Well It's cutting time, the header's are in and It's time to decide if the cat's stay or go.I hear their worth 4-5 hp off, I'm just not sure.

Tripp

 

Not only are they worth at least 5-8 h.p. ...the sound is awesome with an off road x-pipe installed right behind them....:D Not to mention they are 32 lbs. of dead weight!!

Check out my home page for full TPIS install pics with NO cats.... :yesnod:


[Modified by vstella, 6:44 PM 4/19/2002]

 

Vince,

How's the smell running just the off road x-pipe and no cats?

Ed

 

Not an issue for me most of the time. Once in a long while if your stuck in traffic with the windows open and you get a breeze. Otherwise well worth it for me!:D

 

That's true I fogot about the smell.So is it really not that bad,I do sit in traffic quite abit.
Loosing weight and sounding better might not be a bad trade off though.

Vstella, I have Indy's/ corsa X pipe as well so the sound DB's should be similar, can you tell me how loud your pipe's are without the cat's? WOT,cruise, and is the sound still exotic or more angry like a stroker.
A friend has same setup with cat's and it's pretty tame sounding until he jump's on it,then awsome...... :cool:


[Modified by evil-1, 9:55 PM 4/19/2002]

 

Hey tripp I've smelled you, and the least of your worries is the smell from your car.lol :p:

 

:lol: :eek:

 

I gotta take the enviornment side and say no. Way back when taking the cats off would gain you all kinds of hp. Cats have come a long way since then. To me the hp gain & sound is just not worth the crap you'll be spewing out in the air. And another down side is if you're caught by the police, or through testing.

 

Personally 5-8HP isn't worth the smell. I can't imagine going to work smelling like I just cut my grass with a 15 year old Toro :eek: JMHO of course.

Joe

 

I agree with cruz and pjazz-- it's not worth it...

 

 

Leave the cats on. I'm about as far from a tree hugger as you can get, but I'm also not a big fan of dying from lung cancer. I like knowing that the air I breathe now is cleaner than it was in the 80's.

There are much better ways to get 5-7 HP and shave off that little bit of weight (such as going on a diet if you're overweight.)

 

Just when I convinced myself to cut those sucker's off you guy's have to start in with the clean air stuff.
But after thinking about it your right, I dont have to be greedy I'll be making plenty of Honest Clean HP anyway...... :yesnod:

 

I used to hate all the emissions stuff- then spent some a couple weeks in Tel-Aviv a couple years ago on business- no emissions requirements, new cars don't even come with with cats there. I was honestly getting a major headache sitting in rush hour traffic from the automotive generated polution it was so bad- NEVER in the states have I experienced that kind of air pollution, even in downtown Dallas or Chicago in rush hour, gave me a new appreciation of all our emissions stuff here. On the other hand, a STOCK LS1 is a pretty clean running engine, some have passed emissions with no cats, I'd be surprised if it really had that bad of a smell to it. Put in a strong cam and it's a whole other story though. I never really noticed any smell inside the car with my old '71 Chevelle I used to have, but then again maybe it just didn't bother me.


[Modified by yellowy2kc5, 9:25 AM 4/22/2002]

 

Evil-1

As you can see there are the pros and cons of going catless.. I myself went without cats because I have always been a fan of the LOUD open sound...once your loud, you always want to be louder and once you are fast you want to be faster right...Personally I think the smell is only bad when you are in the garage or equivalent (closed area)..Getting in and out will not make you stink like your snow blower...When you are stopped, you don't smell it on a everyday basis..I feel more at home at the track with all the big boys and have been told the car does not sound much different than the big cam 60s and 70s guys at WOT...I get many of compliments at the track! As for the street, the x pipe really comes in to play...If you are just cruising, the sound is just right..If you slam it, you will turn everyones head..Also the resounance around 2000-2300 makes your ears stand...I do get some black residue, like black dust caked on the back of the car that just moves around when you go to try and wipe it with a cloth..Other guys with cat backs may not get this, but mine is as straight as can get...SO really it comes down to how loud you want to go...Performance wise, it depends what mods you plan to go with...the more air you feed the beast, the faster it needs to push out!
Hope I answered a few things for ya...

 

\Daniel I appreciate your imput, It has helped greatly.At present I will go with cat's,BUT am looking into a slip pipe if you will to interchange to straight pipe's
Tomorrow morning I will drive to the exhaust shop cross town with open header's, who know's by the time I get there I may change my mind.( I just dont want to wake the dead).....
later...Tripp

 

Don't do it; it won't get you much AND it is a federal felony. :eek:

 

gonzo, you should be concerned with the stink comming from my tail pipe's since that's the only part you'll be seeing..... :nopity

LOL..........Tripp

 

I agree 100% - its just not worth it.

 

Keep em on, not worth it.