Hey, I am looking to get new exhaust. I just purchased the car, I have read through some of the other threads and just trying to figure some of this out. I want a good sound but nothing outragous. I like to keep it cheap, around 300, 350. If there is anyone out there that can lead me to some sites and some sound clips so I can get an idea what I might want. Thanks.

 

i just read thru a similar post over on another forum i belong to.... with the 3800 series engines it was said that a Wide open exhaust has a unplesent sound. but from the sound of it, for 300-400 you wouldnt be able to do a quality full exhaust. the factory system is stainless so you would want to keep as much of it as you can. from all i have read and my experience with my DOHC car this is what i would recomend:

-Replace teh "U bend" this is a section of your exhaust that dips into a U shape for the O2 sensor. it is a major bottle neck and an easy fix at any muff shop.

-Keep your factory cat and primary resonator.

-then get a single magnaflow muffler and place it where the second resonator is and run 2.5" pipe to the tips and to the cat. so you will just have pipe and tips going to the rear bumper .
----or---

-U bend removal, keep factory Cat and Res

- straight into a magnaflow muffler and then into one or two side pipes exiting just a head of the rear wheels like mine!


***right now i have the stock down pipe, a high flow Cat, magnaflow muffler, and side pipe. complete system is 2.5"** the magnaflow mufflers are a straight thru design. its a perferated tube with an outer shell and packing to keep down the sound. they flow nice! i have a post on my system if your interested in the sound, but they are very diff engines i doubt they will sound the same.
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Also, a FWI air intake system will deepend the sound and make it a bit louder... so if you dont have an intake yet keep that in mind. you can very easily build your own intake for cheep. well under $100 for all parts.

 

I recently put some new stuff on my 04 SS, I took it to a local muffler shop and they replaced and U-Bend AND the Resonator with 2.5" straight pipe, and replaced the stock mufflers with Flowmasters. I kept the stock tips and everything from the CAT forward, all this for $448. Now... if you go with something like he mentioned, only one muffler, you can drop about 150 bucks off that price, but I was going for noise as well so I stuck with 2. There is a thread in the Sights and Sounds section titled "Sound". There you will find sound clips of a 3800 NA with 2 Flowmasters and U-Bend/Resonator Delete. You might like it.

 

flowmasters are great for sound. but i've read too many threads of people switching later for better performance. the flowmasters are baffeld/ chamberd mufflers... where as the magnaflows and others like dynatech and such have straight thru designs that offer much more flow. the main reasons i went with the magnaflow was, they had a round muffler that fit well under the car and that its design would flow great.