Riding without a cat

[vtecnut]

Not that anyone on this forum would use a car without a cat on the road but does anyone know 'anyone' whos daily driving like this and what your experiences are?

I believe there's a 10k fine if your caught on the public road. I'm just wondering what Victoria's/Melbournes finest are like. I've also never de-cat'd a car I've drivin, so wondering about excess noise/smell etc.

[Stephen_AUS]

Normally a decat you will experience alot of fumes coming out of the exhaust due to nothing filtering it. And noise wise will make some difference too. And with the fine being caught without a cat, depending on the state it can vary from 3k + for the fine or if you are lucky, you may just get a warning first time offence.

[k20eg]

its louder (raspier)
it makes the car smell like fuel (inside cabin and outside)
it leaves black soot on the rear of the car
no noticeable gains

from personal experience, i wouldn't do it. just run a high flow 100-300 cel metal cat.

[-Ad-]

what fumes are you guys talking about?
there shouldnt be any fumes coming out, unless its a cold start on a cold morning.
black soot can be left behind even with a cat, just not as much.
there are gains, quite minimal if anything.

[michaelz]

for the tiny gains, why risk the big fine?

you could rebuild your engine for the cost of the fine and gain a lot more power from that than a silly de-cat which might net you an extra 1 horsepower.

[45SET]

What I don't understand is that you know what the legal implications of this are... yet you are still considering it.

[k20eg]

the one thing i did like about decat however was the fire spitting at high rpm

looks/sounds awesome at night on the mountain

/takumi

[Timmy_B]

the one thing i did like about decat however was the fire spitting at high rpm

looks/sounds awesome at night on the mountain

/takumi

like a dragon hahaha
How many people have been pulled over and checked for a de-cat?

[cw_ctr]

sounds crazy! but i wouldnt really do it.. i highly doubt cops would ever grab you for it anyway...

[45SET]

There are a few things that most traffic cops can check for - Before DOT get involved... and they are all fairly basic
- Ride height
- Exhaust DB
- Tyre tread
- If the car is running a cat (Not if it's been gutted)

[Setanta]

I almost got booked by a young cop for not having a cat on my EH... then his older partner pointed out that they didn't have unleaded in '64 and that he should get his facts straight I was waiting to see how far it went.

Just as well I had the optional seatbelts fitted I guess.

Should have seen the young guy's face when I showed him the high-beam switch on the floor

Edit: he wanted to know where the brake booster was as well - mine wasn't optioned with it and who needs it with 4 wheel drums anyway

[cw_ctr]

Cops do try to get you for something that they do not understand, has happened a few times... have seen a few times also when cops do know they're stuff and test you to see if you are lying or not

[cordz]

Not that anyone on this forum would use a car without a cat on the road but does anyone know 'anyone' whos daily driving like this and what your experiences are?

I believe there's a 10k fine if your caught on the public road. I'm just wondering what Victoria's/Melbournes finest are like. I've also never de-cat'd a car I've drivin, so wondering about excess noise/smell etc.

why pollute everyone's air for a extra 2-5 kW?

Selfish and stupid if you ask me.

[michaelz]

if it was a turbo car you might get a extra 5kw.

on a NA the gains are tiny. from a 1.8L B series you'd be lucky to gain 1KW. the lack of back pressure will also result in a crappier mid range. completely pointless.

[cw_ctr]

why pollute everyone's air for a extra 2-5 kW?

Selfish and stupid if you ask me.

Yeah true.. him taking of his cat will kill everyone oh the agony