when did catalytic converters start?

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Princess Valiant

Princess Valiant

A.K.A. Rainy Day Auto
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I always thought they came in for the 1975 model year but today I found a 74 duster deep in the brush and it definitely has the bump in the floor for a catalytic converter.

I cant get the hood open to see if there is a fender tag but the vin on the dash is VL29C4G208XXX
 
2004 for diesel trucks.
 
Chrysler didnt need to use the air pump until a few years after everyone else did too. The one you found may have been a late 74 already using the tooling for the 75 floorboard.
 
I believe it was 1974 when the EPA started to crack down hard on automotive manufacture's on air pollution.
 
I have also seen 74 A bodies with the "lump" in the floor. Near as I know 75 was the first year they used the cataclysmic converter, I just always figured maybe the Califernya air Nazis may have mandated them in 74 or something. Don't know.
 
After 30 years in the Parts Business, I've have heard every misconstrued name for them that you can think of. I do know that the used ones/take offs are $$$$$ at the recycler
 
MOPARMITCH said:
After 30 years in the Parts Business, I've have heard every misconstrued name for them that you can think of. I do know that the used ones/take offs are $$$$$ at the recycler
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Local yard gives $40 a piece. That is a ripoff!!! I know a guy who specializes in these. I sold him 8 and got $565. For him the price depends on what type they are and what they are off of. He tells me some of the imports can bring $180 each.
 
Yes, for Chrysler products "Some" cars started in 1974. True that Ma Mopar did as much as it could not to use them.I bought a new Aspen in 1976 with a 318 that didn't have a cat just a air pump that passed the EPA rating at the time.By 77 all Mopar cars had to have them.
 
Out here there have been guys running around with a cordless sawzall and cutting them off cars. After filling a truck bed with them they go and sell them.
 
73AbodEE said:
Out here there have been guys running around with a cordless sawzall and cutting them off cars. After filling a truck bed with them they go and sell them.
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Has happened here too. Was on the news a year ago or so where somebody hit a dealership and cut the cats off of most of the cars on the lot. Also around the same time some jackass electrocuted himself stealing copper wire. Problem was it was live.
 
A38Valiant said:
Has happened here too. Was on the news a year ago or so where somebody hit a dealership and cut the cats off of most of the cars on the lot. Also around the same time some jackass electrocuted himself stealing copper wire. Problem was it was live.
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LOL ! I bet he was shocked to find that out :blob:
 
'74 service manual shows slant and 318 offered with a 'quiet package'. The muffler is in usual position and a smaller/round resonator was added behind the axle. No mention of CC that I have found.
 
I checked the fender tag and door sticker ....the door sticker says 7/74 and the fender tag says 719 for the build date. I think another couple weeks and it would have been a 75 but if a CC is a 75 thing then it should not have had one till 8/1/74 ??
 
74-75 was sort of a transition period based on where the car was sold, and the exact engine combo. Pretty much all cars in 76 and most light trucks in 79.

Running a cat shouldn't be a big deal if your A/F ratio is reasonable and you burn more gas than oil. Yeah, it's one more part, but they do a LOT to clean up unburned hydrocarbons. New cats aren't particularly restrictive either. The worst cat now is light years better than the best cat then.
 
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