A catalytic converter has one primary benefit and primary one downside. First and foremost, it reduces the toxic gases and pollutants from your exhaust by… wait for it… catalyzing them. Because cats restrict the airflow, they also rob the engine of a little bit of power, more so if the catalytic converters start to clog up.
In other words, you can’t have one without the other. It’s a compromise that’s mandatory in the U.S. since 1981, and that will be that. Or is it?
High-flow cats are a different kind of compromise, favoring the airflow to create more power. At $1,350.99 per piece, the catted section pipe from Long Tube Headers is one of many available solutions for the C8 Corvette Stingray.
“While the factory catted section pipe muffles a lot of the great V8 noise, our version lets your Corvette make badass music.” The ECOf as it's actually called is EPA-compliant too, made from 304 stainless steel and sporting the Titan finish for added durability. And a lifetime warranty, of course!
The long tube headers from… uhm, Long Tube Headers are also worthy of highlighting. Priced at $1,099 and available in two sizes, these headers can be used with the factory catalytic converter, high-flow cat, or a catless section that’s for off-road use only. Combine the 1 7/8-inch headers with the ECOf cat pipes mentioned beforehand, and your neighbors will certainly hate it.
As demonstrated by the American exhaust specialist in the following video, those two with the factory cat-back system and the valves open is a pretty loud combination. The LT2 small-block V8 sounds great as is with the sports exhaust of the Z51 Performance Package but LTH brings out more of its aggressiveness.
It’s very important to note that both the headers and ECOfs are compliant with the Environmental Protection Agency, meaning that you can use them on public roads without the fear of getting sanctioned for running an illegal exhaust system.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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