I was wondering if anyone knows of a good place where I can go get a new cat thats not ridiculously expensive. I tried to take my old cat off, pb blasted the crap out of it, and the nuts and bolts didnt budge one bit. I went to a local shop around here (palo alto area) and they quoted me at 450 dollars for a new cat!! I told the guy I could get a new magnaflow direct fit for 95 bucks, and he said, yea, but then I'd have the problem of removing the old one. I told him im sure its not a 350 dollar problem! Any help?

PS Attached is the poor car having trouble breathing, any help would be appreciated.

 

Welcome, nice Z, looks like mine without the whole 91/92 thing going on

Yes you should get a Magnaflow direct fit from Summit / jeg's etc. Make sure to buy the direct fit not the universal. And as far as $350 to install it he is smoking some good ****, cat unbolts on one side and fully welded to your y-pipe on the other, should be half that or less.

Find another exhaust shop.

Those bolts can fuss and be a bitch as you have witnessed, try a torch to heat them up / big hammer to whack them with / air tools help. if all else fails sawzall it.

If your cat is seriously blocked I would just get the bolts in the rear off and gut it out until you can get it fixed so it does not hurt the motor.

Ugh, long post HTH

 

Buy the hi-flow, and just cut and weld that bish on.

 

Thanks guys! I guess the only problem is that I'm a student here and don't really have alot of tools. Back home I could've taken the cat off, albeit really troublesome, but its a little more difficult here. Anyways, I'm going back home in a couple of weeks and right now the car's really having trouble exhaling. I'd be happy with a straight pipe or anything meanwhile I get home, but I couldn't even get the bolts to give. Any shop ideas?

 

I talked to him this morning. He said approximately $175 to $200 out the door. He works on some really nice hot rods, race cars and street rods. He does really nice work and I am sure you'll be happy. He also does custom headers.


Performance Muffler & Exhaust
(650) 589-2222 517 Railroad Ave
South San Francisco, CA

 

Thats awesome, I gave him a call yesterday but I guess it was too late. I'll give him a call tomorrow morning, see when he's available. Thanks man!

 

Like this?:

 

O yea! It doesn't look like it'll fit the stock flanges though. I'm going to SF wednesday on Comp788s recommendation to check out Performance Muffler & Exhaust. If that fit, and I could take off the cat, that would be ideal though.

 

Someone could weld flanges to your cat and a straight pipe. That way your cat would always be like new. Some smog shops may fail you on the visual though.

 

These days a big part of the smog is visual. I would be pretty shocked if you passed with a flanged cat in there. one of my friends had that exact same set up on his 80 1 ton Chevy 4WD and the smog guy failed him. He said the cats need to be not removable.

 

Really? Thats pretty wierd. I thought cats like the magnaflow direct fit were bolt on and legal. I mean, the original cats weren't welded on, I don't see why you couldn't pass with a flanged cat.

 

Did you get a new cat today?

 

Yes sir! Thank you very much for the recommendation. Boyd does top notch work. Huge difference too. The motor sounds loud and healthy. Boyd showed me the old cat before I drove off, it was a solid frickin brick, couldn't see through it or anything (it was the original one, rusted and bolted on). I really appreciate your help, you're the man!

 

Boyd is a great guy. Give him recommendations when you can. He has a small shop but does great work. I assume the price was fair too. Glad it all worked out for you.