What exhaust configuration is correct?

I have 2 1990 Annie T-bird 5 speeds. One of them has had the exhaust system modified before I bought it, and the other one had no motor/trans/exhaust system in it when I bought it.

I will eventually be bringing the car to California (eventually) so need it to be close to correct. Since I will be bringing it in from out of state and then registering in in CA, the Catalytic Converters don't need to be the BS CA ones that can only be sold for use inside CA (Meaning that they cost twice as much for a silly stamp in the metal that says "approved for sale in CA")

My question is: What is the correct configuration for a 1990 5 speed SC? Back when moving to CA was never even a thought I had begun to accumulate parts for my build. I had based it on what I had read on the forums here and planned on L&R cats into a resonator and then the the rear dual mufflers. I had ordered http://www.summitracing.com/parts/MPE-23393/ and http://www.summitracing.com/parts/MPE-23394/ to use as the cats. The rest would come together as I got closer. After moving and looking into it further, since this summer I'll be back east (my brothers is where the car is now) and putting the exhaust together I can't seem to find the correct configuration. Some sites say that the 3rd cat is on Automatic cars only, other sites list LX or Base, Walker diagrams show for 89-95 system and a bunch of symbols and asterisks that need a slide ruler to decode what you need, and plus there are sections on there that have no part available too.. I have given myself a headache a few times over trying to find out what I need.

I see also now systems wit the 3 cats: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/MPE-23351/Application/?prefilter=0 and also http://www.summitracing.com/parts/WLK-16074/ and finally http://www.summitracing.com/parts/CTO-4610/?rtype=10

The ultimate goal for the car has always been to stay pretty much stock. I am not opposed to have a little rumble in the exhaust though. After the third Cat (If I even need it) does a resonator go there?

I know that different model years have different parts and such (like my year and trans uses an EGR) and all emissions stuff must be in place for the "visual" smog check or it is an automatic fail before it even goes on the sniffer...



Hopefully you can follow my ramblings, and thanks in advance.

I think what you're asking for is the stock exhaust configuration. For a 1990, you'll have one cat per bank on the downtubes coming from the manifolds, into a dual in/single out resonator around the gas tank splitting into dual mufflers.

Yes, that is correct. I was asking for a 1990 manual trans car, the exhaust configuration.

So I am correct in having the L and R catalytic converters, and they do not dump into a third, dual in single out converter? What year started having the third converter?

Planning on a Borla ProXS (#40349) for the resonator and a couple of Borla Turbo XL (#40665) mufflers.

A1cntrler said:

Yes, that is correct. I was asking for a 1990 manual trans car, the exhaust configuration.

So I am correct in having the L and R catalytic converters, and they do not dump into a third, dual in single out converter? What year started having the third converter?

Planning on a Borla ProXS (#40349) for the resonator and a couple of Borla Turbo XL (#40665) mufflers.

Click to expand...

The later 94/95 cars had a different exhaust configuration with the extra cat. The earlier cars had only the left and right bank cats like you said.