C.A.R.B. Approved Cats

[el Wulf]

Are there any companies that manufacture C.A.R.B. approved high flow catalytic converters for 2011 Camaro L99?

[SS PANTHER]

No. Only the oem cats are legal.

[el Wulf]

Thank you, much appreciated. Guess one could theoretically weld a section of straight pipe inside the oem cat keeping it stealth and still pass both the visual & sniffer test.

[SS PANTHER]

There is no more sniffer test for 2000 and newer vehicles. You would get nailed on smell, smoke and possibly the extra noise. Your OBD II would show cats not working properly also.

[el Wulf]

Thanks, would of hated to theoretically fabricated that for not. This is my 1st modern muscle car & only owned it for 2 month & still am learning the new CAN BUS system. Haven't had a vehicle "smogged" in years, every muscle car & truck that I've owned before this has been 1970 & older and non-EFI. Thought that I would be able "pass" the DTC by theoretically disabling the rear O2's with a SCT-X4 Tuner. Will have to run the OEM's until C.A.R.B. changes their minds. I guess that I could always move to Siskiyou County where the only time DMV requires a smog inspection is upon transfer of title....doesn't make ANY sense.

[SS PANTHER]

Do you have a turbo or supercharger? You could run high flow aftermarket cats, 200 cell, and pick up some hp and a little more rumble. They do not smell or smoke like cat delete pipes, which, is just begging to say pull me over and go to the state ref. At smog time you could r&r the cats. Same thing with a good CAI. All the good CAI’s that produce noticeable hp gains are not CARB legal. Again, easy r&r at smog time to put your factory air box back on. As for headers, don’t waist your time and money with long tubes, as IMO, it’s too much of a hassle to r&r for smog. A good CAI, CARB legal shorties, a ported throttle body and high flow cats make a nice difference. Not huge by any means. 30-40rwhp max. That’s what my L99 made over stock with the aforementioned mods. You’ll need a tune to maximize performance and get a trans tune at the same time. That wakes the auto up. Another plus are gears. I run 3.70’s. You could go 3.91’s if you were not going f.i.

[el Wulf]

Thanks Brother! The information is Much Appreciated! Still learning the new setup. The theory hasn't changed, just the technology has been both updated & improved. Glad that I have also updated, my '11 SS is like having the BEST of two worlds....a retro '69 SS body bolted to a modern chassis with a performance suspension & powertrain and all of it controlled by an integrated system of sophisticated electronics.

[el Wulf]

Only had the Beast a couple of months & now that winter is coming, she's in a state of "hibernation"....right now, she's resting on 4 jackstands with all 4 wheels & front fascia removed. R&R'd the brake lines, rotors, and pads, but considering powder-coating the calipers & rebuilding them while I'm at it. In the process of installing the 1st major upgrade (ADM scoop, AEM CAI, Granatelli MotorSports CAI calibrated MAF, Jet Performance throttle body, GPI fully ported LS3 intake manifold, JBA "shorty" headers, Magnaflow Tru-X cross over, PB 25% underdrive balancer, & professional engine/transmission tune) to add to the pre-existing Borla rear exhaust. How do you like the 3.70's, ran a set of 3.73's in my old '70 Formula 400 & it ran well, but was considering 3.91's depending on power output after the 2nd upgrade. Planning on a new set of GMPP CNC ported LS3 heads, GMPP lifters, TSP VVT Stage 2 Cam, & a AFM Delete as part of the 2nd upgrade as well as rear gears, stall speed converter, & suspension. Need to do more research on which is better for my needs...lock up or multi-disc & what stall speed would be best, as well as what gear ratio to use. Have a set of 52lb injectors but do not know if it would be worth installing during this upgrade, performance wise or wait until the 2nd upgrade. Going to replace timing set while r&r'ing cam, do they make a gear-drive style timing set for the LS3/L99 engine? Also, searching for a performance shop with an experienced tuner & preferably a dyno in NorCal.

[SS PANTHER]

Personally, I think I would start with the scoop, CAI, headers, throttle body, high flow cats, gears, and a engine and trans tune. I would wait on the manifold, underdrive pulley and any internal mods for now. I really like my 3.70’s and I would not go to 3.91’s if you ever go f.i.in the future. I would wait on the cam, intake and pulley. IMO. The SST VVT3 will be detected because of a severe chop and possible tuning issues. You will need a stall converter, which makes your car one dimensional. If that’s what you want. I think a blower cam and a CARB legal supercharger makes more sense. A VVT1 would probably pass and would not require a converter. It would also be good with a blower. And yes to painting the calipers.

[el Wulf]

SWEET RIDE!!! Good advise - The VVT1 Cam is a good choice & I do want it to be an "all around" street cruiser. I'm thinking 500 rwhp and as much torque as I can squeeze out of it. Just don't want to go in a straight line, so going to upgrade the suspension & stiffen up the chassis by adding subframe connectors, aftermarket suspension parts, tower brace, polyurethane bushing, & mounts for those curves. I think that would be a good balance for overall performance. No use having all that power if it cannot stay on point.

[SS PANTHER]

Thanks. Good idea on the suspension. I started with cradle, LCA, radius rod bushings, Hotchkis springs, Pfadt competition front and rear sway bars, Spohn trailing arms and toe links, etc. A good foundation first. Then good tires. I run Michelin PSS 285-35-20’s all around on 20 x 10’s.