i'm about to get a set of headers...can the stock y-pipe be reused, or do i really need a $170+ y-pipe?

also, how badly does the stock cat restrict flow? i would go w/ straight pipe in place of the cat but i think it makes it sound like crap.

 

You cannot use your stock y-pipe. What hedders are you getting? Most shorty kits come with a y pipe. Also, the stock cat/s does not flow very well. Your best bet is to go with a 3" high flow unit whenever you add your cat-back and or y-pipe.

 

well i'm probably going with a set of coated headers from ACS (from ad above). i was going to go with some hedman's, but now i need to look around a little more to find what ones come w/ a y-pipe, because i know most dont

as far as a high-flow cat....guess i'll go with the cheapest one i can find...as long as it flows better than stock it'll be fine for now, i dont need a Random Tech cat or anything like that

 

I got my 3 inch high flow cat on ebay for around $35. Pretty good deal. It was made by Carsound.

 

Actaully most shorty hedders for our cars do come with a y pipe. Hedman makes two sets for our cars. One comes with a y-pipe and the other has a y-pipe that can be purchased separately. Hooker, SLP, flowtech, mac, and edelbrock shorty hedders all come with y-pipes.