or rattling (sp?)...Could you have dented your exhuast or anything on something to restrict the outward flow?

That'* a good point also.....crawl around down there and see if you have any random kinks in the pipe?

Nope, just checked all is well. I drove the car a couple miles.. then checked underneath and the cat wasn't glowing [engine still running at the time]. So idk, maybe i didn't drive it enough, or whatever. but maybe it isn't the cat? Too bad autozone doesn't have the back pressure tester as a loan a tool. guess i'm going to have to purchase one eh?

Can i use it on the cutty too? it'* got an o2 sensor as well [remember the carb is computer controlled, along with the ignition].

Doesn't surprise me, 3k @ 50 sounds like it wasnt shifting past second gear. Ours run around 1400 at 50.

padg is a little slow hehe

I lost 3rd and OD . tranny is blown for those gears. although i did get them to shift into 3rd and OD tonight.. but it slipped really really bad. just barely enough grip on the gear to move the car.

Anyways, did some more testing. drove the car about 10 miles, mostly in town except for the last 2. The last two was filled with a bit of WOT. Especially towards the end. Although it was hard being in town and all.. but I did it. So yeah, did that, got under the car.. sure enough the cat is glowing red. It was prodominately red around the tips of the cat [like where the welds are, the welds that are from cat to exhaust tubing], but the entire thing was a good red colour. I'm not sure if it was the extra mileage, more WOT, or being that it is pitch black at the moment outside [just got in about 5 minutes ago]. So I am assuming the fact that the cat is glowing... that means it'* shot. It shouldn't be doing that at all ever never ever ever under any properly running circumstances?

That'* right, for the short time of driving you did, your cat should NOT be glowing red, actually your cat should never be glowing red. That much heat can cause a fire easily.

Thank you . I'll be picking up a new cat today, then. Yuppie!!! Finally, my car should be making real power.

Just an update for you guys. I'm struggling getting the cat cut off... so i'm going to buy a hacksaw.. guess that'll cut it right? I pulled the exhaust, and the car now sounds great. i don't know what happened. initial startup it sounded like a big block v-8, with window rattling noise. then it turned into fart can 4cyl. now it turned into small block with flowmaster 40 series. It sounds just like randy'*, in the videos. so i think this is what it should sound like now? I drove the car last night without the exhaust.. and it sounds so kickass.

I also changed my oil yesterday, and now the car sits at 40 cold [700RPM], and 45 at 2500 [cold also]. Then when at temp, idle is 20 [900RPM], and 4000RPM is 50. I haven't brought the car past 4k just yet, especially with just the headers.

One last thing, that strikes me a little weird, which could be related to my transmission issues. Before the rebuild, whenever I had the car in 1st gear, and let'* say i gave WOT to 30mph, then let off the gas, the engine'* rpms would slowly decline with speed. Like the engine drag would slow the car down, and the rpms would still stay up. Also if I would give some throttle after a WOT run to 30-40 [throttle let off after reached the speed, then throttle given after rpms stop declining], the car would just throw me back in my seat and launch forward real good. But now, whenever i do a WOT run to 30, the rpms just drop off to 1500RPM and the car doesn't really decelerate much. Also if I do that WOT run to 30-40, then give some throttle after the rpms drop off, the engine just kinda free revs but around 3000RPM it'll kick in a little but nothing like before. Just curious if that'* related to my transmission failure.

A hacksaw might have a hard time going through your exhaust. I think it'* made of a low grade stainless steel, and that'* tough stuff. Give it a try, but I really hope you spent the $ and got a high tension hack saw, and some bi-metal blades. Anything else will just suck.

If that fails, maybe get a cheapo angle grinder (harbor freight), and some cutoff wheels. You might go through wheels, but it should get through.

Well, turns out I have great friends. I borrowed a reciprocating saw with an extremely dull blade which cut right through the exhaust. Took me a while, but it did get through. Got the cat off, and accidentally dropped it, and the entire contents of it just came right out all over my yard. I'm pretty sure it'* easy to say that thing was toast. I've been driving the car without the exhaust for the past few days, and DAMN. She is one mean thing. She'* really been pulling hard, and it'* some awesome stuff, i tell you what.

Although I may have cut through the exhaust, I still have an issue here. The original tubes for the cat are still stuck inside the exhaust, so it makes the diameter smaller. Well, my err replacement cat doesn't fit on any of it. Should I just cut further down the exhaust? Or should I get smaller diameter replacement cat? The person I borrowed the saw from, would like it back tomorrow, but I could probably squeeze an extra day or two out of him if need be.

I also have some extra 2.25" tubing, so just in case the cat wasn't long enough, i would be able to fix that. Also the replacement cat is 2.25" diamater, just like the stock exhaust, so i didn't get the wrong size or anything.