Muffler guy says he can't install cutout on my 90 Seville

[The Fred]

He says I need to hunt down a couple of flanges.

That is stupid.

Why can't he just weld on an extra pipe, go all the way back with it, and put on one of those cap with screws cutouts? Then I don't have to get under the car to change it. (I don't want to spend 200 for an electric cutout right now.)

It sure sounds good with the muffler off of it right now.. I took the bolts out and hung the cat down a couple inches so the exhaust is wide open right now. I lost some low end torque I guess because there aint enough backpressure?

I want him to use one that caps off like this one

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/QTP-3-5-Sta...QcategoryZ33630

But not a Y

Just a pipe straight back and the cover on it

So why the heck cant the exhaust guy just weld a pipe in?

[Cadillac Jim]

The only thing I can think of is that cut-outs have been illegal in most states since 1934 or so. In the 1920's, as you recall, throttle-operated cut-outs were options on some new cars such as the Willys runabout to provide passing power, but they were too much fun so they made them illegal.

If you get cut-outs put on, it will have to be a cash deal with somebody that trusts you not to tell, or who is not licensed to do exhaust work and thus doesn't know about that old law and isn't putting his business on the line by doing the work. The best bet is a friend who has a shop out back, but isn't in the auto repair business as his day job. And, of course, never run on the street with the caps off and get a ticket, which could start a chain of events you don't want to consider.

[The Fred]

Ah, I see!