HJS weld in cats vs Euro cats

[digger]

I agree with everything you post, save this.

Economical 200 cell cats barely remove any scent, and, to my butt dyno, lose power whereas my 200 cell hjs barely make any smell even at start up and feel no different, powerwise, than catless to me.

After years of procrastinating, it's been worth it to pony up for premium.

I think all of us older/longer owners have concluded "do it right the first time, even with the higher cost."

This is a bit of a mixed bag depending on personal needs/preferences. If you are hyper sensitive to smell then you need an expensive CAT there are no cheap CARB compliant 200 cell metal cats from what i have seen and even "lesser" brands such as magnaflow are $$$. I have never noticed the smell or what little smell has never bothered me so its never been a driver.

From a performance (power) perspective there will be negligible difference with two cats in parallel system from cheap to expensive the money is in the precious metals and that has nothing to do with flow. The cheaper metal cats only seem to break down when the tune is not optimal in my experience.

[OldRanger]

At this point in time we’re no longer comparing apples to apples as used euro cats are incredibly old.

Is it correct to assume the BMW Euro Cats are No Longer Available? (On the global market)

What are the reasons for incurring an additional $1,200+ in cost to put high quality, performance oriented 200 cell cats (like HJS) on a track car? I’m deciding on how I should approach this.

I’m imagining the only people making this choice to install cats on a car with headers are: living in a State where there are no emissions inspections and they drive their car to track events. In that case the purpose for the cats would be to reduce noise and smell while on the road…and possibly to stay consistent with the spirit of emissions control.

[Obioban]

What are the reasons for incurring an additional $1,200+ in cost to put high quality, performance oriented 200 cell cats (like HJS) on a track car? I’m deciding on how I should approach this.

I’m imagining the only people making this choice to install cats on a car with headers are: living in a State where there are no emissions inspections and they drive their car to track events. In that case the purpose for the cats would be to reduce noise and smell while on the road…and possibly to stay consistent with the spirit of emissions control.

I have cats because I think cars without them quickly smell about as bad inside as smoker cars, and it sounds significantly better with them.

Also, some cars are tracked without being track cars. I do 5-10 events per year, but also drive my family around in it.

My car is registered as a classic, so no emissions inspection for me.

[usdmej]

reduce noise and smell while on the road

imo even on dedicated track cars, its a common sense and practical consideration to add cats (if you can afford it)
a lot of people seem to equate the "smell" of catless to being just a mild inconvenience (or pleasant quirk depending on your level of troll), but that smell is literally toxic combustion byproducts that you (and others around you) are breathing in. that applies to road and track cars

and that's not even taking into account the poisonous gases that don't "smell" (like carbon monoxide) that catalytic converters clean up as well

[Cubieman]

I considered going straight piped w/the SS setup originally due to the enormous price difference but the smell for me was an issue.

Not so much an issue when cruising around, but when at a stoplight with the windows down it can be a bit much.
I only track the car maybe 2x/year so for an around town/backroads car the cats made sense and I'm no big environmentalist guy, but that part is cool as well.

[digger]

i don't think removing cats make sense with a full exhaust as it's sometimes a useful tuning variable. The sudden change in pipe diameter generates a reflection that means you can tune the apparent length of the system.

[PSUEng]

I'm running SS catted section 1 (as part of full SS 63.5mm system) because I wanted to remain emissions compliant, reduce smell and "noise". I live in a state with no emissions testings btw but, may have to move for work at some point.

[Maxhouse97]

FNG question - if in the US and wanting to install Euro headers, is this as simple as buying the cats and having someone weld them into/on to your current US section 2? Anything else required beyond tune, etc. for the headers?

[OldRanger]

FNG question - if in the US and wanting to install Euro headers, is this as simple as buying the cats and having someone weld them into/on to your current US section 2? Anything else required beyond tune, etc. for the headers?

In essence, yes. With the minor detail that Section 1 is the portion of the exhaust where the cats fit, and also where the Euro Section 1 has the cats by design spec.

[tlow98]

FNG question - if in the US and wanting to install Euro headers, is this as simple as buying the cats and having someone weld them into/on to your current US section 2? Anything else required beyond tune, etc. for the headers?

yes, but don’t forget about the O2 sensors that need to be welded in and longer O2 wiring routes and cables.