Hi im new to the forum. Im looking to put an exhaust system in my 03 ss monte carlo. What kind of set up and what brand do you guys recommend? Something that sounds deep, Im also thinking of putting in a cold air intake. I appriciate your help.

 

When it comes to exhaust what sounds good to one person may sound terrible to another. Your best bet would be to spend a little time over at youtube listening to exhaust clips of 3.8 Monte Carlos and see if any of them are to your liking. I'm still running my stock mufflers but replaced the resonator with a Magnaflow glasspack and like the way it sounds.

 

Yea i guess thats true. Thats what im going to do. Thanks for the advice.

 

Also change your USERCP settings to show all threads instead of just threads that are 1 month old, then head over to the intake/exhaust section.

We have A TON of information over there.

 

No problem. Let us know what you decide on and post up some pics of your Monte if you get a chance.

 

search, search and search some more!

after you do that if you still have questions, then ask, there's a lot of threads on this asking basically what you're asking, personally I would go with magnaflow for the best tone with the least rasp. Don't do anything too dramatic especially with the 3800, it will sound like crap

 

Get a downpipe with u-bend delete if you get a whole new system

 

once you get into the higher rpm's u will have a raspy sound no matter what you do with mufflers, resonators, downpipes, headers, catalytic converters etc..... are cars with the 3800 engine is almost impossible to get good sound out of.....

 

lol... no, ROFLMAO. Tuff 6 - 2008 Street Commodores Skid Pan Day - YouTube
i guess it depends on whether or not you care for the sound of anything but a v8 with a big cam... oh wait no it doesn't Cammed Gtp 600/601 lift cam - YouTube

I am NOT insulting anyone, i'm just trying to put it out there that you can do whatever you want with the exhaust, as long as you have basic understanding on how the engine makes a sound, and depending upon how it's piped it can have a wide variety of sounds. the crazy cam that sound big block-ish aside the 3.8 is tough to make sound like a v8, but it can be done.

 

i am not here to argue either but i am just speaking from experience as well that no stock gm 3800 engine has a good sounding exhaust in HIGHER rpms. if you have a video of a stock car in higher rpms and it still sounds good then i will be proven wrong but that one video is at idle and in both videos the cars are very built engines so it has nothing to do with my statement fyi. it is cammed head work etc which makes a difference in sound right there.... just saying... my monte is a turbo car with ported heads, cam, etc running open downpipe and it sounds OK not great in the HIGHER rpms. but i will say the best sounding gm 3800 cars are the turbo cars with open downpipe in the HIGHER rpms but they still dont sound like a huge built v8! only at idle can you get these cars to sound decent IMO.