After having the BTB stealth system fitted last year, I wanted to fit a sports cat to make the exhaust as free-flowing as possible. A aftermarket sports cat was an option, but I've read plenty on this forum about problems with emissions and MOTs and didn't want to take the risk. BTB said that aftermarket sports cats can have inconsistent or not enough amounts of precious metal to clean up emissions - a cost cutting measure.
With the help of BTB we came up with a plan to use a standard Clio 182 cat and fit it onto my 172. The Clio 182 cat is actually a very good 200 cell sports cat that uses a metallic substrate (not cheaper ceramic). In fact it's arguably the major player in giving the 182 more power than the 172.
I bought a second hand 182 cat off Carlos Fandango on here (thanks Jonathan) and gave it to BTB. The first thing they did was to improve the 182 cat by removing the restriction at the exit. This restriction was deliberate by the manufacturer to help the cat retain heat and reduce noise - but I think I can get away without that!
I dropped my car off to them and they made a new downpipe from the manifold and welded it to the 182 cat, adding the pre-cat lambda thread and a flange to connect it to the system. Looks very impressive I think.
How does it drive? It certainly feels different. Much smoother from low rpm and throttle response seems much improved. Only a dyno test will show the differences, but the signs are very, very good.
I realise that a de-cat would probably make a couple more bhp. But this option wasn't for me. I wanted a fit and forget performance cat that fits perfectly, doesn't illuminate any dashboard lights, passes the MOT and looks as OE as possible - you can even see the Renault part number! I think the BTB conversion ticks these boxes.
No prices available I'm afraid, this is a development product. If there is enough interest BTB will work out a price where you supply a reasonable condition 182 cat and they send it back ready to fit - looks like it could be far cheaper than a sports cat.
I'll add fitted pictures when they have been sent to me. Hope it's of interest.
With the help of BTB we came up with a plan to use a standard Clio 182 cat and fit it onto my 172. The Clio 182 cat is actually a very good 200 cell sports cat that uses a metallic substrate (not cheaper ceramic). In fact it's arguably the major player in giving the 182 more power than the 172.
I bought a second hand 182 cat off Carlos Fandango on here (thanks Jonathan) and gave it to BTB. The first thing they did was to improve the 182 cat by removing the restriction at the exit. This restriction was deliberate by the manufacturer to help the cat retain heat and reduce noise - but I think I can get away without that!
I dropped my car off to them and they made a new downpipe from the manifold and welded it to the 182 cat, adding the pre-cat lambda thread and a flange to connect it to the system. Looks very impressive I think.
How does it drive? It certainly feels different. Much smoother from low rpm and throttle response seems much improved. Only a dyno test will show the differences, but the signs are very, very good.
I realise that a de-cat would probably make a couple more bhp. But this option wasn't for me. I wanted a fit and forget performance cat that fits perfectly, doesn't illuminate any dashboard lights, passes the MOT and looks as OE as possible - you can even see the Renault part number! I think the BTB conversion ticks these boxes.
No prices available I'm afraid, this is a development product. If there is enough interest BTB will work out a price where you supply a reasonable condition 182 cat and they send it back ready to fit - looks like it could be far cheaper than a sports cat.
I'll add fitted pictures when they have been sent to me. Hope it's of interest.
