FoMoCo Catalytic Converter Scrap Price – Can You Get a Decent Price?

FoMoCo stands for Ford Motor Company, so, today, we'll be mainly speaking about the Ford catalytic converters that can be sold after they are broken or clogged. Ford cat converters are pretty valuable, especially the ones that are quite old. The converters from the 1980s and 1990s and also the cats from the early 2000s are the most valuable because they contain more precious metals.

But new cat converters from Ford can also be sold at a decent price once they start malfunctioning. It means that the cats are pretty cool in terms of quality and the buyers are ready to pay some money for them without a thorough check. If you are selling a FoMoCo catalytic converter, you are able to get good money.

Today, we'll discuss the following:

1. What types of converters are usually FoMoCo cats?
2. What's the average price of the FoMoCo scrap cat converter?
3. How can you sell the catalytic converter at a better price?
4. How much do recycling companies earn with your cats?

Let's get started!

The types and location of FoMoCo catalytic converters

Well, Ford has used dozens of types of catalytic converters in its vehicles. Starting with tiny pre-cats and DPFs in diesel engines and finishing with huge torpedo cat converters in V10 gasoline engines and other huge units. A lot of passenger vehicles use bread-loaf FoMoCo converters that are standard for nearly all popular cars in the modern lineup.

But it doesn't mean that a Ford car can't have any other type of cat. Numerous types are used in different ways so that they could fit under the vehicle or in the engine compartment where they are usually placed.

Here are some facts about FoMoCo converters you would like to know:

• these cats are usually made by Ford, but sometimes they also install cat converters from different manufacturers;
• the majority of OEM catalytic converters have the serial number on them and you can find and read it even if the cat is very old;
• also, the majority of FoMoCo cats have the Ford logo on them which means they are original and cost some money;
• these cats are usually integrated into the pipe, if you need to buy it new, you will buy it as an assembly with the pipe;
• the converters are usually placed under the vehicle near the muffler, but sometimes they are also situated in the engine compartment, right after the exhaust manifold;
• some cars will have one converter, but modern vehicles will usually have up to four cats in the system.

Usually, the 4-cylinder or 3-cylinder engines have one pre-cat and one main cat. Ford pre-cats are not very valuable because they don't contain a lot of precious metals. While main cats can usually be sold at a good price. Also, the 6-cylinder engines usually have one pre-cat at each head and then one main cat. But the assembly can differ from one car to another.

FoMoCo catalytic converters are usually of high quality. They don't get rusty very fast and they are hard to damage thanks to the quite thick metal body. It means that the ceramic part is protected pretty well and it can be sold at a better price because buyers are sure they are getting more revenue after recycling the converter.

How much should a scrap FoMoCo converter cost?

This question is so hard to answer in a short sentence that saying a single average price is virtually impossible. We would say that a FoMoCo catalytic converter should cost anywhere between $130 and $800 if we are talking about an OEM main cat in a good condition. So, the average price is about $400, but this is too tricky to be like that for all cars.

The thing is that the catalytic converters made by Ford are different for nearly all of their engines. One model can contain a lot of precious metals while another one can contain just a couple of grams of platinum. This is important to remember when you are going to sell your old cat converter.

Here are some super important price factors that can change everything:

1. The model of your converter. It's easily seen if you know the serial number. If you don't, it will take some time to identify the cat. And cats without serial numbers are usually sold cheaper.
2. The prices for platinum, palladium, and rhodium. Not all FoMoCo converters contain rhodium but those which contain cost much more. One gram of rhodium is about $600, so it's a very big part of the price.
3. The condition and year of the cat. On the one hand, older cat converters can be bought at better prices. But on the other hand, they can't because they are old and shabby, sometimes, they are even damaged. So, the year and the condition are important.
4. The size and weight. If you don't know the serial number and it can't be found anywhere on your cat converter, you should find out the precise size and weight and then consult with specialists to identify the unit.
5. The way you sell the converter. One of the most important things is the person or the company that buys your cat. One scrapyard may offer $50 while some other buyer may pay $500 for the same cat.

So, you can deduct from what we've said above that the eventual price of the FoMoCo catalytic converter depends on the precious metals it carries inside. Some models are initially more expensive while some others cost just a couple of dollars.

How can you get to know the initial price? You may try to get many price offers from different buyers and eventually understand how much money you can get. We don't recommend selling your cat to the first person or company offering you some money. Investigate the market and get a better price.

How to sell the cat converter from a FoMoCo vehicle?

The question is: who will buy your FoMoCo catalytic converter? And it's not that hard to answer. One of the important things is that the buyers are everywhere and you shouldn't stop searching for a better price once you find somebody who is ready to give you some money. In most cases, this will not be the best offer you can get.

For selling your catalytic converter, you can choose between private buyers, middlemen and small companies, repair shops, scrapyards, and recycling companies. We would focus on recycling companies because all other buyers are mostly resellers and middlemen and you will just lose your money with them.

Here's how you can sell your FoMoCo cat converter to a recycling company

It's not hard to sell a FoMoCo cat if you know a recycling company's website (or better some of them). You can just compare the prices offered by different companies and easily find the best deal. But what do you need to do for that?

Well, here's a small instruction:

• take the FoMoCo cat converter off your cat without damaging it;
• take pictures of the cat so that the serial number is seen on the pics;
• find recycling companies' websites that allow you to quote;
• send pictures to these companies and describe the vehicle details;
• get the price offers and choose which company gives you more money.

It's not hard at all to find a recycling company that is ready to give more money for a FoMoCo cat converter. You shouldn't spend a lot of time on that. Nearly all companies offer opportunities to quote on their websites and they will get back to you in a day or two.

How much do recycling companies earn?

You may be interested in how much money a FoMoCo cat converter earns for a recycling company. But it's very hard to predict. One converter may earn $400, while some other will make the company lose money.

The problem is that not all converters have their ceramic parts intact. Some of them are just destroyed and don't contain any precious metals at all. But you can't see that in a picture. So, the companies may lose money and that's why they offer relatively low prices to deal with risks.

An average FoMoCo converter will contain up to 7 grams of platinum, 5 grams of palladium, and about 1 gram of rhodium. You can count how much they will earn after selling these metals if everything goes well for the company.

Final words

Unfortunately, the majority of Americans will just sell their catalytic converters to scrapyards without getting the full prices for them. You shouldn't just get rid of a FoMoCo catalytic converter if you have an OEM part. Just inquire about the prices in a recycling company or better quote in different companies and compare prices.

This will not only allow you to understand the average price but will also offer you the best options to sell your cat converter directly to a company that recycles these parts officially and under a government license.