when i ran e85, i found i liked the smell too LOL.

on pump gas... not so much.

 

If you are trying to run big power the cat is a noticeable restriction. If you are at/near stock hp, then the small gain from removing the cat is probably not worth it.

 

Just keep in mind if you go catless the police will be able to tell from the exhaust smell. Some states do road inspections. Why get pulled over for a couple hp gain?

 

On a stock car, I agree. For any decent build, it helps a lot. Less back pressure is healthy for any turbo car, though.
I blew up a Honda engine trying to run it hard with a cat. That was low boost. LOL. Oops.

 

I've never been pulled over for a smell. Cops drive behind me all the time.

 

When I was 20 it was ok, now that I'm older- no way I'd go catless. I don't care what anyone else says or talks trash about "tunes". If you go catless, the car will smell like ****, you will smell like ****, you will have headaches and lightheadedness, and it's not worth the small gain to do it. Go w/a high flow cat that actually works if you're really that desperate for the minimal hp gain.

The NOVA area now has mobile emission scanners which work like radar guns. Point and shoot and huge fine. Not worth it.

 

does it actually make the whole cabin smell like emissions?

 

Yes, especially if you ever get stuck in stop and go traffic.

 

All these people complaining about the smell; did you chop your tops? Roll the windows up in traffic and put the air on recirculate. No smell. Don't hang out by your car while it's running (why would you be standing around a running car anyway?). To be clear, there is 0 smell in the cabin when driving at any speed about 5mph.

 

Right, ask someone what you smell like after you get out of the car. Ever lived in the DC metro area, or any metro area where there is traffic? Recirc won't do anything for the smell.

You live in san fran- I'm positive that you still smell after getting out of the car. Ask a friend if you don't believe me.

 

Yes.

 

If you are worried about the smell get a MilSpec 100cell cat instead of a straight pipe http://www.mil-spec.org/Evo-8-9-100-...t-Bolt-On.html

 

Im catless but only at the track. The sound is way too loud for the golf course community I live in lol but it does add a lot of power. I think I picked up like 50hp when I removed mine and added a turn down at the down pipe.

 

+1

my car doesn't really smell all that much. i think some of the ones around me do, though LOL.
i haven't found a downside to running no cat. if I daily drove the car, i'd run one though. just because it's quiet. at the track i worry about heat and back pressure. all bad for a turbo car.
i'll probably start swapping out the cat for daily and track days as i may start driving the car more often. i don't need "max power" on the street.
but i digress.

the only real problem with no cat is if you are busted for not running it. if you can smell the exhaust of your car and you don't like it, put it back on or run the MilSpec as mentioned above.
it's an easy swap either way

 

After running catless for 9 years I don't even notice it.