When I was a kid, we used to take the catalytic converter off, and smash everything inside it with a big, heavy pipe, till it was just an empty shell, then re-install it. You won't get the noise reduction from it anymore, tho.

That Comp cam sounds like an awful lot of cam for an otherwise stock L48. It looks very close to the L82 cam, which was used in an engine that had 9:1 CR, as opposed to maybe 8:1 for L48, and 2.02/1.60 valves, as opposed to 1.94/1.50 for the L48, and even then, it was a little too much cam for that engine with the stock intake and exhaust system. The L82 cam was originally made for the 350/350 engine (L46?) that had 11:1 CR, I think. I am certainly no expert, tho, and I am a low-end torque guy anyway, so I tend to be pretty conservative when it comes to cam timing.

You are going big cam, and you may find that you are losing on the low-end to gain on the top-end, and if you are thinking about changing the diff to a highway gear, this will make matters even worse. I think you are a prime candidate for a 4-speed automatic overdrive transmission. A 700-r4 will give you a lower first gear for launching from stop signs, and an overdrive for keeping up with traffic on the autobahn. One possible drawback is the wide gear spacing, which will hurt a car that doesn't have a nice, wide powerband (and over-cammed engines tend to have narrow powerbands) in which case a 200-4r might be a better choice. There are alot of variables here, and I am not even sure if the regulations that you have to satisfy will allow it. Good luck with whatever way you choose!!


Scott