Cataclysmic converter - dimdip
My 10yr old car needed a new cat recently, though interestingly it wasn't because the matrix had collapsed or become contaminated but because the can had rotted through -- a good reason for cleaning the underbody during the winter !
Cataclysmic converter - Victorbox
.....but it had probably rotted through from the inside due to the amount of water generated through the combustion process.
Cataclysmic converter - DL
Aren't the shells made from Stainless Steel?
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groups.msn.com/honestjohn/problems.msnw?Page=1 - Pictures say a thousand words.....
Cataclysmic converter - Dynamic Dave
Aren't the shells made from Stainless Steel?


That's what I was always led to beleive.
Cataclysmic converter - Cliff Pope
Some stainless steel is not as stainless as others. There have been threads before about the different specifications, and the dangers of buying "stainless " exhaust systems made from the inferior stuff.
At 10 years old it might make sense to consider one of the cheaper pattern makes available, rather than getting an original replacement.
Cataclysmic converter - dimdip
< At 10 years old it might make sense to consider one of the cheaper pattern makes available, rather than getting an original replacement. >

That was my thought too, and I asked the garage to source a cheapo cat. He got one from a well-known VW aftermarket parts supplier for £210, the manufacturer's one being £259. Unfortunately the inlet flange for connecting it to the manifold was at the wrong angle, and there was no port for the lambda probe -- you're expected to drill and tap your own.

The mechanic finally lost his rag with it and sent it back to the supplier saying he would not be buying another from them. The VW one went in with no problems at all. You pays your money . . .