I have read a lot about headers, y pipes, cat backs, etc... but I am still confused as to what I can put on my 1992 305. I live in CA so emissions is a big factor. So i guess shortys is the only way to go... after that I am lost as to what I should put on next?? When I install the shortys will I need new pipes, cats and mufflers? Or can I use the existing setup? What do people usually do with these kinds of cars? Im more of an older car kinda guy, these newer cars with all their electronics and smog checks are just too much....lol

you have lots of choices. you can go shorty headers to y-pipe. You will need a new y-pipe with headers. then you can get a high flow cat. like a catco 9118 but check to see if its legel for CA. and then catback. that is up to you. if you like loud all the time or loud only under load. magnaflow is good if you like a mellow sound and aggresive under load.

You may find some useful info in the stickies at the top of the page.

JamesC

For my 91 305, I got ceramic coated Hooker 2055's with AIR tubes that plugged right in kept it "legal"... By doing research here, you will see they make the sweetest y pipe... but it does exit at 3", which is bigger than stock, so get a high flow cat (with air tube also to keep ti legal) and a 3" exhaust... many to chose from...

The ceramic coating can be expensive, but mine came with a lifetime warranty from Jet Hot for rust through, and they keep the heat in the pipe and coold down your engine bay as opposed to the iron manifolds or uncoated steel headers...

Raf

You will be really surprised as to how good an SLP Loudmouth 1 will sound with the 305. I have exactly that. Before I knew that I could fit the 4th Gen SLP Loudmouth system with a couple of mods under my car, I had a custom setup put in. The exhaust shop had a high-flow cat(3"in/3"out) welded in and of course the SLP LM1 resonator with a complete 3" pipe syatem, and 4" tail pipes. It doesn't have that raspy sound, its more of a deeper, throatier sound. But it is very loud, deep loud. You can hear me entering the neighborhood 1/8th of a mile down the street. I could'nt be happier, and I don't have headers...yet.

Awesome, thats really helpful, I will either go with Hooker 2055's or some Hedman equivalents, depending on the price difference since I am kind of on a budget.

If you're upgrading to headers you pretty much have to include everything, headers, y-pipe, cat, intermediate piping, a muffler, and tips.

The best shorty headers you can buy (in my opinion) are Hooker 2055's or Dyno Don's custom made headers.

From there on the field broadens quite a bit for cat's. I believe another member on these boards, tony_cogliandro knows of a california legal catalytic converter that was being sold on ebay, I'm not sure of the part number or whether it's even still being sold, but it was exclusively being sold on ebay.

After you get the cat figured out you pretty much have two choices, you can either look into a whole system from the cat back which I know magnaflow and flowmasters offer, or you can purchase a muffler and tips, and have an exhaust shop weld some pipes in.

Regardless it will cost some good money, you're probably looking at spending somewhere in the neighborhood of 600-900 dollars.

It will be good money spent and it would be wise to go with a 3 inch exhaust system so that the whole system can be transplanted onto a 350 or something bigger if you choose to do so in the future.

I just finished installing the Texas Rumbler by TSP this weekend. If you are not familiar with this setup, it is basically a Dynomax Bullet with all the 3" piping. Its a 4th gen. cat back that fits our cars with slight mods. I have it hooked up to a dynomax hi-flo cat dumping out the back. Sounds extremely deep at idle and very smooth and bassy upon normal acceleration and cruising. Screams like a wild banshee at WOT though. I am very satisfied with this setup.

you should look into hooker 2055's headers into a 3 inch y pipe they are carb approved.. not many options on cats, but i bought a carb approved cat from magnaflow 36019 which is approved for us. 3 inch internal hole air tube, very low pressure, nice flow. about 120.00 and they are the usually 160.00 to 225.00.
then i went with a 3 inch mid pipe, but my mid pipe is a 3 inch internal, 3.5 inch external, chambered exhaust. cost about 80.00. oud and if it is, i will put a 3 inch internal 12 inch long chamber on the far side of the 3rd member.
nothing will sit tranverse - and as straight a line from the engine to the exhaust i can legally do.

and once again i have to agree with kking.

hope that helps.