Here are some photos. Headers are Dougs' DD3321 1-3/4 Long tubes, going into a modified Bassani BX5798RS5 true dual system for LS1 F bodies. The trans crossmember was modified and the front of the Bassani system was cut off in front of the "X" pipe and redone to connect with the header collectors. It sounds great and definitely picked up power from the Hooker shorties system I had on there before. These photos show the Bassani True-dual system as delivered, and the "x" pipe section before I hacked 'em up. TA

These photos show the "x" section after modifying to connect to Dougs' long-tube collectors, modifying the after x pipes to get 40 inches from collector to x, and putting cat converters into the after x portions. I later welded AIR fittings onto the cats as well. Not legal to the letter of the law, but it should pass the sniffer test.

TA

Whoa....

Where have I been, Bassani has off the shelf dual kits for camaro's? Man, those 4th gen's get all the good stuff....

Btw, very nice work on the pipes. I wasnt willing to put in the engineering to run mine over the axle, just dumped em' at the rear.

Max,

I spoke with the guys at Bassani about doing one for the ThirdGen, but they didn't feel that there was enough market for it, so I made my own.

TA

Do you have a sound clip of the finished exhaust?

pic of ground clearance?

Thats really nice...wanna do my car next?

I did a sound clip, but my computer can't see it in my camera. It gets the still images fine. I'll try and figure it out tomorrow.

I'll take a shot of ground clearance and post it. My car is especially bad since its a WS6 GTA, so is lower stock than all other third-Gens, and I also put 45 series tires on it, which lost me even more ground clearance. The header flanges are the lowest part of the system.

TA

Any competent muffler shop should be able to do this conversion, it's not real hard with the right tools.

TA

What kind of cats are those?

I don't think they will get hot enough to help pass the sniffer in their current location. Why didn't you put them right after the header collector?

The cats are Bullets by Bassani. They are still closer to the collector than the driver side exhaust manifold was from the cat, only about 11 inches further than the passenger side from the cats stock. Also, I hooked up the A.I.R. system, which helps keep them from getting saturated by fuel residue while the car is in warm-up mode.

I didn't put them right after the collector for two very important reasons. Firstly, by putting the restrictions after the "x", each pulse can breathe through both cats/mufflers, so it is less real-world restriction. Secondly, there is very little room there with an automatic trans, and they would have not only become the lowest part of the system (it's now the header flanges) but would have been so close to the trans as to heat it up appreciably. After getting a long lecture from my trans builder about keeping all heat out of the trans as possible, it seemed to all point to running the cats further back.

I have done a few short vids of sound and clearance, but I'm good with exhausts and wrenches and bad with computer geek stuff, so I'm struggling to edit and post. Sorry. Can anyone help?

TA

I wonder if the Bassani bullet cats will have more ground clearance than a random technology bullet cat?

They are very slim and trim for a high-flow cat converter. I had originally planned to put them next to the trans, but per my last post, putting them after the 'x' was a much better solution all around (apart from not obeying the "Thou shalt not put your cat converters anywhere but where the factory put them " smog edict.

TA

To see/hear it, go here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0yPfARLlLo

Yea, maybe it should have all been in a single thread, sorry.

TA

how did you hook up the air to the cat or did you have to do it yourself and that is what that picture of the added piece is?

i have talked with the dmv on a number of occasions and there is no such regulation. it appears to only relate to where there is a heat shield, so a new heat shield and you can put them anywhere.
but using the factory location does let you have an invisible track to put the pipes.

I like the sound.At the burnout the engine sounds pis**d.Is it really that high pitched or just the camera? A little deeper tone would be absolutely perfect.

The tiny microphone is in the side of my camera, so it doesn't pick up any bass, the system is a bit more growly in person (if that is a word). The speaker just gets overwhelmed by the sound up close, so listen to the drive-by going up the hill, it's a better indication of the real sound quality and tone.

Also, depending on where you live, they have different ideas of rules/regulations for catalytic converter placement, but here in California, it has to be the same number AND LOCATION of the stock cat converters, and you also cannot remove a functioning cat for any reason.

TA

The drive by sound is definately deeper toned.Growly is good! We don't have too many sound nazis around here.Between the Mustang GT's and Harley's that much exhaust noise wouldn't even get noticed. I may have to check into the Bassani,they are a little pricey though.

TA,
Sounds great, I really like the idea of adapting an already available set.

I have been pondering doing this on my car for a long time as my ground clearance is already **** from my spohn t56 crossmember.

My only worry would be ground clearance / how close the header tubes look to the ground, I flattened a pair in my El Camino years ago (crap suspension / bottoming out + driving how I drive)

I put braces on the top of the trans crossmember, and trimmed the lips off so as to really tuck the pipes up as much as possible. This leaves the header flanges as the lowest part of the system, and because I have 245/45 tires, they do hit on washouts and speed bumps, so I'm going with taller tires next time. The other option would be to make a slip-fit for the collectors instead of the big flange on the headers, but you would gain less than half an inch, so the headers would still hit first.

Most of the Bassani true dual systems you will see listed are full stainless, so are pretty expensive. Mine is a "BX" system, it is aluminized steel. The design is identical.

TA

Yea, it's not really cheap at about $750, but its a good value as to get this mandrel-bent system custom-made would have been a lot more.

http://www.lmperformance.com/25673/1.html

TA

Sorry Tony, but your information is dead wrong, and most importantly, the DMV does not have any say or control over smog testing or requirements, it is done by CARB. (California Air Resources Board). You will find that there are national laws that are virtually cut-and-pasted from the CA laws, but only a few states actually enforce them.

From the document: CALIFORNIA EVALUATION PROCEDURES FOR NEW
AFTERMARKET CATALYTIC CONVERTERS

Note: This document is incorporated by reference in section 2222, title 13, California Code of Regulations. It contains the criteria the Air Resources Board (ARB) will use to evaluate whether new aftermarket catalytic converters qualify for exemptions from California Vehicle Code sections 27156 and 38391. An ARB exemption is required before any new aftermarket catalytic converter can be advertised, sold, offered for sale, or installed on a motor vehicle operating in California.

(E) The exempted new aftermarket catalytic converter is installed in the same
location as the OEM catalytic converter it is designed to replace. The front
face of the installed catalytic converter shall be no more than three inches
further upstream or downstream in the exhaust from where the front face of
the OEM catalytic converter was located. The installation may not alter the
location, position, or orientation of oxygen sensors upstream and
downstream of the catalytic converter(s);