I was always suspect of my original cat restricting the flow and hp of my 81. Wanted to put a dual exhaust but I was worried about spending the money for little increase in performance. To check to see if i would gain anything, I removed the cat and poked a huge hole in it. Instantly the car seemed to pull a lot harder in the higher rev ranges. I am lucky enough to live near a dragstrip so I brought it the next weekend. Car went from 16.1 to 15.3. Eight tenth increase from banging the cat with a BFH. Best afternoon I spent in a long time. I bet your car will wake up a lot. Good luck
The 81 computer regulates the A/F mixture by monitoring the o2 sensor and modifies the mixture in the primaries only (normal driving). It will have no problem keeping up with a better breathing engine. When the secondaries open (3/4 throttle, drop in vacuum ) the computer backs off letting the primaries go rich and the carb operates like any other Qjet. The computer can deal with a better breathing engine with no problem. Only a bigger cam bothers it because the reduction in vacuum fools it into thinking the secondaries are opening early allowing the carb to go rich to early
