Im getting ready to put exhaust on my car because it needs it bad. i want to eliminate the cat. ive noticed alot of exhaust systems on here with no cats that look professionally bent and installed by an exhaust shop but no shop around my area (washington state) will do it? whats the deal? how did you guys get em to do it? id just put a high flow cat on the thing but for 200$ damm.

 

You could alwayse haul it there on a trailor and tell them it is a race car and you require exaust to run the class you want to run in.

 

Well #1 cash.
#2 dont call them and ask, just drive up there and talk to one of them in person. To many Inspectors call and ask to see if the shops are ****ing up.
#3 what 1320_guy said!

 

The reason why they wont do it is because its a FEDERAL offense to remove your catalytic converter. Both you and the shop who does it can face a huge fine, and/or jailtime.

 

Ditto...The shop cant remove the catalytic converter (but you can) then they can run a new exhaust for you. There is no law thats says they have to put one on a car that does not have one but there is a law as stated above that says they cant remove one. Thats how I got around it!

 

I talked to my local exhaust shop (stan's headers in auburn, WA) on the phone which probably didnt help and they told me that they couldnt give me a system without a cat. Even though i dont have one on right now. (i cut that thing off months ago) they also told me that if i brought it down on a trailer as a race car it would have to be a full race car with a roll cage and something i couldnt just slap some plates on later and drive away with. any more ideas? It probably doesnt help me much either that i just turned 18 and im only 5'4 so i look more like i just turned 16 lol...

anyone know some good guys over here in Washington state?

 

Your best bet would be to just bring your car in and have the exhaust shop fab it up for you but not actually install it...then take the car home and install it yourself!

 

i never thought about that! good idea! i have a welder here at home so it should be no problem if they give it to me in sections or whatever. anyone ever tried that?

 

Tell them the car is for F-stock autocross. For that,the interior has to remain, no roll cage allowed, you are VERY limited on what you can do. But tell them, the cat isn't required!

Hell, its just a simple straight section. You said you had a welder...make one yourself.

 

That sucks man. Just keep calling around. Just make sure to keep calling it a race car or track car. Then when you trailer it in dont have plates on it. I am sure you will find some one to do it.

 

My Car Sound ( Magnaflow ) cat was $50 for my Camaro. Suck it up and spend the $, you're not gaining any real noticeable power by running without it, especially if your car is still stock.

 

true, but maybe he's just after the raspy tone of an exhaust without a cat.

 

$50 isnt bad, they were quoting me $200 dollars for a high flow cat, which i thought was outragous, and ultemately lead to this post..

Stans headers, the shop that quoted me is known for there good work. they quoted me $475 for new 3 inch aluminized with a magnaflow muffler from the cat back., this does not inlcude the 200 for the high flow cat or tips.. they also wanted another 2 or 300 (cant remember which) for a new y pipe. what do u think?

 

theres no reason you shouldn't have a cat if its a street car..

 

Sounds a lot better without a cat, just take it off yourself and weld in a pipe, then go to a shop to replace your exhaust. They can't make you put one on when it doesnt have one. When I first got my car I didnt know anyone and I just used a hacksaw and piece of pipe. Well just a couple months ago I had a whole new exhaust put on with a cat.

There's a shop up town I always take my car to for whatever now. So he's familiar with me and knows me and trusts me. I just had him cut mine off and weld in a pipe. He trusts me not to tell, because its against the law, thats why most places won't do it...they're just covering their azzes. You just gotta find someone you or a friend knows, or just do it yourself.

 

Buy the LT1 4th gen stainless Magnaflow system. It's 3" , mandrel bent and basically fits the same. Costs around $400 from Summit ( I got mine on eBay for cheaper, took awhile on shipping ). I haven't gotten my car running again, but that's basically what I went with. I bought my cat on eBay for $50 shipped. For an exact factory replacement it's closer to $100. I bought 2 3" 45* bends to finish it of and connect the cat to my headers.


Do you need a new Y pipe? I am pretty sure someone sells a decent one aftermarket for the stock manifolds.


As for sound.. my friends IROC had hollowed dual cats, and he had to replace them to pass emissions. Doesn't sound that much different.

 

whats the difference between the lt1 and ls1 cat backs for the 4th gen? ill probably go with either one of those.

 

The only difference is the way they bolt up to the front part of the exhaust. The I-pipe, muffler, and tailpipes are the same.

 

You have a welder? Great..

Take your old cat off and then attach a header flange before and after it so that it can be taken out.

Then your exhaust shop (or you with your welder) can make a "test pipe" with identical header flanges that you can bolt on in place of your cat.

That's how I did it in California. I even got the header flanges from the junkyard to save money. Lots of exhaust shops have used flanges as well from cars that they have re-done.

Good luck!

 

I have a LS1 TexasSpeed & Performance cat back. Everybody really like it, I just wish it was deeper & louder.

 

Price is different too. The LT1 is cheaper.

From Summit:
MPE-15684 $454.95 ( LS1 )
MPE-15620 $388.95 ( LT1 )
I got mine on Ebay for like $350 shipped

They have new one for the Firebird LS1 cars. Will still work on the Camaro, just this one fits the exhuast cutout's in the rear bumper cover on the Firebird with dual outlet tips that's even more expensive.
MPE-16723 $672.95