HKS Carbon Fiber (Looking at Exhaust Options)

[InfamousEclipse]

Here is what I am debating
Apexi N1 from RRE- $490
Greddy Evo from a company I have no experience w/- $495
Used (1yr) Greddy Evo (from my friend)- $350

Now im leaning toward a muffler w/ custom piping. Custom piping to any muffler is $200 Can I get any muffler to go out to an angle? (japan style) I am doing 2.5 Piping, and plan to turbo in about 6months

HKS carbon fiber muffler with a burnt tip is my fav. muffler but, I only see it on ebay for $300, thats a lot for just a muffler. Other "no name" brand mufflers on ebay are $75-$150

Do you guys know a better place to get an HKS muffler? Or do you know of a good imitation and if it makes a difference? What option would you guys go with?

I have $500 in savings, I would like to save a chunk if possible, but then again with my car I want "only the best"

 

[91 NT Eclipse]

All mufflers are basically constructed the same way. Its all about the name stamped on 'em. I'd find a muffler I liked, and do the custom piping. Save some green.

 

[InfamousEclipse]

Originally posted by 91 NT Eclipse
All mufflers are basically constructed the same way. Its all about the name stamped on 'em. I'd find a muffler I liked, and do the custom piping. Save some green.

If I do a Real HKS, with piping I will spend near $500 wich is actually more than a N1 or Evo Cat Back system.... wich would give me better performance? Or is it about the same?

I want an HKS replica but I only see mufflers in carbon fiber, with no burnt tip, or a few that have the burtn tip, but aren't carbon fiber.

Is there a way to get that burnt tip look on a carbon fiber muffler that doesn't have it?

 

[91 NT Eclipse]

Any NA exhaust is going to give about the same performance so just get the one you like the best.

 

[DSM-ZERO]

If you want to go turbo get an exhaust for a gs-t it will fit your car and it will be 3" piping and will help you out for your turbo but not for an n/a app. I like the HKS carbon & ti but if got it, it would be for a gs-t and it is very expensive. But remenber you get what you pay for. I see no point in buying an exhaust for a n\a app, if you plan on going turbo anyway it will be alot better for you if you get an exaust for a GS-T because once you start turning up the boost you will need a bigger exhaust to help flow the air and have less back pressure. Your turbo will spool faster and be very Happy, and a Happy car is a fast car!

 

[InfamousEclipse]

Originally posted by DSM-ZERO
If you want to go turbo get an exhaust for a gs-t it will fit your car and it will be 3" piping and will help you out for your turbo but not for an n/a app. I like the HKS carbon & ti but if got it, it would be for a gs-t and it is very expensive. But remenber you get what you pay for. I see no point in buying an exhaust for a n\a app, if you plan on going turbo anyway it will be alot better for you if you get an exaust for a GS-T because once you start turning up the boost you will need a bigger exhaust to help flow the air and have less back pressure. Your turbo will spool faster and be very Happy, and a Happy car is a fast car!

HKS will come with 2.5 custom piping (thats what I was recomended is fine with when I have my car turbo) Or should I have 3 and loose performance up until I get turbo?

 

[DSM-ZERO]

go 3" and lose until you get turbo because it will be better for you in the long run and you won't regret it in the furture! Plan ahead so you don't make mistakes and have to back track and end up with somtihng you don't want or need in the furture rember, the 3" will be best for turbo in the furture and once you turn up the boost you'll wish you hand a 3"

 

[1TuffRS]

if your going to go turbo in about 6 months you should def go with a 3" exhaust, but if you think it may take a little longer a 2.5" exhaust will be better. Both sound quality and overall performance will be better with a 2.5" mandrel bent exhaust while NA, but once you go turbo a 3" will serve you best, there is no need to spend money on an exhaust twice......think about it.

 

[InfamousEclipse]

There is another option. I wont be positive how capable I am to get a turbo kit, till im in Arizona in 3months (seeing how much extra money I have after paying college N shit)

Should I just weld a muffler, and get the piping when I see if I can go turbo or not? Just to weld a muffler is like $45, would that be money thrown away?

