What would be better, performance wise and sound wise. If I gutted my cat or stuck a pipe through the cat then welded it back on, so it looks like my cat works and even feels like it when u hit it. I heard that gutted cat sounds really nasty, so I was thinking of stickign a pipe through the cat, but I dont know what it woudl be called....straight pipe cat?

 

my cats gutted, and i love the sound, its louder then with it not gutted. in fact i get more people complimenting me on how good my exhaust sounds compared to alot of other thirdgens around here.

 

I have a carbed LG4 in my 83TA. Now it's got Hedmans and a Hooker catback. Before that I ran the stock exhaust with just a pipe where the cat used to be. The stock system sounded a lot better w/out the cat but nowhere near as good as the car sounds now with the headers and catback. I also think the stock setup was faster w/out the cat although I can't prove it. Needless to say it barks on lot better now with the new setup.

 

well, people say a gutted cat sounds hollow and bad, this is kinda true and the reason behind this is the inside of most cats and especial the stock cat it oval shaped, and the sound is allowed to bounce around and turbulence developes, wich isn't good for flow. now if u have a cat with at least a 3" intereor diameter all the way through, then u can stick the pipe inside, and it will sound awsome, i think catco cats are good for this, they have 3" ROUND insides.

 

I gutted mine, then got tired of the hollow sound (really bad at 1900-2200 rpms), so I put a pipe on. I cut the pipe right in front of the cat shell (left the over lap, its perfect for a 2 1/2 to slide on)I cut the butt plate off the cat, welded it to the pipe, and slipped the pipe over the old front connection. the sound is much better now (interior) it still hollows slightly, but sounds kinda cool.

 

ok so...I dotn quite understand what you mean, what did you cut off the cat? What size pipe did you use, the size that was already on there? Did you actually stick the pipe in and through the cat like I am planning on doing?

 

i cut the cat clean off, i was gonna run a pipe though like you, but I figured it was way to much work, besides I think you have to rig something in the inside of the cat if you didn't take it off. (as apossed to welding the shell on a pipe)

 

What do you do when you have to pass emissions?

 

running straight from the cat wont hurt will it?

 

The best thing to do would be to go to your local muffler shop and ask them to install a high flow cat. That way you stay emissions legal, get better sound and better fuel economy if you can keep your foot out of it.

 

gutted cats suck
test pipe is the way to go
better flowing better sound
if you have smog then just have it setup so you can bolt the cat up and then put the test pipe in the rest the year

 

Who sells test pipes? Or do you have to have them custom made?

 

custom made
easy to do though
just a straight pipe and that is it

lot better gains and cheaper then a high flow cat