who removed your cats????
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 54,204
Likes: 180
From: S.W. Ohio. . . . . . NRA Life Member
unless you can convince a shop that your car is a "track only" car... then your're either gonna have to do the work yourself or meet someone in a dark alley somenight 
are you sure you want to run without cats?
BTW, your 2003 has 4 cats total.
are you sure you want to run without cats?
BTW, your 2003 has 4 cats total.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 2,088
Likes: 2
From: tampa florida
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 16,477
Likes: 26
From: Gone
CI 6-7-8-9-10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '03
The requirement of cats is federal law, EPA,
Just because a state doesn't do inspections or emission tests doesn't make it legal.
The official blah-blah is something like: Removing, altering, relocating them is a federal offense with a max fine of $10,000 per occurance.
With that said, there is almost no one out there actively enforcing this, but because of the potentially stiff penalties...shops do tend to shy away from this sort of work.
Just because a state doesn't do inspections or emission tests doesn't make it legal.
The official blah-blah is something like: Removing, altering, relocating them is a federal offense with a max fine of $10,000 per occurance.
With that said, there is almost no one out there actively enforcing this, but because of the potentially stiff penalties...shops do tend to shy away from this sort of work.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 54,204
Likes: 180
From: S.W. Ohio. . . . . . NRA Life Member
That doesn't mean anyone here wouldn't understand your goals... they're just trying to make certain you know the facts first.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 5,266
Likes: 15
From: Syracuse NY
Cruise-In II Veteran
On a similar note... what about gutting the pre-cats? Won't the car still pass emissions w/o them - as long as the main cats are still functional?
Any performance or sound benefit to "going half way" and just gutting the pre-cats?
Chuck
Any performance or sound benefit to "going half way" and just gutting the pre-cats?
Chuck
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 54,204
Likes: 180
From: S.W. Ohio. . . . . . NRA Life Member
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 5,266
Likes: 15
From: Syracuse NY
Cruise-In II Veteran
Also, how is the sound / performance after this mod?
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 54,204
Likes: 180
From: S.W. Ohio. . . . . . NRA Life Member
yes. The precats are there to reduce emissions during a cold startup. The main cats are too far away from the engine, and they get a late start during a cold startup. Once the main cats are fully lit, then the precats are totally not necessary.
You can blame the AlGore types for forcing these "feel good" pre-cats upon us.
Unless your states emission testing requires you to leave your car overnight so that they can do cold start testing, then you shouldn't have to worry about it.
Some go to the point of cutting out the precats and welding in a straight pipe. With this, you might fail the visual inspection process though.
I didn't do any scientific testing, but if you look at the material inside the pre-cats, you can't help but think that they are somewhat restrictive.
I'm not so certain the exhaust got any lounder, but it seemes to have deepened the exhaust note.
Hey, it's a free mod - and you can then snicker at the fact that everytime someone does this mod... it gives AlGore another ulcer.
.
You can blame the AlGore types for forcing these "feel good" pre-cats upon us.
Unless your states emission testing requires you to leave your car overnight so that they can do cold start testing, then you shouldn't have to worry about it.
Some go to the point of cutting out the precats and welding in a straight pipe. With this, you might fail the visual inspection process though.
Also, how is the sound / performance after this mod?
I'm not so certain the exhaust got any lounder, but it seemes to have deepened the exhaust note.
Hey, it's a free mod - and you can then snicker at the fact that everytime someone does this mod... it gives AlGore another ulcer.
.
Last edited by Mike Mercury; Mar 25, 2007 at 01:12 PM.
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,398
Likes: 1
From: Kingsport TN
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 16,477
Likes: 26
From: Gone
CI 6-7-8-9-10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '03
Shops don't mess around with this issue, the penalties for getting caught are too steep. If they know and trust you, that's one thing. Broadcasting it across the world is quite another.
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 54,204
Likes: 180
From: S.W. Ohio. . . . . . NRA Life Member
did you read post #7 ???
the federal fine is levied on both the car owner and the shop that performs the work. I don't think any real business would do this (out in the open anyways...) unless the car was a trailored "track only" type car.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 5,266
Likes: 15
From: Syracuse NY
Cruise-In II Veteran
yes. The precats are there to reduce emissions during a cold startup. The main cats are too far away from the engine, and they get a late start during a cold startup. Once the main cats are fully lit, then the precats are totally not necessary.
You can blame the AlGore types for forcing these "feel good" pre-cats upon us.
Unless your states emission testing requires you to leave your car overnight so that they can do cold start testing, then you shouldn't have to worry about it.
Some go to the point of cutting out the precats and welding in a straight pipe. With this, you might fail the visual inspection process though.
I didn't do any scientific testing, but if you look at the material inside the pre-cats, you can't help but think that they are somewhat restrictive.
I'm not so certain the exhaust got any lounder, but it seemes to have deepened the exhaust note.
Hey, it's a free mod - and you can then snicker at the fact that everytime someone does this mod... it gives AlGore another ulcer.
.
You can blame the AlGore types for forcing these "feel good" pre-cats upon us.
Unless your states emission testing requires you to leave your car overnight so that they can do cold start testing, then you shouldn't have to worry about it.
Some go to the point of cutting out the precats and welding in a straight pipe. With this, you might fail the visual inspection process though.
I didn't do any scientific testing, but if you look at the material inside the pre-cats, you can't help but think that they are somewhat restrictive.
I'm not so certain the exhaust got any lounder, but it seemes to have deepened the exhaust note.
Hey, it's a free mod - and you can then snicker at the fact that everytime someone does this mod... it gives AlGore another ulcer.
.
Pro
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 674
Likes: 0
From: Newport News VA
I took them off my last vette!! Just cut em off and weld them to a connection pipe. Nothing but some fab work and some time my friend.
This time around for my LT's I got high flow cats. NO smell. And can pass inspection!!
This time around for my LT's I got high flow cats. NO smell. And can pass inspection!!
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 213
Likes: 0
From: Altamonte Springs Florida
That is why most Header companies offer Hi-Flo Catalytic Converters for replacement if the vehicles catalytic converters are damaged or are not functioning properly.
WE DO NOT REMOVE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS FROM VEHICLES AND INSTALL OFF-ROAD PIPES, AGAIN IT IS AGAINST THE LAW.
If you have a damaged or non-functioning cats, we will replace it with a hi-flo replacement, but only to the letter of the law.
Thanks, Geoff.