How much is to be gained by removing the original cat?

[azmusclecar]

My 1979 Hurst Olds with the 350 still has it's OEM CAT, with 83K on it. It has a small hole in it and I was just thinking of having a straight pipe
made for it and eliminate the CAT altogether.

I may end up patching the hole in the OEM Cat if the cost of a straight pipe is cost prohibitive. I'm in an emissions exempt area.

 

[Doug Chahoy]

Stay GREEN get a Magnaflow cat

 

[TURNA]

straight pipe

 

[jakes87SS]

a stock or stock ish low compression 80s v8 sounds fairly bad to be honest and it might net you like 5 hp if your lucky.

 

[Olds G's]

Why not patch it for now? Kick the can down the road for now and spend that $ on something you want to spend on your ride. Jakes87SS comment is true.

 

[08Malibu]

Straight pipe it. The 79 h/o I had sounded good to me that way.

 

[LeftLaneOnly]

I plan on taking mine off and straight pipe it 79 H/O

 

[pagrunt]

Check in to these "cats" to see if one would work for you. They're stainless do they'll hold up pretty good.

DSM Intercooler Piping

Exhaust Parts and Accessories

www.siliconeintakes.com

 

[fleming442]

Anything to get the canister of pellets out of there.

 

[ck80]

On my 77 truck the cat has a couple holes in the botton..... it also acts as a resonator and there is no exhaust behind it.... it rotted off. Cat is hollow missing the pellets too.

Sounds pretty good, and surprisingly not loud.

Point of the story? Do what you want. Cat, no cat, your performance isn't going to change much, an original cat in that condition isn't hurting you much.

I've got a neat setup on one car with a dump pipe that bolts in place of the gbody cat. Block off plate at the "y" has strong springs and a brake cable runs off to actuate it. Hit the parking brake, open it goes.