 

[InfamousEclipse]

I know this is somethign that has been debated over and over and trust me I have searched and found as much info as I can, and now I am at this final deccision, some last thoughs please before I decide....

 

[InfamousEclipse]

I still need help because I am yet to make a deccision

 

[OnoSendi]

As far as 3" piping on your N/T car, there have been cases with my friends, and I've seen them posted on here as well, that the car runs like shit with 3" on the N/T, you need some blowback, some cases resulted in backfiring. And as far as welding a muffler on, and waiting on the piping - Muffler's have different inlets, if your going to do this, make sure you get a 3" inlet. In my opinion, save that 500 and start savin for the turbo, and do it all right when you have everything. Cars are an expensive thing to get involved in, do it right the first time.

 

[InfamousEclipse]

The shop here is saying they wont do 3inch piping, they say it will be too big and barely give me ground clearance?

so 2.5 is ok on a Turbo settup? I'm looking for 300hp (HRC Stage... 2?) Should I get 2.5 or 3?

I am thinking about just waiting to do the piping, to see how realistic a turbo kit is. What sucks is I dont want to pay $50 to weld on a muffler, then have to pay again to get custom piping.

Im not sure what you mean by a 3in inlet? Please explain that to me. All I know is my muffler looks ghetto, its hanging off (check my gallery) So I want to get exhaust ASAP and I have $500 burning a hole in my pocket, I cant wait till I have enough for turbo to do exhuast.

 

[DSM-ZERO]

If you get a universal there are two ends one is the one you see from the back of your car the one everyone see's the other is the part that has the pipping on it and connects to your cat. If you get that one in a 3in later on you can do 3in piping on your car. BUT I have 3in piping and I still have ground clearence. IF all you want is 300 then 2.5 is fine but if you want to turn up the boost and get more power then get 3.0. I say get a 3" go and order an exhaust because think about it. An exhaust you get at a shop is made in an hour VS. one that is desinged and tested through hours of reserch. You get what you pay for, go and buy a cat back system you'll like it better. If you want 3" get one for a gs-t

 

[DSM-ZERO]

One more thing lots of shops only do crush bends and that leaves waves in the pipe and will not flow as good as a cat back with manderal bends.

 

[OnoSendi]

To clarify the inlet on the muffler: The piping coming from your motor, into the muffler. If you have 3" piping you'd buy a muffler with a 3" inlet, if you have 2.5" piping you'd buy a muffler with 2.5" inlet.

I agree with DSM-ZERO on just purchasing an aftermarket cat-back exhaust system. The only thing im a little weary on is: I want to keep my GReddy EVO muffler when I go turbo, the problem is, it's a 2.5" inlet, and I'm doing 3" when I stick the turbo in. So, I went down to my local performance shop, and actually layed the aftermarket GST piping to an aftermarket GS piping. It does NOT follow the same route, and will NOT fit on a GS application. As far as the GST exhaust system goes, I don't know for sure if this fits, but I would think that greddy makes the systems along the same paths as the stock piping goes. So in short what im saying, I dont think any exhaust for GST will fit on GS. I could be wrong, do correct me on this if I am.

Lucky for me, my local muffler shop mandrel bends =)

 

[DSM-ZERO]

YES IT WILL some of the J-spec exhaust go under the control arm and some go over. The reason why they go under is for bigger pipping so if they put them toghter one might bend one way and the other another way but they do fit see if they wilkl put the car on the lift and hold the GS-T cat back up to your's while under your car and you will see that it is the same except some systems go under the control arm and some go over. Iam not bullshitting you but it only seems that I am the only one responding to your form.

 

[InfamousEclipse]

As much as I love the HKS muffler, all that custom piping seems like a lot of hassle to make sure its done right (and I wouldn't know the difference if it was 1/2 assed)

I am pretty sure I will finally go w/ N1, mainly because RRE is so good to do business w/

Thanks for the input guys, you helped me make my choice

 

[OnoSendi]

Good choice man! Post here when you get it, and tell me how it runs.