Hi, I'm new to the forum, i just bought my 2000 monte carlo ss a week ago and i'm looking at replacing the exhaust system. I'm thinking of cutting everything off from the cat back, adding straight pipes and flowmaster 10 series mufflers, thoughts?

 

First things first - search around on YouTube and listen to some setups, see what you like. Yours may even be up there. Secondly, I can almost guarantee you won't like the sound - the 3800s are not a motor you want to be loud, or it's going to sound like a leaf-blower. Getting a CAI and changing the resonator out for a shorter glasspack will deepen up the sound without making it raspy.

I've got not experience with Flowmasters - I have Magnaflows and the old discontinued GMPP kit was also an unbranded Magnaflow kit, so I'm more partial to them... personally. We also have a few members that like SLP mufflers.

Like I said, search the forum here and search YouTube.

 

Hi i just bought a used 03 Carlo and I need to change the CAT on it. I was looking up underneath it and i noticed the resonator at which point I already wanted to try to remove it to help deepen her purr a little. What are you suggesting to do to replace that resonator? I don't fully understand.

 

A lot of people say the sound of the 3800 is no good without a res, I had mine removed (long story why) and I will never put one back. It was replaced with a straight piece of pipe and IMO sounds great. But my exhaust is made of a ZZP PLOG, ZZP downpipe w/ high flow cat and res delete. The rest is factory.

 

Some people have replaced the resonator with a piece of straight pipe (completely eliminated it) and like the way it sounds. Others have done it and reported having drone (low frequency vibration created when the frequency of the engine and exhaust equalize) at cruising speeds. A lot of factors play into it (exhaust pipe diameter/thickness/length, muffler design, etc.) so it's impossible to say what rpm range the drone will occur.

When I removed my resonator I replaced it with a 30" Magnaflow glasspack muffler. The remainder of my system is OE. It is slightly louder then stock at idle with a mellow tone that remains throughout the rpm range. No drone, no raspy sounding acceleration and no popping during deceleration.

I like it that way, but my preference may not suit your tastes.