tpnotch420

My wife has a 1997 ES300 in need of a replacement catalytic converter. It looks like there are a couple of options.

I can either order the direct fit cat and pipe setup for around $200 from Catco or I can have a new cat welded onto the exsisting pipe.

Is either of these options better the the other outside of the obvious pricing difference?

Thanks for any advice you can provide

angmedic91

iTrader: (5)

I live in California where we have strict emission standards, the weld in place catalytic is quicker and I believe much cheaper than the bolt on method and I have never had problems with passing smog when going the route of a weld on. The muffler technicians here in Cali know what needs to be placed on your car in order for it to pass smog. If your looking to improve some performance you might want to look into a high flow catalytic converter by Magna Flow.

tpnotch420

thanks for your input. I'm not worried about improving performance but I would like to eliminate the excess noise

Greyhame

Moved to ES thread

Hayk

iTrader: (1)

You pretty much nailed it. The only thing I would advise on is making sure all your replacement parts are made out of 409 Stainless Steel. A lot of cheap aftermarket systems are made from Aluminized Steel or even Mild Steel which rots away very quickly and if you keep the car more than 3 years will end up costing you more in the long run.

See the following links for further details on materials choices.

https://help.summitracing.com/app/an...nless-steel%3F

https://help.summitracing.com/app/an...MwN01RJTIxJTIx