Catless in strict states?
 

Anyone running an O/R pipe in a locale that has emissions laws? I just passed emissions recently so I'm good for two years.. I think it's worth it to strap on a catless setup for 2 good years. Just wondering what kind of attention I'll get when I go in for a safety inspection next year. Don't they look at things like that outside of the emissions inspection?

Anyone have an opinion about this who lives in emissions snob states?

Depends on the inspector ;)

I recommend going to the shadiest ghetto inspection shop to get it done.

I've been catless since I've owned the car in PA, either have to be friends with an inspector or take it to someone who is to lazy to put the car on a lift. In PA the emissions is just a visual inspection for emmission related parts and a gas cap check.

+1

+2

ive been catless for 3 years and the inspector looked under my car and smiled at me and said " so thats how you got it sounding so good?"

Just have a catted midpipe that is gutted.. lol

keep the stock midpipe for when emissions times come and run the offroad pipe. I think it all boils down to how you drive. Have been running a catless midpipe on my car in CT for nearly two years and CT is very strict with its emissions laws. Don't drive like an asshole and you'll be fine. Also, if you get pulled over, just turn your car off before the cop gets out of the car...LOL

here as long as your check engine light is off, you should be ok. I have yet to see a shop look under my car.

Yea OP, ask ^ guy how he knows about getting pulled over... HA

Yea im jsut buddies w/ the guys that check my car. And just not driving like a fool and getting unwated attention

LOL the only time I drive my car now is when I want to act a fool.

haha well for us that DD the car..its easier i guess. But now that its parked at college for weeks at a time i understand that!

Yeah ever since I bought the Mazduhhh, I have zero want/need to drive my car until its boosted. My Mazzy has more than enough power to hold me over until I get my build done...pulls like a FREIGHT TRAIN from 4600-4700 rpms and thats enough to hold me over. That and 34mpg+ on the highway = right down my alley these days.

Also to answer Smittys jab at how I know what to do when getting pulled over with catless pipes.....(40seconds-52 seconds)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3BcIm5d6Pk&NR=1

ahahaha

I run basically straight pipes on my car but as long as im not ripping around like an idiot i have no problems whatsoever.

Catless here in Delaware, every two year insection just slap on the catted H, go thro, and put catless back on when done

I Call BS.


But someone once told me if you let the stock midpipe set without being used for so long that it "goes Bad" so to speak? any truth to this?

I have been fine running my O/R pipe, as long as you have MIL eliminators and aren't throwing any codes, you'll be fine

My girlfriends brother has been inspecting my car, he is really cool and he likes the way my car sounds so he lets it go

Not worth it in my opinion.

I watched a guy in TX get his car impounded for not being street legal (no cats). He also ran into issues with his insurance not being valid b/c the car wasn't street legal. No insurance and a not street legal car lead to DL problems. Then he couldn't get anyone to insure him for awhile after that - too high risk. Talk about problems.

Catless isn't legal in any US state, regardless of if they check or not. Keep it legal.

I have a stock mid-pipe sitting in storage for those pesky smog checks. For the rest of the time, I have a bassani catted x

This is exactly what I do every 2 years in Ca. Stick the stocker back on, run the hell out of it, and go pass. Then I put the aftermarket catted X back on.

As others have stated, you can swap on your catted pipe just to get the inspection done. I do this every year. The cats don't go bad from not being run on the car.

Almost every inspection I have had over the past several years, the tech has tapped on the cats to make sure they were not gutted. I had a shop fail me this year because my aftermarket catted mid-pipe has only 2 cats and the factory installs four.

I checked with a couple of local performance shops looking for a relaxed shop to get my car inspected at. Turns out the manager of my local O'Reileys parts store hooked me up with a local shop that plugged into my ECM, as required, and absolutely nothing more. I was literally in and out of the shop in less than 5 minutes.

It pays to ask around and find a laid-back shop. I wasted my time even installing the cats this year. Next year I'm getting 20% tint since I no longer have to worry about passing that aspect of inspection (NC law is 35%).

Wow, overwhelming response. Thanks guys, really puts it in perspective. I would say I would go with high flow cats, but I believe my car came with 6 cats stock. Anything less would get me failed in this strict area I'm sure. I really love the tone of an off road x though. We'll see how it goes.

Sounds like crap with Flows

been catless since 03 no probs. got a modified exhaust ticket because he couldnt write me up for anything else, dude didnt even look at my cats and they prob never will lol.

+1 to JC316.. I agree..i had an off road h since ive owned my car...i live in the ghetto so i dont have a problem with that but ...

some places have to check for emsissions id recomend taking it to a ghetto place ...or for one day go put your stock h pipe on (if you have it) then pass then go put you O/R back on..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FntrLX86CHI

That video makes me beg to differ. He has the same setup I do, just with the O/R X installed. It's all a matter of opinion though. I happen to like the way that one sounds.

That seems to be the general consensus is to just keep the stock H pipe and swap it before emissions inspections. I'd probably still get pulled over and questioned where I live though. We'll see what happens. Thanks for the opinions.

I guess you need to take into account what mufflers and mid-pipe configuration you will be running. If you plan to run an O/R X with any chambered muffler, you will get a high degree of raspy resonance which I personally couldn't stand. I added two high flow cats to get rid of that characteristic. If you will have LOUD mufflers with your O/R pipe, you may be correct in assuming you will draw unwanted attention.

There are some combinations that are not too bad though, so it is up to you to decide what approach balances your risk aversion with your happiness.
GOOD LUCK!

My friend had a pypes cat back and o/r mid pipe on his 98GT.

Cop busted him way before he needed a smog. FYI

I have the same setup. Mine sounds awsome at idle and just reving but driving it is very rasppy. :icon_badrazz: It sounds like crap .

really? yours is raspy with the super 44's? i have O/R h pipe with orignal 40's and ive never rasped ever..i think its the x pipe that makes it raspy casue it remixes the exaust..would you agree? :icon_steer:

Yes, it is the X vs H configuration. Chambered mufflers with an O/R X will be raspy, but an O/R H will not exhibit that characteristic. I have run both configurations and I could not stand the raspy and resonating sound from the chambered mufflers with the O/R X. Straight thru mufflers are a much better choice to run with the O/R X pipes. Although, some guys really like loud and obnoxious so to each his own...

Heres my LT's, Off road X and stingers. not too much rasp just a higher pitched sound.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cC9dMCfUSc

definately wont work in new york.