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No smell to bother me on my 07. Smells no worse than any pre cat car, i.e. 1974 and older.
Advantages you will get over cats: less tunnel/floorboard heat, better sound, better flow (the 4 or 5 hp), save $300 to $400 on the cats/rear O2 extensions plus you don't have the hassle of routing the rear O2 wiring. I have no drone and great sound with headers, no cats and the stock exhaust.
I recommend going catless if you want the above advantages. You can always add cats later if you change your mind. As far as violating the federal emissions law, once you install the headers the law is broken cats or no cats.
If you have to pass a sniffer it will most likely fail. There is not much of a HP gain unless you are F/I, which in that application they have been known to clog. I don't know how the high flow cats fair for the sniffer test either that being said.
If there is any type of "visual" inspection for emissions equipment in your area then you will automatically fail without cats. Even with high flow cats in a long tube header application you will still fail because the cats are no longer in their original factory location. If you have to deal with any of these tests, then you really cannot use any type of aftermarket long tube header. You will most likely not pass a sniff test either without cats. In my area all you need to pass the emissions test is the OBD test. As long as a check engine light code is not present, then you automatically pass. There is no visual or sniff test anymore. I of course still have cats on my car though.
If there is any type of "visual" inspection for emissions equipment in your area then you will automatically fail without cats. Even with high flow cats in a long tube header application you will still fail because the cats are no longer in their original factory location. If you have to deal with any of these tests, then you really cannot use any type of aftermarket long tube header. You will most likely not pass a sniff test either without cats. In my area all you need to pass the emissions test is the OBD test. As long as a check engine light code is not present, then you automatically pass. There is no visual or sniff test anymore. I of course still have cats on my car though.
I don't understand why either?
You said you don't have visual or sniffer testing only OBD no codes ok test. Codes are easily turned off so how can the state keep you from not running cats?