Poor ol champ got jacked

I always come home late at night after work.  Last night I come home around 11 and park the car in the nearest space-- that late at night its near the front gate, our apartment is near the back gate.  It is a little bit of a walk, but its nice to enjoy the cool air....

Anywho, I was planning on visiting grandma and aunt lisa, and I took the hike to champ who was there of course waiting patiently.  

I get in.

I close the door.

I turn the key.

And VRROOOOOMMMMMMMMMM

It was the loudest noise I have ever heard from a car.

Except from dad's cus he drives his beloved 69 mustang and he wants it to be that loud.

I got scared so I immediately turned the truck off and I thought that maybe someone put something in my tail pipe.  Meanwhile, I call Cale who thankfully was home and he comes to the truck and I start it and show him how loud it is. Cale leans over and shows me some nuts and bolts on the ground and he shows me the big empty spot where something used to be.

After that, Cale collected the nuts and bolts and I decided to call my dad to ask tell him about the truck.  My dad is very familiar with cars and its parts so any wierd car things and I immediately call pops.  He is good at translating my girly car descriptions into information that will actually help get the car fixed.  The phone call went something like this:

Me: So I went to start Champ and it was really loud--it sounded like your car-- and cale came out and showed me that someone stole something between the tail pipe and some other pipe but a big chunk of something is missing from the middle.

Dad: Is it almost right down the middle but maybe a little to the right underneath the passanger seat?

Me: Ya.

Dad: Ok someone stole your catalytic converter.

Me: Is it expensive to fix?

Dad: It depends.  Call around and talk to some muffler shops.  Did they leave the bolts?

Me: Ya.

Dad: Pick those up you might need them.

Me: ok thanks dad.

and so on...

So all in all someone stole my catalytic converter last night and poor Cale was left with the stress of getting it fixed since I had plans with grandma and then school.  But, by the time I got home, It was completely fixed.  And this time the things not just screwed on, its welded on so thats good I guess. So, about $300 later it is fixed.  I also learned today that it is not uncommon for them to be stolen because there are precious metals inside including platinum, rhodium, and palladium.  There are even place that give "cash for catalytic converters".  I also learned that the two most popular to be stolen are from kia's and toyota 4runners (my truck uses the same kind).  

While it does suck, we learned from the unexpected car problem: It would be a good idea to save a little more money where we can.  This time it was a fairly small set back but if something big came up, we would like to be more prepared.  I consider it a blessing that the whole car was not stolen, and that the thieves didn't harm the truck other than removing one of its parts.