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Thread: Advice / Suggestions needed: 95 m3 exhaust setup

  1. #1
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    Advice / Suggestions needed: 95 m3 exhaust setup

    Hey everyone. I've lurked online for quite a while and I've tried to scour all the resources I could find, but I'm still really undecided on this subject so I thought I'd ask for outside help.

    I have a 95 M3 with bad cats that need to be replaced. I have a set of BMP design shorty headers waiting to go on the car, so I figured this would be a good time to just re-work the exhaust while I'm down there.

    From what I've gathered online, people say to NOT go track pipe and delete the cats. The car is a street car, and this was going to be my first option, so now I'm questioning that. It may eventually be a track car down the line, so I'm not worried about it being loud or anything like that.

    I have a catback exhaust (AC Schnitzer I think the previous owner said), so essentially I just need to build a mid section that I'm happy with. What's the best option for me? Do I replace the cats and get rid of the smell, or delete them altogether?

    Any advice or help is appreciated. I've been stumped on this for a while. I also don't want the car to sound like shit lol.

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    RRSperry's Avatar
    RRSperry is offline Senior Moment Member BMW E36 M3 Expert
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    If you plan on driving it in Cali, you’re going to need cats. The easiest option is get an obd2 midsection, weld in an O2 bung precat, and plug the after cat bungs...
    No matter where you go, there you are...

  4. #4
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    I'm in Los Angeles but I know someone that can get my car through so it isn't an issue. I'm also not sure how long I plan to stay here, and Phoenix isn't as strict. Are there any benefits to run catless if I have headers and a catback?

  5. #5
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    If you have a tune for catless, you will make a little more power. The smell of catless bothers some people.
    Last edited by pbonsalb; 09-13-2019 at 03:38 PM.

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    RRSperry is offline Senior Moment Member BMW E36 M3 Expert
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    Oh come on, it isn't a race car.. Put cats on the car. You aren't even going to notice 5 Hp... Also, it will smell like ass, and is, in fact, illegal everywhere...
    No matter where you go, there you are...

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    Quote Originally Posted by pbonsalb View Post
    If you have a tune for catless, you will make a little more power. The smell of catless smells bothers some people.

    Is it a rotten sort of smell, because I may be smelling that right now and it bothers me haha. I may just sell the headers then and go with a stock setup up to the catback or something.

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    Quote Originally Posted by RRSperry View Post
    Oh come on, it isn't a race car.. Put cats on the car. You aren't even going to notice 5 Hp... Also, it will smell like ass, and is, in fact, illegal everywhere...
    So should I just dump the headers then? I have no bias towards cats or catless, but I picked up the headers for a good deal and was wondering what I had to do to make them effectively work. But if they're useless with stock cats and mid section, I'll just sell them.

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    Quote Originally Posted by shanemcelroy View Post
    Is it a rotten sort of smell, because I may be smelling that right now and it bothers me haha. I may just sell the headers then and go with a stock setup up to the catback or something.
    Smells kinda like sulfur, others compare it to rotten eggs.

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    Quote Originally Posted by ChuckDizzle View Post
    Smells kinda like sulfur, others compare it to rotten eggs.
    Yeah, that's the smell. I'll probably end up just selling the headers I guess and keeping it stock to the catback. That seems to be the most reasonable thing to do for a street car.

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    That eggs smell is the smell of bad cats..
    No cats smells like a real engine, like a motorcycle exhaust or a lawnmower exhaust.. If running poorly it would smell like gasoline..

    My 95 has a stock exhaust with deleted cats, welded in straight pipes..
    It sounds great and smells fine..
    E36 M3 S50 - E53 X5 M54 - 1980 Porsche 931 - 2001 Impreza RS25

  12. #12
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    Run cats on the street. There is seriously no use in taking them out. BMW makes such well flowing cats compared to most other companies. I really dislike the smell, and no matter what anyone says, it is very apparent.

    You should pick up an OBD2 midpipe from a E36 328, or an M3 (same part), and bolt that in. You will need to bung all 4 of the holes, cut and weld in a bung before the cats. It's a simple fix if you have a welder, if not an exhaust shop can do it in a matter of minutes.
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    Hey fasteddie313
    When you say cat delete did you ddelete both the catyltic converter AND the resonators??

    Im looking to do a cat delete and/or rsonator delete on my 95 M3 but I dont want it too loud or to sound like empty coffe cans either. I want it louder but not to sound terrible or excessively loud. My question is which one gives abetter louder sound, deleting the cat or deleting the resonators? My plan was to delete the resonators alone.

  14. #14
    RRSperry's Avatar
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    Why, all you accomplish is to sound like an ass. Deleting the resonators will make your car miserable to drive. The drone will be horrible. And if you delete the cats, you get the added benefit of having your car smell like ass.

    Just say no. Buy a Stromung or Eisenmann cat back exhaust and call it a day. If you really want obnoxiously loud, find a Billy Boat.
    No matter where you go, there you are...

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pfrederi View Post
    Hey fasteddie313
    When you say cat delete did you ddelete both the catyltic converter AND the resonators??

    I'm looking to do a cat delete and/or resonator delete on my 95 M3 but I don't want it too loud or to sound like empty coffee cans either. I want it louder but not to sound terrible or excessively loud. My question is which one gives a better louder sound, deleting the cat or deleting the resonators? My plan was to delete the resonators alone.
    Why? Do me a favor, remove your cat-back and only run the midsection. Your resonators are only removing the raspy/drone part of the sound. With the resonators off or the cats off, it WILL sound like a coffee can exhaust. These cats are very high flow for the motor, they are not limiting you on power, and these motors sound like shit with the cats removed/resonators removed.

    Spend the money. Get a real exhaust NOT an eBay knockoff.
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