cats, emissions- and power!

[Kerry Griffith]

Hi Chuck,

Casual inspection of the exhaust system appears to reveal a not-so-easy 
project when it comes to bolting and unbolting cats since they're part 
of a larger section. I've always been curious as to how the car would 
run with gutted cats or "test pipes", and I seem to recall varying 
opinions on the list.
The cat on my ur-Q was somewhat clogged but was very easy to unbolt and 
reinstall, so it made a very substantial difference when I er, 
accidentally knocked out the guts of the cat in an attempt to improve 
the flow.

Is there any consensus on
1. the power delivery/output if one were to install less restrictive 
piping but keep the remainder of the system stock and
2. is removal/replacement as difficult as it looks compared to the ur-Q?

Happy Holidays to All,

Kerry
happily driving my '91 that just turned 120k miles after passing on an 
S6

BTW- if anyone knows of a nice set of ur-S4 wheels for sale, please 
contact me. thanks.