Well, I finally figured out what all the noise under my car is. My main pipe leaving my headerss has unseated leaving a 1/8" gap at the top of the connection. I also blew out my cat today today. I had pieces of ceramic honeycomb flying out the exhaust tips.

So here'* my questions:

1) How do I make my exhaust last until the first of the year. Can I get the cat pulled and put a straight pipe in for the mean time?

2) After the first of the year I want to replace my entire exhaust system. I am looking for everything from the tips all the way up to the headers (or maybe not the headers, haven't decided). Looking for the best bang for the buck in aftermarket parts. Unfortunetly, I am unable to do this sooner because of available money.

Any help is ALWAYS appreciated.

Crap. You've gotta bad one. You can straight pipe if you do it yourself. 99% of the shops out there won't touch it. Federal law. I'm not sure what it would do to exhuast tuning, but it'* gotta be better than a hole and a rattle, right? I had to replace mine 2 months ago for the same reason. Had a high-flo cat installed, but muffler is stock still.

The gap at the header.....is it just pulling apart? Or is it splitting? I'd be looking at a wrecking yard for the top end of the exhaust from a LeSabre or something....just to tide you over.

It'* only law where there is emissions testing, is it not? other than that I doubt it'* enforced.

Minnesota does have emissions restrictions but thanks to governor Ventura, they have closed down all the testing stations. It is still "illegal" to do it but they have no way of enforing it anymore.

I am going to look into the costs of both:
1) having someone weld in a straight pipe replacement
2) full exhaust replacement with performance parts

Maybe if I finess my budget I can get the performance exhaust sooner than planned.

Sell your firstborn. It worked for me. If you don't have one, start breeding. You'll have your exhaust in nine months. Good luck, and let us know what you did. I'm still thinking about my muffler.

Keep in mind, the Catalytic law is FEDERAL (south of the border, Tam). But like you said, if you find the right shop to do it, they can't enforce it. You just gotta find someone willing to stick their neck out.

If it was me, I would take it to a DESCENT Exhaust / Muffler shop and have them bend and weld you up a whole new setup. Easier said than done of course, but here'* what I would do:

1) If you can find Series I headers for a descent price, start there
2) Come off your headers into a descent sized downpipe (3" MAX)
3) Get a High-Flow Catalatic Converter, and have them weld it in
4) Have them run descent sized pipe both in and out of the cat, and then have them
bend it to match your stock exhaust.
5) Have them weld on all your mounts, etc.. back onto the pipe so you can use the stock
hanger locations, etc..
6) DO NOT replace the resonator with anything, leave it off and bypass that with
straight pipe.
7) Find yourself a good sounding High Flow Muffler for our cars like the Magnaflow or
Dynomax I think it was that people were saying sounded good (ask boseman).

I would replace the muffler just like a stock one, with a good sized pipe coming in from one side, and then the duals splitting out both sides, but smaller (2.5") You dont want to get the air flowing TOO freely, like removing the cat AND the Resonator AND getting a high flow muffler. You'll end up loosing backpressure and actually it will end up slowing you down (ask skza). If it was me I would just bite the bullet and get the high flow Cat. That way your covered for emissions and everything, and it will help with backpressure and in making that deep rumble sound through the muffler.

Just my $.02

PS - If you do your exhaust up like this, you better damn well be planning a CAI and pulley swap soon! Your car will haul ars.

BTW: If you go with a "Stright Pipe" instead of a CAT then you'll be sorry. Without proper back pressure, your engine will run like CRAP! But if you run a resonator instead, no one will be the wiser except for that "Emision Station". I've got a resonater put in 5 Years ago. Yes, there is a "CDN Federal LAW" but it'* not enforced out here yet. My Resonator replacement cost me $50.00 CDN! That was Installed at a local Exhaust Shop too BTW!

you mean you got rid of the factory resonator, and replaced it with straight pipe, and then took the cat off and replaced that with a resonator? Not a bad idea actually, how does it sound?

There is NO "Factory Resonator", just the CAT & Muffler. Never went with a straight pipe though, just the Resonator! It'* a little loader than normal. Performance was the issue at the time. I'm still got the original Muffler & pipes installed from factory. 158,000 KM & still no rust!

ahhhh, they must've started putting the resonator in 95+ models with Series II motors. Its between the Cat and the muffler on our cars.