Indeed, I can't (legally) drive it at all. The registration has expired and it is due for a smog check, which automatically fails with no cat.
Mine is an E450; There are a several companies that make an after-market cat for an E350 with the same engine. I contacted them and got roughly the same response from each:
> Unfortunately we do not have a catalytic converter for your vehicle.
Although it may seem that the vehicles are similar, in reality they could be
completely different when it comes to emissions. We've seen some cars that
are the same year, same make, and even engine size, that use completely
different catalytic converters. It has to do with the manufacturer and which
emissions tier they are registering that vehicle for. That being said,
although the E-350 maybe similar to the E-450, in reality the converters and
emissions level could be completely different and that's probably why we
don't have the certification for it. Sorry I couldn't help you out. Take
care.
This is probably the reason for all the fleet vehicles available in auctions that have no catalytic converter because theirs was stolen. The municipality or company that owned them found out that replacements would be nearly impossible to get so they opted to sell at a loss to someone who could afford to wait or who operated in a different state where OE replacement catalytic converters are okay for use. I believe that California and Colorado have banned converters that do not come from the manufacturer, effectively preventing anyone who had theirs stolen from using the vehicle legally even though aftermarket units are available that meet 50-state requirements.
Good luck. It may be an option for you to sell the E450 to an out-of-state buyer and replace it with a used or new vehicle. I don't know whether you can make that work for yourself.
Mine is an E450; There are a several companies that make an after-market cat for an E350 with the same engine. I contacted them and got roughly the same response from each:
> Unfortunately we do not have a catalytic converter for your vehicle. Although it may seem that the vehicles are similar, in reality they could be completely different when it comes to emissions. We've seen some cars that are the same year, same make, and even engine size, that use completely different catalytic converters. It has to do with the manufacturer and which emissions tier they are registering that vehicle for. That being said, although the E-350 maybe similar to the E-450, in reality the converters and emissions level could be completely different and that's probably why we don't have the certification for it. Sorry I couldn't help you out. Take care.