Hey guys,

So, on the Monte, we installed a set of two Dynomax Super-Turbo mufflers, directly in place of the stock mufflers awhile back.. Stock everything else.. Eventually we had to replace them both again because the one blew out.. It has a real nice, deep purr, but not much of a growl.. So I wanted to see some other options.. I've heard some really REALLY bad exhausts on these cars before.. I don't wantto be THAT guy..

1. Should I just buy a pre-made cat-back or just stay custom? What's our stock piping size again ('04 SS)?

2. Can you use a muffler as a resonator? I have a spare GMPP Performance muffler in my garage from a friends Cobalt (it was the $700 factory performance exhaust you bought from GM), and I was wondering if you could use it in place of the stock resonator? If you used a free flowing resonator and cat, but used quieter mufflers, it might work well..? I think the muffler in question is for 2.5 tubing.. But adaptors can always be made..

3. For an exhaust, what's better: a u-bend to two mufflers or one muffler with two outlets? Because right now I'm going with the two muffler layout, but can I put a muffler basically where the u-bend is, and just put two tubes out from there? I don't know which way is better.. I mean, Trans Am's and stuff use only one..

4. Do headers REALLY help alot on these cars? Most of them seem quite expensive.. I'm n/a now, but I might go boost..

Thanks!

 

i think hte stock size is 1.75 inches....

you can put a muffler in place of the resonator.. i have a glasspack there on my car and no mufflers on the back... very loud. my sound clip is horrible though, but because of my camera... my car is honestly the best soudning 3800 i've ever herad... and one of the loudest!! the resonator is mean't to keep down cabin noise, so my muffler makes the inside of my car very noisy... but i like it that way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lq19vwlx4ss

Most people on this forum recommend taking the u-bend out. I had a whole thread written on the exhausts for these cars but the forum crash whipped out about half of it.

They say headers help but I don't know that from experience.

 

I usually hate Flows on GM 3.8's, but I just saw a clip that sounded damn good.. I'm just worried about replacing the resonator and it sounding like ***..

 

I'm not sure- but it should be 2.25" pipe.

No ubend is good- delete it for sure.

Putting a muffler up where the ubend is (right behind the cat) and running dual pipes all the way back sounds like a real pain, and a lot of extra pipe.

You can do one or two mufflers, it doesn't really matter. I've seen people delete the spare tire well and do a single muffler with dual outlets there before too. Neither way is really right or wrong.

Expensive? They start in the high $200s, thats dirt cheap. Sure the big dog TOGS and such are $1500, but you don't need that much header anyways. Just remember you get what you pay for.

Of course headers add power. On an NA car, I would say rockers would be a better bang for the buck, but headers should still pick you up 5-10 whp depending what ones you go with.

I'm pretty sure its bigger. The 5th gen montes had 2.25" piping- so I'm betting the new montes are the same size, or maybe 2.5". I don't think they would've stepped down in size.

 

I just got info that the SC 00-05 montes have 2.25" all around and the NA montes have 2.25" from headers to the cat and then after the u-bend its 1-7/8" which makes it hard to work with just mufflers and not gettin a whole system