[mpg_numbers_guy]

Baking it probably isn't necessary, but I wanted to be thorough, so that's how I did it. Ecky followed a similar process with his and he said that his has held up well, and I'm not sure if he baked his or not.

You could probably find a used one fairly cheap, although finding the specific one may be hard....is yours unique to the HX or is it cross compatible with all 6th gen Civics?

People rarely sell used catalytics in working condition; chances are any that are being sold are either rusted out or junk ones that would throw a code if used. Someone might have a parts car with a used one, but in either case I'd go with new, as it's not that much more expensive and is guaranteed to last a while, especially if treated.

Assuming, of course, that you go with an aftermarket assembly, rather than OEM, which I presume would be around $1000 if not more.