Thanx for the responses guys. Just as I thought, the mechanic was trying to screw me. My friend said that even the most modern, hig-tech cats don't cost that much, and my car is 10 years old. My mistake taking it to a gas station. The only reason I took it there was because they had smog checks for only $40, and it is close to my home. But the $40 smog check is the come-on......Then they ream you with the $140.00 diagnostic. The guy made it seem as if the $140 would cover everything, but it only covered the diagnostic. I should have known.......a diagnostic ain't going to repair your car, but 140 sounded pretty steep for just a diagnostic alone. Anyway, they got me for $180.00 but NO MORE!! I also took it to a shop for another estimate, and he quoted me $345.00. At that point I knew someone was lying, and probably BOTH were--just one guy was a little less shady.

I'm going to call up my buddy this afternoon to help me with getting the right cat (I'll go with what you guys suggested) and installation--I want to make sure it is done right. Then I'll get it welded, and get the smog checked again AT A DIFFERENT PLACE. I have even considered just going to get the smog checked at another place without doing any repairs. I mean, if these guys lied to me about the cost of the cat, could they be lying about my car failing the test? I know that is highly illegal, but who knows, I'm convinced that 99% of auto-mechanics are crooks.......But I probably shouldn't risk wasting another $40+. I'll just do what you guys suggested and end this headache. I'll post again to let you guys know how it goes.

BTW, do you guys think the $140.00 diagnostic was too steep?

 

I don't think they would lie to you about the vehicle failing the etest. The $140.00 diagnostics is a little crazy. I got my car checked out by the etest guy for about $40, it's about $40-60 most of the time.

 

dude if someone tried to charge me 140$ just to tell me my cat was bad... id punch him in the face. i mean after he runs the smog check there isnt much left to diagnose...

 

GOD DAMN.......I guess the policy at this place is to charge three times the regular rate for everything they do except the test. They charged by the hour--$140.00 for 2 hours. $70/hour is pretty standard I believe, but why did it take 2 hours for them to do it?? That's why they told me I was too late the last 2 times I tried to take it in, because it supposedly takes them 2 hours. How long did it take for your diagnostic?

 

Believe me, that is exactly what I feel like doing to these guys. I really need to get better with my car knowledge. I took a year of auto in high school, probably know more than most, but that is still nothing. The mechanic really made it seem as if the $140.00 covered everything including repairs. I should have been more skeptical at that point, and taken a better look at the copy of estimate. Oh well, live and learn. So, are you saying that when your car fails a smog, the cat is always the problem? Like I said, I'm really not that knowledgable about cars--and that is exactly how these guys make a living [:@]

 

no its not always the cat... but i mean it doesnt take more than a few min to find that out. unless that dudes getting paid like 500$ an hour, he deserves a punch in the face. a lot of these guys will just assume thats what it is if you fail, and recommend you replace it without "diagnosing" anything. honestly i unless i actually personally know a them, i dont trust a mech as far as i can throw em. ive seen some f'd up stuff that they do. Dont get me wrong there are some pretty good mech's out there, i used to work on hummers for the marines and ive personally known some good mechs, but there are just too many places out there that will hire lazy, uneducated dudes and pay them crap. The thing is, a gas station or a small shop that isnt a franchise has more incentive to rip you off because they are more or less getting the money directly. then a big shop like some of the big name auto parts stores, well, a lot of those dudes dont really know what they are doing. They know some of the basic things that could be wrong, and since its not their money, they just say...well you need to replace this. then if its wrong, they just go about replacing stuff till its fixed. i had one friend who worked at one of those chain places, and this dude knows about enough to change brake pads.

 

Well, I just made a couple of calls to the local auto-parts stores. Neither had Magnaflow. They had others that costs $150.00. They asked me a couple questions that I was not too sure about. They asked if I had duel over-head cam or singe. I said single--I always assumed duel over-head was for V-8s--but what the hell do I know. They also asked if I want "universal or direct fit." I said direct fit.....Does that mean they directly fit my model, and universal fits all? A question that I was sure about is that I want bolt on. That would save me a trip, and save me from dealing with another mech which I would love to avoid. What do you guys suggest?

 

dual overhead cam is for any size angine. look in your engine bay. if it says DOHC on the engine, you have a dual overhead cam. if it says SOHC then you have a single. it might have been cheaper to get someone to weld on a universal one. if its just that then you dont relaly have to put up with anyone. just call someplace like cole muffler and ask them how much it is to weld on a cat. if the price of the cat and the cost of welding is more than the bolt on one, go for the bolt on. But anyway you can order the magnaflow online, which would make it cheaper. its all up to your preferences. 150 for one that bolts right up isnt bad tho i guess.

 

damn i cant belive it fired up thats low just off the stock fuel pump my pressuer is 58psi then i have another 110 psi external for 12 psi boost

 

if it dont say sohc look for the cam gear cover if it looks like there is a single 4" gear in there single over head 2 4" gears dual over head....u could go with a universal but u get what u pay for cheap **** = half ***... direct fit, fits like a glove there are slots on the down pipe that will fit in the groves of the cat and all u need then are exhaust clamps...if that cat dont seem to help you can always get more spark to burn off more of the gasses....run higher octan use a octan booster that will help too