cats or no cats??

I have been running a h pipe for a lng time with no cats. I have been thinking of going to a x-pipe with cats for better back pressure. and to quiet up the loud rumble at cruising speed and constant smell of gas. My set back is i love how my car sounds at wot will cats give me a loss of power, and will they take away the aggressive soung i have now. would you guys stay with no cats or get them???

I believe the newer performance cars use the latest new redisgned cats as close to the header/engine as possible. They are a new free flowing design made to be close to the motor to keep them extra hot to kill the gas wothout killing power like old cats that were dont pipe and more restrictive. Gm uses these on ls6 stuff.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: fogged408w on 8/30/05 10:07am ]</font>

It all depends on your smog laws there. Up here in Pa. we HAVE to have them for inspection.
If your state doesn't require them or doesn't plan on requiring them in the near future, then I would go without them.
[addsig]

I've experimented with both an x without cats &amp; the new Magnaflow stainless x-pipe with cat's. Dyno before &amp; after says you will loosed 7-7.5hp per cat. Drone at highway speeds is reduced with cat's; but so is the full throttle sound. The sound becomes more "machine" like than muscular is the best way I can describe it. My car will still sound off nonetheless; but it is not blatantly obvious. Out here in California; cat's are the law &amp; I chose to follow the rules....

i have a 95 mustang cobra - i took the cats off and gained a much more agressive sound and a noticable performance difference. I also have an 83 GT that comes stock with single exhaust. Well the cat died so i removed it and noticed the same gains. I would go without the cats - the more free flowing your exhaust is the better. If your laws allow it.