Whats a good Cat-Back system

[sleepersn95]

Looking for a muffler/cat-muffler upgrade any suggestions. My car just doest sound right the wat that it is.


2001 GTS

 

[treynor]

As a data point, I have the Belanger headers / exhaust and 3" high-flow cats in my '01. Love the sound. You can hear what the system sounds like at WOT in this video:
http://www.treynor.com/ViperVsMustang.rm

 

[Jim Hodel]

What exhaust to buy is one of the most common questions we have on the forum. I spent quite a bit of time searching through the archives for various opinions before purchasing a CORSA 2.5 inch system.

My main desire was to get rid of the drone. It was OK with me for the car to sound more aggressive on throttle, but I did not want it to be very much louder overall. I was not concerned about adding extra horsepower. My experience with exhaust systems is that they don't add much HP no matter what the manufacturer claims. My engine is stock.

The CORSA did all the things I wanted. It sounds smooth at idle, quiet at cruise, and the drone is gone. It does not sound like a 'big block' and has a higher pitched wail under hard acceleration. My only complaint is it sounds a bit 'tinny' when the car is cold.

I suspect that if you prefer a louder more aggressive sound, that a Borla would be better. The CORSA is too quiet for some owners, although one post I saw, asked how to quiet down the Borla drone, so who knows? Another person said that the Borla sounded great, but that after a couple of hours of driving they got a headache.

I don't know since I've only driven with the CORSA.

Jim

 

[Sean Roe]

Replacing the cats alone can enhance the sound of the exhaust system quite a bit and get you a HP gain. Consider installing high flow cats and evaluating the sound ($250-300 parts investment). If you want it louder, consider a rear muffler delete or a complete cat-back. I use Borla cat-backs and don't have a drone or headaches from them.

 

[BWoodbury]

I really like the sound of by Borla cat back. It is louder, without being too loud. I would start with that, then add the hi flow cats, then add headers. Just keep going until you get the sound you want. Sean Roe Racing is an excellent place to buy these. You can see the performance below.

 

[VEETENN]

Corsa is supposed to have their new 3" system on the market in June.

 

[Jim Hodel]

It's hard to say how loud is loud.

I have a Borla exhaust on my Z28 that has block off plates with various sized holes in them, from closed to open. I always run it fully closed because I don't like pedestrians looking around to see what all the rumbling is when I'm still three blocks away. But then, I hear a lot of owners who say they prefer the sound of a more open system.

As a frame of reference, my Z28 passes the noise part of a State of Oregon emissions test with the full block off plate installed. The techicians always make some kind of comment about the noise level, but they do pass me. And, I understand that Borla equipped Vipers can not run at Laguna Seca because they violate the noise level (does anyone know if this true?).

Jim

 

[Stephen Yap]

Jim, sound limits at Laguna usually are 90db. I beleive that last year some events had it at 92db. That is close to what you get inside the car at full throttle! So the answer is yes, Borlas will not pass UNLESS you get Ted May's (Valaya Racing) Laguna inserts. I have not tested mine but some have and they have avoided the Black Flag. This system is removeable so on other tracks I can enjoy the exhaust at full song reverberating against the pit walls.