it in and have it checked even if you think irs empty

 

[poorhunter78]

This link will show you what I was talking about with the honeycomb, Kinda resembling the holes in a screen..

www.cateran.com.au/cateran/data.aspx

Poorhunter

 

[poorhunter78]

Can you Show a picture of the reverse side of your converter? To help identify it, And it's worth..

 

[billjustbill]

Can you Show a picture of the reverse side of your converter? To help identify it, And it's worth..

Here's the other side. Doesn't appear to be tampered with.

 

[poorhunter78]

I have done a little research for you Bill.. Here is a link to Ebay showing the contents of a converter, If you look close you will see what is described as a Honeycomb..

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SCRAP-CATAL...785?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19cce5f859

I found yours described as a 1 plug, On a site which buys converters.. It said they pay $28.00 for your model..

Their are many price ranges on ebay, The link below is 1 like yours with an asking price of $70.00.. But that is not always what someone will pay..

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Large-catal...982?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cc196e6fe

Hope this helps

Poorhunter

 

[DemonWolfe]

I have done a little research for you Bill.. Here is a link to Ebay showing the contents of a converter, If you look close you will see what is described as a Honeycomb..

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SCRAP-CATAL...785?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19cce5f859

I found yours described as a 1 plug, On a site which buys converters.. It said they pay $28.00 for your model..

Their are many price ranges on ebay, The link below is 1 like yours with an asking price of $70.00.. But that is not always what someone will pay..

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Large-catal...iii?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cc196e6fe

Hope this helps

Poorhunter

I have done a little research for you Bill.. Here is a link to Ebay showing the contents of a converter, If you look close you will see what is described as a Honoeycomb..

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SCRAP-CATAL...785?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19cce5f859

I found yours described as a 1 plug, On a site which buys converters.. It said they pay $28.00 for your model..

Their are many price ranges on ebay, The link below is 1 like yours with an asking price of $70.00.. But that is not always what someone will pay..

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Large-catal...982?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cc196e6fe

Hope this helps

Poorhunter

That guy is crazy if he thinks he's gonna get $75 for it plus $25 for shipping

 

[billjustbill]

I have done a little research for you Bill.. Here is a link to Ebay showing the contents of a converter, If you look close you will see what is described as a Honeycomb..

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SCRAP-CATAL...785?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19cce5f859

I found yours described as a 1 plug, On a site which buys converters.. It said they pay $28.00 for your model..

Their are many price ranges on ebay, The link below is 1 like yours with an asking price of $70.00.. But that is not always what someone will pay..

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Large-catal...982?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cc196e6fe

Hope this helps

Poorhunter

Thanks for your time and help! Getting the info and knowing how to use it is half the battle. I feel better about knowing the Ballpark of what to expect. Becoming more aware of what's really out there, no telling what I've missed in the years of going to garage sales and on property I had permission to metal detect!!! (Once, I brought home a 12x12' metal rollup door for free, just because I happened to ask about it....)

My scrap metal "fundraiser" profits are going to pay for bags of Sackrete mix, and both 2"x2" & 3"x3" primed metal tubing for building a 10'x24' ground mount solar panel rack that holds 20 solar panels... One hobby helps fund another hobby...

Thanks again,
Bill

 

[poorhunter78]

I have done a little research for you Bill.. Here is a link to Ebay showing the contents of a converter, If you look close you will see what is described as a Honeycomb..

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SCRAP-CATAL...785?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19cce5f859

I found yours described as a 1 plug, On a site which buys converters.. It said they pay $28.00 for your model..

Their are many price ranges on ebay, The link below is 1 like yours with an asking price of $70.00.. But that is not always what someone will pay..

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Large-catal...982?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cc196e6fe

Hope this helps

Poorhunter

Thanks for your time and help! Getting the info and knowing how to use it is half the battle. I feel better about knowing the Ballpark of what to expect. Becoming more aware of what's really out there, no telling what I've missed in the years of going to garage sales and on property I had permission to metal detect!!! (Once, I brought home a 12x12' metal rollup door for free, just because I happened to ask about it....)

My scrap metal "fundraiser" profits are going to pay for bags of Sackrete mix, and both 2"x2" & 3"x3" primed metal tubing for building a 10'x24' ground mount solar panel rack that holds 20 solar panels... One hobby helps fund another hobby...

Thanks again,
Bill

You are very Welcome Bill.. The motto I always go by.. "One mans trash is another mans treasure".. Some folks have the means to buy everything sparkling brand new, Some of us do not..

Poorhunter

 

[clovis97]

That AC mark does appear to be the old AC Delco logo.

Does it say Delco under the AC?

 

[billjustbill]

[[/quote]
You are very Welcome Bill.. The motto I always go by.. "One mans trash is another mans treasure".. Some folks have the means to buy everything sparkling brand new, Some of us do not..

Poorhunter[/quote]

I do understand from where you are coming..... I grew up on a 160 acre, dryland farm.....I watched and learned to stretch the dollar, work honestly, steadily, and hard, and to realize that we had to work on most things before, during and after we needed them, just to keep the going... Now in my 60's, I started my solar project dream based on two large, used, 120 watt solar panels I found at the local flea market for $22.50 each....

The two areas where inflation has hit, and will continue to pull dollars out of your pocket, are Food and Energy. I'm just trying to build it with spare dollars, paying for everything as I go. For a 3-4KW off grid battery system, I started gathering funds and panels/equipment/materials 20 months ago. I wouldn't be working on this solar panel project to replace 1/3 to 1/2 of my utility bill, had I not been willing to do the work myself, and found most every piece of equipment on sale, on close out, or with some kindness and help from others.

With an attitude and insight like yours, you'll find a way to get what you "need". Learning a little about a lot of things can give you bridges to new areas you not only didn't know about, but also can improve your life as you "see" how things connect to each other and back to you....
There's a saying that helped me keep me constantly learning new things in fields not normally used in daily life, but seeing how they could be...:

"Chance favors the prepared Mind."

Thanks again for your help and the help of other forum members.

Good Luck with finding and using the chances you'll see are out there,

Bill